Digital vs Analog input to Monitors

[EddieRay]

These cheap little Edirols (MA-10D) I got recently are a good fit for my bedroom/studio. But the volume knob needs to be much higher for digital input than it does for analog input.

The volume knob runs from about 7 O'clock to 5 O'clock. Digital input needs to be at almost 12 O'clock to match the analog volume of 9 O'clock.

Is that unusual?

 

[NYMorningstar]

re you using a 75 ohm cable?

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Eddie/Ray:

I'm a bit confused by your post. You can't send a digital signal to monitors unless it is converted back to analog, via the A/D D/A converters.

Digital is zeros and ones and can't be heard. Analog, is what the ears can hear after processing.

Maybe I read your post incorrectly or you left out the bit about converting the digital signal.

Green Hornet

 

[NYMorningstar]

It is different but the rear of the main speaker has a user selectable set of coax and optical digital inputs that feed into a built-in 24/96 DAC. It's probably this converter that's causing his differences in volume.

 

[EddieRay]

It's a RadioShack 15-2401 3' Gold Series PCM Digital Audio Cable. It doesn't state the ohmage.

I guess I should shop around for one that's rated 75ohms. Meanwhile, any harm in using this one?

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

Budget monitors with digital I/O are going to have pretty crappy DACs....... you can have the best chain throughout your system and fuck the entire thing up with a bad DAC at the end of it....

I suggest you stick with the analog inputs on those monitors...........