Good switch for Stepped attentuater, Good cheap RCA jacks

pjpoes · 7th March 2005, 09:41 PM

Ok so I am beging to aquire the parts I need to built a BOSOZ, and Im trying to keep the price down, without a major compromise in quality. First question is, what is a good switch to use for a stepped attentuator. I have seen lots of them, seems like as soon as you get enough switch positions, the price jumps drasticly. Only ones I have looked at are the Elma Rotary, which seem to be the standard, and the cost is ok, but I wouldnt mind a better value if possible. Any cheaper ones, or is 40-50 bucks gonna be the cost.

Next is the RCA jacks, whats a good RCA value. I was looking at Vampire, Cardas, and various others. Seems like for 4-5 bucks, Cardas has a nice one, as does Vampire. Any non-name brand ones that are a good value for even less. Getting enough RCA's for a whole preamp adds up.

officeboy · 8th March 2005, 07:14 AM

It's a bit of an impossible site to link to, but www.dalbani.com has some RCA's that are pretty decent, and are $0.95 each.. (but shhh it's my secret supply.)

Upupa Epops · 8th March 2005, 07:56 AM

High quality rotary switches you can find on www.ebe-gmbh.de

Sigurd Ruschkow · 8th March 2005, 11:01 AM

Hi,

Schuro in Germany has good prices on the ELMA rotary switch with 96 Vishay-Dale nonmagnetic precision resistors.
Schuro

I just built mine, and replaced the ALPS black. Wow, that a major sound improvement!!!
I would not make a shortcut on the volume control.

Regards,
Sigurd

Upupa Epops · 8th March 2005, 12:06 PM

To Sigurd : Sound improvement ? Why ? Have you any explanation ? Have you the same summary resistance of both ?

shusha · 8th March 2005, 01:01 PM

Well, he just replaced pot with an attenuator. There should be sound improvement.

Sigurd Ruschkow · 8th March 2005, 03:42 PM

Hi,

well, if I can explain the sonic improvement. Isn't that obvious? Just kidding

It is of the ladder type so there are only two resistors in the signal path at each volume setting. One is in series with the signal and the other is connected to ground. Thus, there are 96 resistors in total.

Yes, both are 10k. The ALPS black is log, and the stpped attenuator is LIN.
Maybe it is the material in the ALPS that is not as good as the DALE resistors?
Or is it that the ALPS is 3 dB between channels while a stepped attenuator with 0.1 and 0.5% resistors and that gives much better channel tracking? My guess is that the better sound stage is mostly due to this fact.
The better details and clearer sound and better treble is due to fact that there is less noise and less distortion and better high freq response of the stepped attenuator.

Borbely's Superbuffer1 really gives me the possibility to hear every detail. This buffer has extreme resolution!

Actually, the reason to why it sounds better is not the most important thing. That it does sound much better is the most important thing to me.

Sigurd

pjpoes · 8th March 2005, 06:29 PM

How much in american dollars does that cost, I think its probably still more than I want.

As for the RCA's, those are cheap, but I have to say, they look it too. They look better than I normlaly see for 95 cents, but they sorta look like the steel ones I see on so many peices of gear, look nice, perform so so. I may go with a better one. It also probably has a Delring Dialectric, might be ok, I always melt that unless I plug into it to protect it.

Anyone else no of any others that are more like say 2-4 dollars a piece, in that range, or even maybe 5-6 a piece but better than the name brand ones for that. thanks.

officeboy · 8th March 2005, 06:50 PM

Actually they are nice thick machined brass, then gold plated.. Yes they don't have a really nice smooth finish on them and the plastic has some seam marks but at least they come with insulators. (also the picture is pretty crappy)
They are very comparable to these http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...umber=091-1120
And of course the dayton parts are an option too.

thomas997 · 8th March 2005, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by officeboy
Actually they are nice thick machined brass, then gold plated.. Yes they don't have a really nice smooth finish on them and the plastic has some seam marks but at least they come with insulators. (also the picture is pretty crappy)
They are very comparable to these http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...umber=091-1120
And of course the dayton parts are an option too.

Yeah they look identical, other than the different coloured plastic insulators..

