Caiman Mk 2 Volume Pot Sensitivity ?

[electroid]

Hearing from 2 owners that the volume pot is too sensitive on C Mk2 ?
It goes either too loud or quiet around the 9 o'clock position...not enough fine-tuning range....just out of channel imbalance/biasing point, then too loud.
This with both planar and dynamic headphones..with varying current draw/impedance.
LCD-2F
Beyer 990
and
Audio Technica ATH-ESW9 as a snapshot of various headphones...

Anyone else getting this ?

[Kit1cat]

Found similar results with my Bushmaster mk2, I was thinking of using the digital volume of my Touch via ipeng to fine tune the volume.

[Pieoftheday]

Hearing from 2 owners that the volume pot is too sensitive on C Mk2 ?
It goes either too loud or quiet around the 9 o'clock position...not enough fine-tuning range....just out of channel imbalance/biasing point, then too loud.
This with both planar and dynamic headphones..with varying current draw/impedance.
LCD-2F
Beyer 990
and
Audio Technica ATH-ESW9 as a snapshot of various headphones...

Anyone else getting this ?

Not on my caiman mk11, its smooth with no hiccups at all, I'd ask Stan, been great every time I've contacted him:)

[electroid]

What headphones are you using and where does your volume pot tend to sit ?
It looks like an incorrect volume pot resistor with that kind of lack of dial.

[StanleyB]

I mentioned in the instructions that there is an imbalance in the sound for the first few millimeters of the volume control. That's due to the way the headphone amplifier circuit auto bias operates. The gain of the output is set for headphones up to 300 Ohms. Unfortunately, it is practically impossible to have both a 32 Ohms and a 300 Ohms headphone produce the same sound output in the same position on the volume knob unless a separate gain control was available. Maybe an idea for the future.

[electroid]

Yes, I know about the biasing in design from zero point on volume pot, but then for the likes of 50ohms headphones after the biasing, the tuning range from normal to loud is in the millimeters even for current hungry planar magnetic headphones.

It does say on your homehifi, its designed for a wide range of headphones. No-one disputes your SQ on this C mk2 is superb but the pot dial looks like it needs a high/low gain switch.
A slight nudge over loud volume level can potentially be ear-splitting below 10 o'clock for sub-100 ohm impedance cans.

[StanleyB]

That's a problem with headphone amp circuits set for 300 Ohms ability as well as 32 Ohms. You need the higher output voltage for the 300 Ohms, but this in turn will make a 32 Ohms headphone sound loud very quick. I haven't come across an easy solution on a DAC/HPA that can solve this conundrum.

[Lee]

I have a Grado GS1000. 32ohm and it works fine with the Caiman II. I play them about 11:00 or 12:00 on the pot and have no problem at all fine tuning volume from fairly quiet to louder than I need.

[electroid]

That's a problem with headphone amp circuits set for 300 Ohms ability as well as 32 Ohms. You need the higher output voltage for the 300 Ohms, but this in turn will make a 32 Ohms headphone sound loud very quick. I haven't come across an easy solution on a DAC/HPA that can solve this conundrum.

Low/medium/high gain ?

http://s7.postimg.org/mfen8ia4b/Screen_Shot_2015_03_22_at_4_54_22_PM.jpg

[mkrzych]

Hello,
Wondering if it happens on your side when you change the volume with no signal you'll hear the "rusling" noise over the headphones? It may be dirty pot as well, but I think that is might be also DC bias currents through a pot wiper. Don't know if the design is fully DC coupled and also with bipolar input opamps, if so it might be hard to avoid I've heard, but it happens time to time. Nothing so much bothering, just curious if you hear the same occasionally.