Audio output options to external DAC and sound differences

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[Fedora 42; Plasma 6.45; Lenovo P1 Gen 3; USB-C to Audioquest Dragonfly Cobalt]

Under System Settings - Sound, in the Device section for the external DAC, there are four output options: Off; Pro Audio, which I have never been able to understand fully; Analog Stereo Output; and Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output.

As I am outputting to a digital-analog converter, it would seem like the digital output would provide the most data to the DAC in an appropriate format. But the analog output provides what seems like a fuller sound, no veiling, at a much lower percentage volume. The digital output sounds okay, if sometimes murkier, which could be bias, and also requires a much higher volume setting.

Why is this? If the sound is being processed by the on-board DAC, is the external DAC simply amplifying the sound for my headphones? Why would the outputs sound very different and have different gain levels?

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This is deep audio stack black magic. See Making sure you're not a bot! and Making sure you're not a bot!

My TL;DR understanding is that the “Digital Stereo” profile is for sending to surround-sound processors, and you should generally use the default “Analog Stereo” profile unless you know you have a specific valid reason not to.

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@ngraham Thanks for the concise response and the two links. Very informative. Problem solved.

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You’re welcome!