I am completely confused about how to select the right value resistance for a stepped attenuator in my diy passive preamp. Please help! I have read a lot of theory but understand very little of it (brain worn out).
I am driving two Mullard 3+3 valve power amps from a Marrantz CD player and a DAB radio. I have tried a 100K attenuator and it works ok but all the useful volume levels are at the top end of the 23 steps (the last 6). Is 100K too high for this set up? Should I go for 50K or lower?
Each Mullard 3+3 has a 470K volume control (to an EF86) but I don't know the input impedance. The input sensitivity is about 100mv.
I am driving two Mullard 3+3 valve power amps from a Marrantz CD player and a DAB radio. I have tried a 100K attenuator and it works ok but all the useful volume levels are at the top end of the 23 steps (the last 6). Is 100K too high for this set up? Should I go for 50K or lower?
Each Mullard 3+3 has a 470K volume control (to an EF86) but I don't know the input impedance. The input sensitivity is about 100mv.
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there is absolutely nothing wrong with having to use the top six steps of your attenuator to acheive the sound level you need.
this indicates that the system gain is pretty near spot on for the listening you do.
One of the worst things you can do to a "system" is build in too much gain and then attenuate the over amplified signal back down to listen-able levels.
Read http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/diya...-gain-structure.html?nojs=1#goto_threadsearch
Now back to the attenuator resistance.
I recommend that the source output impedance be ~ 1/20 of the receiver impedance.
A 100k attenuator sees the source equipment as it's source and would require the source equipment to have an output impedance <=5k. No problem there are virtually no source items that have Rs>=5k
The attenuator also acts as the source for the following power amplifier.
The maximum output impedance of a 100k attenuator is ~25K.
Using that 20:1 ratio you need a power amp with Rin >=500k. Valve amps may be the only gear that can successfully match up with a 100k attenuator.
You need a 10k attenuator for interfacing modern gear.
This has absolutely nothing to do with using the top six steps. That is a system gain issue, not a input/output impedance suitability issue.
this indicates that the system gain is pretty near spot on for the listening you do.
One of the worst things you can do to a "system" is build in too much gain and then attenuate the over amplified signal back down to listen-able levels.
Read http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/diya...-gain-structure.html?nojs=1#goto_threadsearch
Now back to the attenuator resistance.
I recommend that the source output impedance be ~ 1/20 of the receiver impedance.
A 100k attenuator sees the source equipment as it's source and would require the source equipment to have an output impedance <=5k. No problem there are virtually no source items that have Rs>=5k
The attenuator also acts as the source for the following power amplifier.
The maximum output impedance of a 100k attenuator is ~25K.
Using that 20:1 ratio you need a power amp with Rin >=500k. Valve amps may be the only gear that can successfully match up with a 100k attenuator.
You need a 10k attenuator for interfacing modern gear.
This has absolutely nothing to do with using the top six steps. That is a system gain issue, not a input/output impedance suitability issue.
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