Volume

[AJWard549]

Completed my kit (3.0) last weekend (thanks to troubleshooting assistance from the forum!!!) and have been listening to the amp in my main system for a few days. The SEX is fed by the tape out from my fully refurbished pre (McIntosh C24) and I have been listening to source material from both my DAC and TT. (There are two main outputs, but both are in use for an amp driving main system speakers and a secondary system in another room is fed by the second main out. Plus, if I use this output, I will have volume control from the pre and the SEX).

I am just curious since I have not listened to anyone else's kit, is it normal that the kit is so loud? I am using this as a headphone amp listening with Grado GH1. Don't get me wrong, the sound is WONDERFUL, but I can't turn the volume past 8:00 without it being overwhelming! Is this normal? I followed the instructions fully and wired this kit for 4 ohms, should I consider 8 ohm? I also have the C4S upgrade to install, but of course wanted to listen to the amp stock first

 

[Doc B]

Yes, Grados are typically very sensitive and will play quite loud at lower volume settings with a SEX amp. 8 ohms output will be louder than 4 ohms output, don't change that. You could try inline attenuators to reduce the level of the signal coming into the SEX amp.

 

[Paul Joppa]

According to the specs I found online, the rated output of a McIntosh C24 at the tape out is only 200mV, so a high input voltage is not the problem, I see two possibilities:

1) The Grado's are notoriously sensitive, in which case the next question is whether you intend to use it only with headphones or with speakers as well.

2) it's unlikely but possible that you got a linear volume control instead of the logarithmic version. To check that, measure the resistance from the center lug of the control to each end lug, with the control centered. You can use either channel. If both are around 50Kohms, it's the wrong control; if one is 5-10 times the other it's the right one.

Edit: I see Doc B  already posted, I'm just augmenting his post.

 

[AJWard549]

Thank you everyone for your responses! The kit really does sound great, I mostly wanted to be sure I wasn't hearing something I should not be.

I may use the amp with a pair of Heresy's...  We will see