Anyone interested in a stepped attenuator kit to go along with the gainclone kits? I have done some research, and the best solution seems to be the Elma stepped attenuator ladder seems like best switch out there to use. It has low contact pressure to make it silky smooth, compared to a standard 24-pole 4-pole shorting switch. Elma also makes the hardware that goes into the DACT attenuators. All contacts are gold.
I ordered one to try out, and I will post results when I get it. Would anyone here be interested in a kit with one of these and a resistor set? The single unit price for these is just over $90, but if I could get enough interest, the price for a kit could be under $90 (hopefully around $80) including all the resistors needed to put in it. This is probably the nicest attenuator on the market that you can buy, and probably the best solution out there for the gainclone kit. Expensive resistors could be substituted in the most used listening positions on the unit.
I will post details when I get the one that I ordered, and see if there is enough interest to organize a kit for this.
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Brian
I ordered one to try out, and I will post results when I get it. Would anyone here be interested in a kit with one of these and a resistor set? The single unit price for these is just over $90, but if I could get enough interest, the price for a kit could be under $90 (hopefully around $80) including all the resistors needed to put in it. This is probably the nicest attenuator on the market that you can buy, and probably the best solution out there for the gainclone kit. Expensive resistors could be substituted in the most used listening positions on the unit.
I will post details when I get the one that I ordered, and see if there is enough interest to organize a kit for this.
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Brian
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Show me the WIKI!
(Sorry, missed the message about sending Email)
(Sorry again, missed the message about WIKI to be posted shortly)
Da5id4Vz said:
Sorry for the confusion. I just made the Wiki, and I will make a dedicated thread for this and post details once I receive my unit and determine how it works. I also ordered some units from Grayhill and Electroswitch, so I will see what works out best.
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Brian
And post a schematic with your review too, as I always confuse the different passive attenuator topologies.
tg3 said:
Here is the schematic from the datasheet, just 2 resistors in the signal path at a time. This should be the cleanest solution.
I like the attenuator that I have in my gainclone now, but it pops when I change settings, and this one should not have any problems like this, and be silky smooth when changing the volume.
The best part about this attenuator, is that you can easily put it together, as the pcbs on it are made especially for the task, unlike regular 4-pole switches.
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Brian
Attachments
Brian,
You (and wifey to be) have been kicking 'B' on the GC kit. I also think a group order on the attenuator is a good idea, but these things must be made of gold! Even with a group buy, I'm guessing you'll get the cost to $50-60 + the resistors yielding an $80+ kit cost, as you mentioned. Is there any way to combine 2x 6-way switches to yield a similar result, with the obvious compromise in user friendliness? I like the idea of an attenuator vs. a pot, but I really am too cheap to pay more for an attenuator than the amp.
What are the other options for those of us who just bug out at paying the bucks for a mechanical switch?
No offense is intended and in the end, I'll probably be interested in an attenuator, just since it is being offered. . . 🙁
Sandy.
You (and wifey to be) have been kicking 'B' on the GC kit. I also think a group order on the attenuator is a good idea, but these things must be made of gold! Even with a group buy, I'm guessing you'll get the cost to $50-60 + the resistors yielding an $80+ kit cost, as you mentioned. Is there any way to combine 2x 6-way switches to yield a similar result, with the obvious compromise in user friendliness? I like the idea of an attenuator vs. a pot, but I really am too cheap to pay more for an attenuator than the amp.
What are the other options for those of us who just bug out at paying the bucks for a mechanical switch?
No offense is intended and in the end, I'll probably be interested in an attenuator, just since it is being offered. . . 🙁
Sandy.
$90 is hellacheap for a ladder config stepped attenuator.
I recently bought 2 Shallco 27 position 6 deck switches,
Don't know how they will work, but they don't have those cool PC boards. So at least I need a set of resistors.
So, what brand resistors are you considering? HUGE savings here with a bulk order. The new Holcos don't have as good a rep as the old. The Vishay/Roderstein and Dale metal film are OK from what I've heard. Apox remote attenuators use :
Meggit Hollsworthy H8 0.1% High Performance Metal Film Resistors . I don't know much about them maybe worth contacting them.
I recently bought 2 Shallco 27 position 6 deck switches,
Don't know how they will work, but they don't have those cool PC boards. So at least I need a set of resistors.
So, what brand resistors are you considering? HUGE savings here with a bulk order. The new Holcos don't have as good a rep as the old. The Vishay/Roderstein and Dale metal film are OK from what I've heard. Apox remote attenuators use :
Meggit Hollsworthy H8 0.1% High Performance Metal Film Resistors . I don't know much about them maybe worth contacting them.
Variac said:
I was thinking of using the Vishay Dale RN60 resistors, as they are the ones in my current attenuator, and can be easily obtained. For the price, I think that these are the best choice, and you can always swap out the resistors in your favorite listening positions to more expensive ones.
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Brian
Yeah, it seems like there is a niche for moderately priced resistors:
Less than $3 more than .20 . Also, the Dales on your switch could be fake, so the new ones might be even better...
Less than $3 more than .20 . Also, the Dales on your switch could be fake, so the new ones might be even better...
Variac said:
I would really doubt that they are fake, as they are pretty cheap in large quantities > 1000. They look identical to the real ones I have in my parts bin. The switch itself is just crappy.
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Brian
what's the timeframe
Brian -
What's your timeframe on this group buy? I'm interested, but my wallet need to recover a bit from the GC and chassis purchases.
Brian -
What's your timeframe on this group buy? I'm interested, but my wallet need to recover a bit from the GC and chassis purchases.
Variac said:
I agree and was not intending to say that it isn’t a great value. It is just that I can't see the cost from the manufacturer. That being said, I do understand good quality vs. cheap knockoff does have a cost associated with it.
I reaffirm that I will likely purchase at least one attenuator, but it seems odd that I can buy all kinds of crazy IC's for a buck or two, but a simple mechanical switch is so expensive. I guess that's reality, but man, as an ME, it seems so odd.
Thanks for the groundwork on another good group buy, Brian. Thanks also for the reality check, Variac. Its just something that is far out of my area of expertise.
Sandy.
Attenuator pricing.. it's not surprising. Who buys them? A few nuts (us), the military, some high end audio builders. I suspect the vast majority of stepped volume controls in the consumer market are pots with detents. Shorting stepped attenuators are the kobi beef tenderloin of the potentiometer meat market.
And by the way, I wouldn't want to machine the parts or assemble one of them. There's a reason they're expensive... they can't be made on a dirt floor.
And by the way, I wouldn't want to machine the parts or assemble one of them. There's a reason they're expensive... they can't be made on a dirt floor.
FYI,Transcendent Sound has been ofering these kits for a while.
http://transcendentsound.com/step attenuator.htm
They are priced at about $80 after a $10 discount that can be got if you register for their newsletter, and Elma rotary switch is used in this attenuator as well.
I bought their Grounded Grid preamp recently, and am enjoying listening to it.
George
http://transcendentsound.com/step attenuator.htm
They are priced at about $80 after a $10 discount that can be got if you register for their newsletter, and Elma rotary switch is used in this attenuator as well.
I bought their Grounded Grid preamp recently, and am enjoying listening to it.
George
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