Affordable, but good attenuators?

Jeb-D. · 22nd April 2007, 05:16 PM

Anyone know of any good stereo attenuators? I don't really want to shell out over $100 for a gold point and have been using cheapies for now. However, the gang tolerances between the two sides are significant.

ErikdeBest · 22nd April 2007, 05:49 PM

Hi

No personal experience, but you could look at www.tubecad.com, for Broskie's stepped attenuator, including balance

Erik

SY · 22nd April 2007, 05:51 PM

Personal experience. Broskie's attenuators are a bargain, but the ergonomics are a bit odd. They'd be my first choice in a limited-money situation.

zobsky · 22nd April 2007, 06:01 PM

peter daniel had a thread way back on affordable + good attenuators for the gainclone.

Klimon · 22nd April 2007, 06:07 PM

there's a hongkong resident selling kits on ebay for under 50%; ladder type, 23pos, dale rn55 IIRC resistors... Looks hard to beat.

Simon

Eli Duttman · 22nd April 2007, 06:57 PM

PECO brand hot molded Carbon controls are an EXCELLENT value. You get milspec construction and warm sound. Several guys I respect prefer PECO Carbon to stepped and you save a few bucks too boot.

DigiKey is the North American distributor for PECO.

dsavitsk · 22nd April 2007, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Eli Duttman
PECO brand hot molded Carbon controls are an EXCELLENT value. You get milspec construction and warm sound. Several guys I respect prefer PECO Carbon to stepped and you save a few bucks too boot.

DigiKey is the North American distributor for PECO.

I've had good luck with these too. The only down side is that they don't feel smooth when you turn them -- only an issue if you have a resonant chassis and a microphonic tube. Part number for a 50K at Digikey is KKA5031S28-ND

woodturner-fran · 22nd April 2007, 09:57 PM

I've just implemented a broskie stepped pot. Bought it 2ndhand, assembled but never used for $30.

I would echo SYs point, have to say its very neutral but ergonomics are a bit odd. Other point to note is that they way its made up of 3 pots (center is master volume and then 2 fine controls for L and R) you will drill 3 holes for the attenuator. However if you do ever decide to replace it with a single pot then you have 2 extra holes to fill.

Having said all that I seem to have ended up just using the center swtich on mine and rarely change the 2 other ones. Volume jumps a bit, but doesn't bother me.

I should say that this is in a passive pre built with a darwin source selector. I can see no sonic difference with/without the whole passive pre which to my mind means its totally neutral.

Fran

zobsky · 23rd April 2007, 01:57 AM

found the link, ... he prefered the PECO part too, but i never bothered to follow th thread to its end.

So I did try all those different potentiometers

rdf · 23rd April 2007, 02:31 AM

A bit out there and not stereo, but 10k, 10-turn wirewounds have done duty in my passive for the past 15 years flawlessly. Ergonomically better for high sensitivity amps requiring fewer 360 rotations. Optional vernier dials makes balancing a pip, great for neurotics desiring repeatable 1/1000 accuracy!

22nd April 2007, 05:16 PM	#1
Jeb-D. diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: SoCal	Affordable, but good attenuators? Anyone know of any good stereo attenuators? I don't really want to shell out over $100 for a gold point and have been using cheapies for now. However, the gang tolerances between the two sides are significant.

22nd April 2007, 05:51 PM	#3
SY diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Austin, TX Blog Entries: 1	Personal experience. Broskie's attenuators are a bargain, but the ergonomics are a bit odd. They'd be my first choice in a limited-money situation. __________________ “Listening to records is like ****ing a picture of Brigitte Bardot.” - Sergiu Celibidache

22nd April 2007, 06:01 PM	#4
zobsky diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Dallas, Tx, USA	peter daniel had a thread way back on affordable + good attenuators for the gainclone. __________________ "Any fool can know. The point is to understand" - Albert Einstein

22nd April 2007, 06:57 PM	#6
Eli Duttman diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Plainsboro, NJ	PECO brand hot molded Carbon controls are an EXCELLENT value. You get milspec construction and warm sound. Several guys I respect prefer PECO Carbon to stepped and you save a few bucks too boot. DigiKey is the North American distributor for PECO. __________________ Eli D.

23rd April 2007, 01:57 AM	#9
zobsky diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Dallas, Tx, USA	found the link, ... he prefered the PECO part too, but i never bothered to follow th thread to its end. So I did try all those different potentiometers __________________ "Any fool can know. The point is to understand" - Albert Einstein

22nd April 2007, 05:49 PM	#2
ErikdeBest diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Itoculo	Hi No personal experience, but you could look at www.tubecad.com, for Broskie's stepped attenuator, including balance Erik

22nd April 2007, 06:07 PM	#5
Klimon diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Leuven	there's a hongkong resident selling kits on ebay for under 50%; ladder type, 23pos, dale rn55 IIRC resistors... Looks hard to beat. Simon

22nd April 2007, 09:57 PM	#8
woodturner-fran diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ireland	I've just implemented a broskie stepped pot. Bought it 2ndhand, assembled but never used for $30. I would echo SYs point, have to say its very neutral but ergonomics are a bit odd. Other point to note is that they way its made up of 3 pots (center is master volume and then 2 fine controls for L and R) you will drill 3 holes for the attenuator. However if you do ever decide to replace it with a single pot then you have 2 extra holes to fill. Having said all that I seem to have ended up just using the center swtich on mine and rarely change the 2 other ones. Volume jumps a bit, but doesn't bother me. I should say that this is in a passive pre built with a darwin source selector. I can see no sonic difference with/without the whole passive pre which to my mind means its totally neutral. Fran

23rd April 2007, 02:31 AM	#10
rdf diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: big smoke	A bit out there and not stereo, but 10k, 10-turn wirewounds have done duty in my passive for the past 15 years flawlessly. Ergonomically better for high sensitivity amps requiring fewer 360 rotations. Optional vernier dials makes balancing a pip, great for neurotics desiring repeatable 1/1000 accuracy!

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