Group order of switched ladder attenuator? Anyone interested?

[BrianGT]

Originally posted by Variac
$90 is hellacheap for a ladder config stepped attenuator.

I recently bought 2 Shallco 27 position 6 deck switches,
Don't know how they will work, but they don't have those cool PC boards. So at least I need a set of resistors.

So, what brand resistors are you considering? HUGE savings here with a bulk order. The new Holcos don't have as good a rep as the old. The Vishay/Roderstein and Dale metal film are OK from what I've heard. Apox remote attenuators use :
Meggit Hollsworthy H8 0.1% High Performance Metal Film Resistors . I don't know much about them maybe worth contacting them.

I was thinking of using the Vishay Dale RN60 resistors, as they are the ones in my current attenuator, and can be easily obtained. For the price, I think that these are the best choice, and you can always swap out the resistors in your favorite listening positions to more expensive ones.

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Brian

[Variac]

Yeah, it seems like there is a niche for moderately priced resistors:
Less than $3 more than .20 . Also, the Dales on your switch could be fake, so the new ones might be even better...

[BrianGT]

Originally posted by Variac
Yeah, it seems like there is a niche for moderately priced resistors:
Less than $3 more than .20 . Also, the Dales on your switch could be fake, so the new ones might be even better...

I would really doubt that they are fake, as they are pretty cheap in large quantities > 1000. They look identical to the real ones I have in my parts bin. The switch itself is just crappy.

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Brian

[pkpickard]

Brian -

What's your timeframe on this group buy? I'm interested, but my wallet need to recover a bit from the GC and chassis purchases.

[BrianGT]

Originally posted by pkpickard
Brian -

What's your timeframe on this group buy? I'm interested, but my wallet need to recover a bit from the GC and chassis purchases.

Probably the middle of April.

BTW: Happy St. Paddy's day!

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Brian

[Sandy H.]

Originally posted by Variac
$90 is hellacheap for a ladder config stepped attenuator.

I agree and was not intending to say that it isn’t a great value. It is just that I can't see the cost from the manufacturer. That being said, I do understand good quality vs. cheap knockoff does have a cost associated with it.

I reaffirm that I will likely purchase at least one attenuator, but it seems odd that I can buy all kinds of crazy IC's for a buck or two, but a simple mechanical switch is so expensive. I guess that's reality, but man, as an ME, it seems so odd.

Thanks for the groundwork on another good group buy, Brian. Thanks also for the reality check, Variac. Its just something that is far out of my area of expertise.

Sandy.

[jlh28]

Brian. I would be willing to pay a dollar extra for assembly. What do you think?

[chipco3434]

Attenuator pricing.. it's not surprising. Who buys them? A few nuts (us), the military, some high end audio builders. I suspect the vast majority of stepped volume controls in the consumer market are pots with detents. Shorting stepped attenuators are the kobi beef tenderloin of the potentiometer meat market.

And by the way, I wouldn't want to machine the parts or assemble one of them. There's a reason they're expensive... they can't be made on a dirt floor.

[gjo]

FYI,Transcendent Sound has been ofering these kits for a while.

http://transcendentsound.com/step%20attenuator.htm

They are priced at about $80 after a $10 discount that can be got if you register for their newsletter, and Elma rotary switch is used in this attenuator as well.

I bought their Grounded Grid preamp recently, and am enjoying listening to it.

George

[malisz]

How about ballanced version of the attenuator? I would like 2 pcs for Alephs. I believe quite a few people would be intrested too and bigger overall volume means lower prices for all.