If you hover over the software volume control, the tooltip says that software volume control is disabled even though it is enabled.
Please paste your debug information here…
It is found here: "Settings–> My Account–> Help–> Debug Info
To have that option working at a party your files have to be analyzed first…
i say party but meaning a playlist with different songs from different albums… if you don’t want to higher or lower volume all night 
Hi @TribecaMikey,
Can you send us a copy of the "Debug Info“ when you have this behavior? You can get it in Audirvana Settings>My account.
Note: When you click on the Debug Info button, Audirvana automatically copies all its content. Please paste it in response to this message.
Audirvana Origin 2.5.14 (20514)
macOS Version 14.7 (Build 23H124) with 16GB physical RAM
Connected account of : Michael Sacks
NETWORK
Status: available
SIGNAL PROCESSING:
Polarity Inversion:
Globally: OFF
Per track: ON
Effects plugins ACTIVE in offline mode with new macOS API
AU plugin #0: Music Effect - MeldaProduction MEqualizer ()
AU plugin #1: None
AU plugin #2: None
AU plugin #3: None
UPSAMPLING:
r8brain with device max frequency upsampling
r8brain filter parameters
Bandwidth = 99.5%
Stop band attenuation 218dB
Phase linear
AUDIO VOLUME:
Max allowed volume: 100
Replay Gain: by album
SW volume control: ON
LIBRARY SETTINGS:
Sync list: 2 folders
AUTO: /Volumes/OWC HD/iTunes/iTunes Media/Apple Music
AUTO: /Volumes/OWC HD/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music
iTunes/Music library synchronization: not synchronized
Library database path: /Users/msacks3/Library/Application Support/Audirvana/AudirvanaDatabase.sqlite
Remote Control server:
Listening on 127.0.0.1 on port 54533
APPEARANCE SETTINGS:
UI theme: dark
Font size: large
Language: System language
Show album covers in tracks list: yes
Source list sorted:
Library
My Music
Startup view: Last displayed view
Show local extended in source list: no
Use media keys: yes
Use media keys for volume control: yes
Use Apple Remote: no
Number of paired remotes: 4
Remote pairing code required: yes
Screen saver disabled: no
=================== AUDIO DEVICE ========================
Active method: Local
Max. memory for audio buffers: 4356MB
Local Audio Engine: CoreAudio
Exclusive access: ON
Integer mode: ON
Use max I/O buffer size: ON
Actual I/O buffer frame size: 512
Preferred device:
Schiit Audio Schiit Unison Modius ES
Model UID:Schiit Unison Modius ES:30BE:101A
UID:AppleUSBAudioEngine:Schiit Audio:Schiit Unison Modius ES:2400000:1
Active Sample Rate: 44.1kHz
Hog Mode is off
Bridge settings:
Sample rate limitation: none
Sample rate switching latency: none
Limit bitdepth to 24bit: OFF
Mute during sample rate change: OFF
Selected device:External Headphones
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Model name: Apple Inc. External Headphones
Model UID: Codec Output
UID: BuiltInHeadphoneOutputDevice
ID 0x50
4 available sample rates up to 96000Hz
44100
48000
88200
96000
Audio buffer frame size : 14 to 4096 frames
Current I/O buffer frame size : 512
Volume Control
Physical: Yes
Virtual: Yes
Max volume alert: Enabled
MQA capability
Auto-detect MQA devices: No
Not automatically detected, user set to not MQA
DSD capability
Unhandled (PCM conversion) with boost gain of 6dB
Device audio channels
Preferred stereo channels L:1 R:2
Channel bitmap: Ox3, layout:
Channel 0 mapped to 0
Channel 1 mapped to 1
Audio channels in use
Number of channels: 2
Use as stereo device only: No
Simple stereo device: Yes
1 output streams:
Number of active channels: 2, in 1 stream(s)
Channel #0 :Stream 0 channel 0
Channel #1 :Stream 0 channel 1
Stream ID 0x51 2 channels starting at 1
4 virtual formats:
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 44.1kHz
4 physical formats
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 44.1kHz
Local devices found : 4
Device #0: ID 0x64 LG HDR 4K
Manufacturer: GSM
Model UID: 1E6D0777-0000-0000-051D-0104B53C2278
UID: 1E6D0777-0000-0000-051D-0104B53C2278
Model name: GSM LG HDR 4K
Device #1: ID 0x73 USB Audio CODEC
Manufacturer: Burr-Brown from TI
Model UID: USB Audio CODEC :08BB:2906
UID: AppleUSBAudioEngine:Burr-Brown from TI :USB Audio CODEC :2400000:1
USB Vendor ID: 0x08bb
USB Product ID: 0x2906
Model name: Burr-Brown from TI USB Audio CODEC
Device #2: ID 0x50 External Headphones
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Model UID: Codec Output
UID: BuiltInHeadphoneOutputDevice
Model name: Apple Inc. External Headphones
Device #3: ID 0x4a Mac mini Speakers
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Model UID: Speaker
UID: BuiltInSpeakerDevice
Model name: Apple Inc. Mac mini Speakers
UPnP
UPnP devices found : 0
Chromecast
Chromecast devices found : 0
@RunHomeSlow, thanks for your response. I want to make sure I understand your recommendation.
