A couple of quick explanations: Balanced is exactly THE SAME volume level as SE, but you are reading TWO phases instead of one so your amplifier produces 2x more sound power. Our DAC makes THE SAME signal on SE as on BAL.
On every sound volume level our DAC has THE SAME music quality, the DAC is indifferent to volume setting. The DAC does its job. The NEXT component - preamp or amplifier - responds with different behavior depending on the volume level hence your listening experience may vary. It all depends on the interplay between output level, output impedance, signal interplay with interconnects and the operating point of the preamp's volume control.
Our 63 setting only shorts the potentiometer resistor ladder inside, it does not bypass the "preamp" as it is our output stage.
We cant be responsible for people using different tubes and then reporting nonsense as "glare", or much too loud signal. Third party tubes on unknown adapters do that - not the DAC. Finally - I stand by my decision that I offer the right volume for everybody with my 62 steps and everybody has the playable range from too low to too high just to find his sweet spot. Every preamp boosts the signal 20dB up - and nobody complains about that, we have safety headroom of 6 dB and suddenly this is a problem of excess. I just dont get it. If adjusting volume is a morbid experience for you - why buy a VC DAC ? If 2 V is what you need - It is enough to say so, and we change one resistor - this cost me zero - and the volume will be 2V at 63.