What stage is the replaygain applied?

Connection with external Audio Devices USB DAC
1

Dear all,

I am listening to TIDAL using JAVS X6 DAC in Windows 10.
(I’m listening to ‘x2 only’ up-sampling with ASIO driver.)

  1. At what stage is the replay gain applied? Before or after up-sampling?
    (I want to minimize dynamic range damage when using digital volume.)

  2. The specification of DAC I use is 32bit 384kh.
    By the way, if WASAPI is set up in Audirvana, 24bit/192khz is maximum, and 32bit/384khz is available when ASIO is set. Is it not possible to use 32bit/384khz with WASAPI settings?

Thanks & Regards.

2

Hello @alkaline,

Regarding your two questions:

  1. Replay Gain is applied before upsampling.

  2. The frequency capability on ASIO and WASAPI depends on the DAC driver or your computer driver. For 32 bit their is more ASIO driver that have this capability than WASAPI.

3

Thank you for your answer.

Lowering the digital volume has a side effect of reducing the dynamic range, and I wonder if it’s the same for Audirvana’s replayin.

I don’t care about 24-bit music, but I care a little bit about 16-bit music, so I UP-BIT it to 32-bit. But according to your answer, it has become meaningless. :smile:

Do you have any advice on this?
For example, how to UP-BIT 24bit or 32 bit before Replaygain…

Thanks again…

4

Maybe you can render it in DSD with some other tool already with replay gain correction applied.

On the other hand Audirvana implements already, or is about to be implement, a “sophisticated” 64bit volume control, that is suppose to be lossless in terms of sound quality. You be the judge if this is the case.

I personally like to play bit-perfect and do volume control in analog domain, but the day will come when the software volume control will match and exceed analog potentiometers or resistor nets.

5

Thank you for you reply.

Simply, this is what I want.
Source - Up-Bit - Volume Leveling(Replaygain) or Up-Sampling - Bit Recovery - Output

roon
roon403×689 56.1 KB

In your opinion(a “sophisticated” 64bit volume control), is Aurdivana working in a similar way now?

If so, my problem is solved.

Thanks.

6

I assume so, but maybe @Antoine can tell you more.

7

Thank you for you reply.

Simply, this is what I want.
Source - Up-Bit - Volume Leveling(Replaygain) or Up-Sampling - Bit Recovery - Output

roon
roon403×689 56.1 KB

Is Aurdivana working in a similar way now?

If so, my problem is solved.

Thanks.