Alps potentiometer awful channel imbalance

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TheChuckster

Member
Joined 2009
#1
I think my Alps RK27112A00AK stereo log audio potentiometer is broken?! The left channel is completely muted until I turn the knob around 50% now.


I only had it for several months, too. Is there a way to repair? Should I be adding resistors to it to improve the tracking? Should I try to replace it? Should I switch to a stepped attenuator?

I would prefer to have my digital source audio at 100% and rely on the potentiometer for the volume to reduce bit crush.
 
#5
Digital volume control reduces the fidelity of the audio because it works by gradually zeroing out the lower order bits (since you're multiplying all of the samples in the signal) -- 100% volume is the only faithful reconstruction of the digital signal, also dither is applied to the signal, creating artifacts:

What’s Wrong with Digital Volume Controls?

Much like the 4% tracking error on potentiometers, this bit crush actually seriously affects the quality of your sound.
 
#7
TheChuckster said:
I think my Alps RK27112A00AK stereo log audio potentiometer is broken?! The left channel is completely muted until I turn the knob around 50% now.


I only had it for several months, too. Is there a way to repair? Should I be adding resistors to it to improve the tracking? Should I try to replace it? Should I switch to a stepped attenuator?

I would prefer to have my digital source audio at 100% and rely on the potentiometer for the volume to reduce bit crush.
Click to expand...


This would be a viable alternative?

https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pass-labs/181552-b1-preamp-build-thread-61.html#post5937294
 
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