Anyone familiar with this Lite remote volume kit?

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mattjk

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Joined 2004
#1
http://www.diyclub.biz/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=85&products_id=216

V-03 (Holco) Stereo US$120.00

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


Remote volume control board, using relay switching two set of resistor. 1dB per step, total 80dB, output impedance is constant, using Holco resistor, with four input relay and display, seperated voltage regulator board, with remote control handset, dual mono design, left and right channel fine turn or you can connect as single channel balance volume control, or add another sets to perform four channel control and max. up to six channel control.
board size: L 180mmX W 45mm
dsiplay board: L 230mm X W 52mm
Click to expand...

I'm thinking of using it with a gainclone kit.

Thanks,
Matt
 
#2
I bought this kit on eBay for $85 last year from a HongKong dealer selling as 18audioguy. It's likely worth this much.

N.B.: I don't know that the resistors on mine are Holco's (Brown, radial leads, colored dots on the tops).

While it is waiting for Brian's 4780 boards to ship before it goes into full time use, when I patched it in, the sound was similar to the Black Beauty in my system, although the remote is a cheap POS that will probably not last.

It does provide input switching, attenuation, and balance in one package.
 
#5
mattjk said:
I wonder if the digital version would be better?

http://www.diyclub.biz/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=85&products_id=196
Click to expand...


Not a lot of experience from me as I've only had the opportunity to hear one digital volume control compared to a plain old Alpha pot from Radio Shack. The RS pot was far better.

Maybe this one uses a different IC or is some way an improvement but I'd like to hear it before I invested any cash in it, or get a money back agreement if you don't like it.

The analog setup uses resistors that you can switch out if you don't like the sound.
 
#7
Although the vendor quoted "constant 20k Input Z", it jumps all over the place (~10K - 50k) when switched through its ranges. I haven't measured output Z.

Instructions were a single sparse pictorial (I hope a pdf is attached). A little thought though, and no problem to connect.

One quirk is that balance can only be adjusted with the remote, not using the front panel buttons (unless there is some trick button combo I hadn't tried - there were no operational instructions).
 

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#13
I have had another look at it, and it should be doable for $50 or less (PCB and all parts).

It would be a 64-step attenuator (either 1 or 1.5dB steps) with a fixed input impedance, a rotary encoder for volume control and an IR receiver for remote control.

I could either put everything on one board (about 75*90mm) or one large board with the attenuator, and a separate small front panel board. The seperate boards version would cost slightly more because of the added connectors/cable.

If it still sounds interesting I'll build a prototype...

Best regards,

Mikkel C. Simonsen
 
#14
That sounds perfect. The Lite kit provides remote source selection but my main gripe is volume as I only have one source, two at the most.

On the Transcendent and Bottlehead forum, remote volume control has to be the most commonly requested feature for preamps.

The APOX kit that was developed a while back was a little too spendy for me and it appears that it is no longer available.

Offer a PCB for group buy and you'd be a saint. I'll do anything I can to help.
 
#16
I have ordered a board. When I get it next week I'll report back after testing.

This is what the layout looks like:

RelVol_pcb.gif


Best regards,

Mikkel C. Simonsen
 
#18
Hi Mikkel-

May I ask the path of the signal through the board? Just what components does the signal traverse?

I would hope it would only be one relay and the associated resistors at any given time.

If so I am intrested also.
 
#19
mattjk said:
I wonder if the digital version would be better?

http://www.diyclub.biz/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=85&products_id=196
Click to expand...

You could get that and then replace the CS3310 with a Burr Brown PGA2310 as they are compatable then you would have:

"WIDE GAIN AND ATTENUATION RANGE
+31.5dB to –95.5dB with 0.5dB Steps
LOW NOISE AND DISTORTION
120dB Dynamic Range
0.0004% THD+N at 1kHz
LOW INTERCHANNEL CROSSTALK
–126dB"

which sounds good but I dont like those big 1970's digits on there:

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


😉
 
#20
You mentioned a 64 step attenuator - is this built with individual relays that select a resistor (or set of resistors), or are you driving a rotary switch, or is it a motorized pot (shouldn't be, or I don't understand how the steps work)? I have a transformer attenuator that has multiple transformer taps connected to a (manual) rotary switch. I'm interested too if this is something that I can use. If the person buying it can swap in his own resistors into it, I think I should be able to make it work with my transformers.
 
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