late night volume control

[audiocrow]

I must get more volume control for late night auditions!!!

1-
I was thinking in lowering a bit the output of my cd player (ARCAM ALPHA 7SE) that is a bit high comparing to other players...maybe that's the reason of It usual fast sound?? .
But I don't have output' schematics.
Once I read from Jeff Roland that everyone should decrease their cdplayers output level in order to get more air, pace, control and blabla (not desrespecting Mr. Jeff Roland words) ...just don't know if it was putting a resistor in serie at the output????(doesn't that will change output impedance??) - or lowering the gain in the opamp...sugestions please.



2-
Lowering the gain of Arcam Alpha 9 amplifier in it's preamp section (around 4 at this time) could be another alternative.


3-
Switching the pot for a new and better should be an interesting thing to do - and the right one - but the original Alps (normal series - not blue or black beauties) is motorised and i don't know where to find a dual-10k-logaritmic-motorised-potenciometer...some help please...


Well...please if you have other alternatives ....

I must go to sleep ....since I can't hear to music!!!!

[SY]

Hmmm, it's not clear what you're trying to do. After all, if you want the system to play quieter, you can just turn down the volume control a notch or two.

Lower the output of your CD player- why, other than somebody wrote something, somewhere? If the player conforms to standards, it's not going to overload any competent preamp input, so why bother? Especially since the preamp and CD are designed to work together.

If you think that this is something you HAVE to do (I mean, Jeff Rowland said you should!), get the schematic, then a resistor or two ahead of the output amplifier will take care of biz.

[rabbitz]

Hi audiocrow

I think what you want is a in line attenuator like the Rothwell RCA attenuator.

http://www.rothwellaudioproducts.co....tenuators.html

I have a similar problem (I think) as when running my ASKA with a Rotel pre amp, I've got too much gain with the volume set at about 9 o'clock at listening levels and fine adjustment is hard. I believe that pots are not the best at the lower and higher end of it's range.

Actually today a built some in line attenuators which gives me a 6dB attenuation so the volume is now set at between 10-11 o'clock. Two 4K7 resistors (I used 5K6 as I didn't have enough 4K7's) in a simple dividing circuit. 1 resistor goes comes from signal (source end) followed by the second resistor going to ground. The signal is taken from between the 2 resistors and ground continues as usual. Have a look at the ESP site for details on dividing circuits if you need more info.

[audiocrow]

The theory of cd players/compact disc standards in the "red-book-holly-grail" sometimes are not 100% pure from the point of view of commercial guys:
-If in A/B test between two CD players from the same range of prices and more or less the same kind of sound ,the one with higher (aparent) punch -meaning a little bit of higher output voltage - will surelly be taked home...at least for less trained hears. But my Alpha7SE was love at first listening .

And because theories doesn't solve my problem I keep going...

1-
The resistors in series...humm...

2-
The attenuators...I had this pragmatic idea:
- Giving a new set of output terminals to my Alpha7SE with that resistors in tension divider topology. So... a extra set of Interconnect cables will be required (diy or a second set of VanDenHull First Ultimate ,connecting them to a free input in my amp, and then I would have my CDplayer-day-version(full output) and my CDplayer-night-version...Sounds "COOL"!

But :

both solutions have the same problem: They will adulterate/increase the output impedance of the cdplayer...the series resistor just increase the output impedance, and the attenuator will increase impedance and also add an extra load for the output...
How does this solutions sounds???? Wait for my feedback.



Thank you for taking your time

[troystg]

Originally posted by audiocrow
Once I read from Jeff Roland that everyone should decrease their cdplayers output level in order to get more air, pace, control and blabla (not desrespecting Mr. Jeff Roland words) ...just don't know if it was putting a resistor in serie at the output

Hi-

May I ask where you read the information from Mr. Rowland?

I would like to read the whole article.

EDIT: I added some resistors to a friends balanced cables from his Parasound pre to his Adcom amp. Put 10K in series with the + and - leads and 300 AFTER the 10k's to the ground.

Pre went from 1/4 turn volume knob useable range to 3/4.

10k's in series alone did not change the level significantly.

[audiocrow]

well...practically you will in fact have less signal comming out from the source, but you are also adulterating the output impedance.
Unless you have a 0pF+1000Mega-ohm input impedance pre-amplifier it's a wordefull and ALMOST perfect trick...

If you increase the output impedance of a source the tranfer of the extremes of the frequencie will be highly adulterated due to the capacitance of interconnet cables (loss in low frequencies) and in pream internal capacitance(loss in high frequencies)...so...

What I really need it's a perfect solution...nothing more

I really thing that just altering the gain of the pre amp I'll get the nirvana...

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[audiocrow]

I read that in a Portuguese magazine called "audio" some years ago. I'm will seek my atttic and translate it...if I find it!

In those words He also talked about impedance adaptation in sources, cables...etc (all about His "obcession" about tranformers....a good one I must agree in my modest opinion)

I just have to find that damm magazine...

[troystg]

Hi audiocrow-

No worries. I just thought it was something recent.

I have a Rowland Model 2 and it has selectable input impedance AND gain.

I was just intrested in reading his thoughts or adaptations there of....