Dont think just because its 95 cents it means its crap. The cost of production is tiny, if you put a brand or reputation on it you can pump up the price 2-10 times.

Local RP electronics sells the same for about 2$ cdn:

http://www.rpelectronics.com/English...351-707-10.asp

7th March 2005, 09:41 PM	#1
pjpoes diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: New York	Good switch for Stepped attentuater, Good cheap RCA jacks Ok so I am beging to aquire the parts I need to built a BOSOZ, and Im trying to keep the price down, without a major compromise in quality. First question is, what is a good switch to use for a stepped attentuator. I have seen lots of them, seems like as soon as you get enough switch positions, the price jumps drasticly. Only ones I have looked at are the Elma Rotary, which seem to be the standard, and the cost is ok, but I wouldnt mind a better value if possible. Any cheaper ones, or is 40-50 bucks gonna be the cost. Next is the RCA jacks, whats a good RCA value. I was looking at Vampire, Cardas, and various others. Seems like for 4-5 bucks, Cardas has a nice one, as does Vampire. Any non-name brand ones that are a good value for even less. Getting enough RCA's for a whole preamp adds up.

8th March 2005, 01:01 PM	#6
shusha diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Velika Gorica	Well, he just replaced pot with an attenuator. There should be sound improvement. __________________ Tomislav. __ I watch grey clouds gather over my islands first snow falls brings down white silence.

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8th March 2005, 07:14 AM	#2
officeboy diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: NW Washington	It's a bit of an impossible site to link to, but www.dalbani.com has some RCA's that are pretty decent, and are $0.95 each.. (but shhh it's my secret supply.)

8th March 2005, 07:56 AM	#3
Upupa Epops diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Prague,Czech Republic	High quality rotary switches you can find on www.ebe-gmbh.de

8th March 2005, 11:01 AM	#4
Sigurd Ruschkow diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2004	Hi, Schuro in Germany has good prices on the ELMA rotary switch with 96 Vishay-Dale nonmagnetic precision resistors. Schuro I just built mine, and replaced the ALPS black. Wow, that a major sound improvement!!! I would not make a shortcut on the volume control. Regards, Sigurd

8th March 2005, 12:06 PM	#5
Upupa Epops diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Prague,Czech Republic	To Sigurd : Sound improvement ? Why ? Have you any explanation ? Have you the same summary resistance of both ?

8th March 2005, 03:42 PM	#7
Sigurd Ruschkow diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2004	Hi, well, if I can explain the sonic improvement. Isn't that obvious? Just kidding It is of the ladder type so there are only two resistors in the signal path at each volume setting. One is in series with the signal and the other is connected to ground. Thus, there are 96 resistors in total. Yes, both are 10k. The ALPS black is log, and the stpped attenuator is LIN. Maybe it is the material in the ALPS that is not as good as the DALE resistors? Or is it that the ALPS is 3 dB between channels while a stepped attenuator with 0.1 and 0.5% resistors and that gives much better channel tracking? My guess is that the better sound stage is mostly due to this fact. The better details and clearer sound and better treble is due to fact that there is less noise and less distortion and better high freq response of the stepped attenuator. Borbely's Superbuffer1 really gives me the possibility to hear every detail. This buffer has extreme resolution! Actually, the reason to why it sounds better is not the most important thing. That it does sound much better is the most important thing to me. Sigurd

8th March 2005, 06:29 PM	#8
pjpoes diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: New York	How much in american dollars does that cost, I think its probably still more than I want. As for the RCA's, those are cheap, but I have to say, they look it too. They look better than I normlaly see for 95 cents, but they sorta look like the steel ones I see on so many peices of gear, look nice, perform so so. I may go with a better one. It also probably has a Delring Dialectric, might be ok, I always melt that unless I plug into it to protect it. Anyone else no of any others that are more like say 2-4 dollars a piece, in that range, or even maybe 5-6 a piece but better than the name brand ones for that. thanks.

8th March 2005, 06:50 PM	#9
officeboy diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: NW Washington	Actually they are nice thick machined brass, then gold plated.. Yes they don't have a really nice smooth finish on them and the plastic has some seam marks but at least they come with insulators. (also the picture is pretty crappy) They are very comparable to these http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...umber=091-1120 And of course the dayton parts are an option too.

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