While we're on the subject of words and how they impact our thought processes and opinions on high-end audio, another instance occurred to me.
In our new PMG Signature 512 DAC, we made a bold decision. Rather than controlling volume digitally—like pretty much every DAC out there—we chose to implement a precision analog stepped attenuator at the output.
Now that might sound like a small thing, but it makes a big difference.
In modern DACs, it's true we can digitally control the volume without technically losing resolution—at least not in the traditional sense of bit-stripping. With 32-bit processing, you’ve got enough headroom to keep the audio intact even at lower volumes. So yes, the signal can remain pristine.
But here's the problem: while the signal itself may stay clean, the environment it lives in doesn't change. The analog output stage, the power supply noise, the thermal hiss—they’re all still operating at full scale. And when we turn down the volume digitally, we’re shrinking the signal’s size within that same noisy environment. It’s like whispering in a crowded room. You haven’t changed your voice, but it’s harder to hear because everything else stayed the same.
With an analog stepped attenuator, like the one we chose for the PMG Signature 512 DAC, you’re scaling down both the signal and its relationship to the surrounding electronics. The noise floor and distortion remain in proportion, and the signal retains its integrity at any level.
But this design choice has sparked some confusion. A few folks have started calling this addition a “preamplifier.” It’s not.
A preamp does more than attenuate. It buffers, amplifies, and manages input switching. It’s an active device. What we installed in the DAC is a passive control—a high-precision way of trimming the signal without altering it otherwise.
Calling it a preamp is understandable, but inaccurate. And once again, our language gets in the way.
Precision matters. In our words, as much as in our circuits.