- Turn Volume Leveling off - only use it if you have a playlist with songs from lots of different albums
- Is it stilll OK to use Software Volume Control?
- One implication of this is that the ReplayGain info that Origin has calculated for each album is informational only - Origin will not use it in playback
- Your reasoning is that Volume Leveling causes Origin to modify the signal during playback.
- Doesn’t Software Volume Control also affect the signal?
Thanks.
If your DAC as a volume control, better to use it instead of software volume control… If your DAC doesn’t have one, you have to use it… Audirvana is suppose to have a good software volume control… i don’t know, my DAC as a control.
Sure using levelling option affect the file… affect the sound, good or bad ? you have to decide if it does… I’m usually an album listerner instead of random songs. The option that keep levelling for album in the prefs is mostly for people that don’t want to change that option when playing playlists for exemple then decide to listen to an album… Does Audirvana do something when album preserving gain is on and you listening to an album between random songs??
better off for me always, then, if i listen to a playlist with all mixed up songs… that option is helpful because it is annoying to listen to a classic song, followed by a rock song, to a jazz song after, with all different replaygain number… you have to lower the sound, then you have to put it up for classic, then lower it for a bad new mastering with low DR… With the replaygain option on, it levels all the listening of the playlist to a regular sound, good or bad, you have to decide.
these days i have a smart playlist that was made with never played songs in my database… the option in that playlist is by time of songs… so the songs are all from different groups and albums all mixed up… i use the replaygain option when playing that playlist, apart from that, i don’t use replaygain option, nor use software volume control. But for some, Software volume control is not an option they have to use it
if the option in pref is off, it is information only. You don’t have to calculate replaygain info for your tracks, that is off by default. But you have to calculate your songs if you want to use that option after… My database is all calculate.
When using software volume control, the dynamic range (bit-depth) of the file is changed… the LPCM format reference being: (6dB = 1-bit). If the software volume calculations are done at 32bit (Theoretical 192dB dynamic range) you can see that even a level adjustment of -12dB results in a 2-bit reduction in dynamic range when converted to the bit-depth of your 24bit DAC which would be 22bits (Theoretical 132dB dynamic range)… Your DAC most likely does not reproduce this level of dynamic range… A 16bit file (CD, etc) has a theoretical dynamic range of 96dB… Most likely, your playback system cannot reproduce the dynamic range reproduced from the 24bit files.
Will you please paste the debug information from when you are using the Modius DAC… The report you pasted here is when you have headphones connected to the Mac… We know this because the supported maximum sample rate is 96kHz.
Oops. Here you go. I am experimenting with Volume Leveling on/off and Software Volume Control on/off to see if I can hear the difference.
Audirvana Origin 2.5.14 (20514)
macOS Version 14.7 (Build 23H124) with 16GB physical RAM
Connected account of : Michael Sacks
NETWORK
Status: available
SIGNAL PROCESSING:
Polarity Inversion:
Globally: OFF
Per track: ON
Effects plugins ACTIVE in offline mode with new macOS API
AU plugin #0: Music Effect - MeldaProduction MEqualizer ()
AU plugin #1: None
AU plugin #2: None
AU plugin #3: None
UPSAMPLING:
r8brain with device max frequency upsampling
r8brain filter parameters
Bandwidth = 99.5%
Stop band attenuation 218dB
Phase linear
AUDIO VOLUME:
Max allowed volume: 100
Replay Gain: None
SW volume control: ON
LIBRARY SETTINGS:
Sync list: 2 folders
AUTO: /Volumes/OWC HD/iTunes/iTunes Media/Apple Music
AUTO: /Volumes/OWC HD/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music
iTunes/Music library synchronization: not synchronized
Library database path: /Users/msacks3/Library/Application Support/Audirvana/AudirvanaDatabase.sqlite
Remote Control server:
Listening on 127.0.0.1 on port 55327
APPEARANCE SETTINGS:
UI theme: dark
Font size: large
Language: System language
Show album covers in tracks list: yes
Source list sorted:
Library
My Music
Startup view: Last displayed view
Show local extended in source list: no
Use media keys: yes
Use media keys for volume control: yes
Use Apple Remote: no
Number of paired remotes: 4
Remote pairing code required: yes
Screen saver disabled: no
=================== AUDIO DEVICE ========================
Active method: Local
Max. memory for audio buffers: 4356MB
Local Audio Engine: CoreAudio
Exclusive access: ON
Integer mode: ON
Use max I/O buffer size: OFF
Actual I/O buffer frame size: 512
Preferred device:
Schiit Audio Schiit Unison Modius ES
Model UID:Schiit Unison Modius ES:30BE:101A
UID:AppleUSBAudioEngine:Schiit Audio:Schiit Unison Modius ES:2400000:1
Currently playing in Integer Mode:
