Output Voltage (Unbalanced)
The signal voltage at a DAC’s unbalanced RCA line output. This feeds an amplifier input; it is not speaker power or headphone-output voltage.
RMS describes effective signal voltage; peak describes its highest instantaneous value. Compare like measurements. A higher voltage does not mean better sound.
Output Voltage (Unbalanced) — DAC
Check the reference signal: full-scale digital input is 0 dBFS. Rated output and the analogue clipping point are different references, so do not substitute them. Match gain or volume settings and any stated load.
A fixed output has a set level relationship to the signal, not constant music voltage. A variable output follows the volume control; compare its documented maximum at the relevant output setting.
Check the receiving amplifier’s manual for its input limit. Excess voltage can overload that input and cause distortion. A lower documented DAC output setting can help. Input sensitivity for rated power is not necessarily the overload limit.
Sources
- ADI-2 DAC FS User’s Guide v3.4 — RME
- DAC3 HGC specifications — Benchmark Media Systems
- Gain structure: input and output levels — Biamp
Sources
- RMS Power vs. Average Power — Analog Devices