Device: 2ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32bits little endian Signed Integer, 8 bytes per frame 192kHz
Active Sample Rate: 192kHz
Hog Mode is on
Bridge settings:
Sample rate limitation: none
Sample rate switching latency: none
Limit bitdepth to 24bit: ON
Mute during sample rate change: OFF
Selected device:Schiit Unison Modius ES
Manufacturer: Schiit Audio
Model name: Schiit Audio Schiit Unison Modius ES
Model UID: Schiit Unison Modius ES:30BE:101A
UID: AppleUSBAudioEngine:Schiit Audio:Schiit Unison Modius ES:2400000:1
USB Vendor ID: 0x30be
USB Product ID: 0x101a
ID 0x73
6 available sample rates up to 192000Hz
44100
48000
88200
96000
176400
192000
Audio buffer frame size : 14 to 4096 frames
Current I/O buffer frame size : 512
Volume Control
Physical: No
Virtual: No
Max volume alert: Disabled
MQA capability
Auto-detect MQA devices: No
Not automatically detected, user set to not MQA
DSD capability
Unhandled (PCM conversion) with boost gain of 6dB
Device audio channels
Preferred stereo channels L:1 R:2
Channel bitmap: Ox3, layout:
Channel 0 mapped to 0
Channel 1 mapped to 1
Audio channels in use
Number of channels: 2
Use as stereo device only: No
Simple stereo device: Yes
1 output streams:
Number of active channels: 2, in 1 stream(s)
Channel #0 :Stream 0 channel 0
Channel #1 :Stream 0 channel 1
Stream ID 0x74 2 channels starting at 1
24 virtual formats:
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 192kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 176.4kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Float 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
36 physical formats
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 32 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 24 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 192kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 176.4kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 96kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 88.2kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 48kHz
2 ch Non-mixable linear PCM Interleaved 16 little endian Signed Integer 44.1kHz
Local devices found : 4
Device #0: ID 0x64 LG HDR 4K
Manufacturer: GSM
Model UID: 1E6D0777-0000-0000-051D-0104B53C2278
UID: 1E6D0777-0000-0000-051D-0104B53C2278
Model name: GSM LG HDR 4K
Device #1: ID 0x73 Schiit Unison Modius ES
Manufacturer: Schiit Audio
Model UID: Schiit Unison Modius ES:30BE:101A
UID: AppleUSBAudioEngine:Schiit Audio:Schiit Unison Modius ES:2400000:1
USB Vendor ID: 0x30be
USB Product ID: 0x101a
Model name: Schiit Audio Schiit Unison Modius ES
Device #2: ID 0x50 External Headphones
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Model UID: Codec Output
UID: BuiltInHeadphoneOutputDevice
Model name: Apple Inc. External Headphones
Device #3: ID 0x4a Mac mini Speakers
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Model UID: Speaker
UID: BuiltInSpeakerDevice
Model name: Apple Inc. Mac mini Speakers
UPnP
UPnP devices found : 0
Chromecast
Chromecast devices found : 0
Got it. Although my DAC doesn’t offer volume control it’s connected to a tube amplifier that offers volume control via a remote control handset. So strictly speaking I don’t need software volume control. I am currently experimenting with Volume Leveling on/off and Software Volume Control on/off to see if I can hear a difference.
You are best served by disabling software Volume Control when you have an amplifier with volume control…
I suggest using “Power of Two” upsampling as this will calculate the proper logical result from the fundamental sample-rate…
*Example:
- 44.1kHz–> 176.4kHz
- 48kHz–> 192kHz
- 88.2kHz-> 176.4kHz
- 96kHz–> 192kHz
Apparently the specification information on the Schiit site about Modius is incorrectly describing the DAC max bit-depth as 24bit, when it is capable to 32bit.
1 Like
Thanks for the suggestion. I have implemented it and am listening right now.
Here’s an email exchange I had with Schiit technical support. It may be of interest:
Dec 26, 2022, 10:46 PST
Hi. Happy Holidays. I have a Modius with which I am extremely happy. I feed it with Audirvana Origin. I can send it Sample Rates and Bit Depths of 24/192 or 32/192. Which do you recommend?
Thanks.
Dec 27, 2022, 08:45 PST
Hello,
24/192 since that is the max sample rate the Modius can playback. It can playback when set to 32/192, however it will still only convert to a max of 24/192.
All the Best,
Tom E.
Dec 26, 2022, 10:46 PST
Hi. Happy Holidays. I have a Modius with which I am extremely happy. I feed it with Audirvana Origin. I can send it Sample Rates and Bit Depths of 24/192 or 32/192. Which do you recommend?
Thanks.
The ESS ES9028 chipset (variant ???), used in the Modius “E” is a 32bit DAC (it seems all 9028 variants are 32bit) and we see this reflected in the debug report regarding playback format support. However, the D/A circuit (Digital to Analog) output signal from the chipset is referenced to a real-world dynamic range of approximately 24bits. (Theoretical 144dB dynamic range… You will see the real-world output specs in the review below…)
Here is a review and measured performance results… These measurements don’t tell you how the DAC sounds… they are comparative in nature… and should be viewed as reference points…