I'm looking for a line of "quality" toggle switches. These will be used for switching line level audio signals. These will be used in a microphone preamplifier for things like phantom power, phase reverse, hi/lo impedance, pad and so on. I think they all can be DPDT. I need them to have an excellent "feel" and to take some minor abuse and gold contacts would be nice. and if they could have a traditional or even retro look that is best.
I've got many switches in my parts box but none I like. I guess because I keep going for low price. This time I need "audio grade" switches. Price is still important as I might need a dozen of them for a two channel preamp.
I'm in the US, in California. so I'm looking for a US source of supply. The trouble is that there are so many. Hundreds of switches.
I've got many switches in my parts box but none I like. I guess because I keep going for low price. This time I need "audio grade" switches. Price is still important as I might need a dozen of them for a two channel preamp.
I'm in the US, in California. so I'm looking for a US source of supply. The trouble is that there are so many. Hundreds of switches.
I doubt you will find "audio grade" toggle switches. Togglers generally have pressure contacts. What is needed in a low-level audio is a self cleaning slide switch. Alternately you could use a DP toggle switch with gold plated contact surfaces and wire the contacts in parallel, similar to the function of a bifurcated relay. e
Part of the goal is that the finished product look good. This s going into a rack mount chassis. Only one face shows and there are quite a few controls.
I could use two position rotary switch I guess, those have the advantage that I can make very switch look the same the 2-way and 3-way and even a 24 position stepped gain control and al use the same switch. But they take up more panel space
So, are there better quality rotaries?
C&K makes a gold plate solder terminal DPDT toggle, 7210SYCBE. Make sure you buy the B suffix, that is the gold plate one. Mouser stocks them
Don't use these for speaker currents, they are 0.4 A limited.
Don't use these for speaker currents, they are 0.4 A limited.
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nah, its all industrial
maybe the finer ones are for medical gear etc
I bought a small Knitter Switch with gold plated silver contacts
price was ok at 10USD
the only thing that bothers me is that it moves very little
but its for 6mm hole
maybe the bigger brother for bigger holes have better space to move more
though rotary switches may give 'tighter' contact
small push bottoms might be convenient for some function too
It's not the solder terminals that need to be gold plated, it's the switch contact!
Why not use inexpensive toggle switches activating suitable audio-grade relays! E
Why not use inexpensive toggle switches activating suitable audio-grade relays! E
yes, I was not thinking/talking about anything else
what else would have interest in switch 😕
not this one, but ... http://docs-europe.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/01a6/0900766b801a6714.pdf
"Audio grade toggle switches" ... sorry, what planet are we on? A quality toggle switch is available almost everywhere. Check out Farnell, RS, Mouser and many others for good quality toggle switches. Most of them are.
you can get o-ring sealed versions of toggle switches too, if needed
or you can use a water proof sealing cap
many different version available, and obviously commonly used in such conditions
or you can use a water proof sealing cap
many different version available, and obviously commonly used in such conditions
Or use the toggle switch to switch a sealed relay that is rated for the current. You will hear a healthy click and know the switching has occurred. There are plenty of relays with different coil voltages to suit your application, and need be, you can use a dropping resistor if the voltage is too high.
I agree 100%. All toggle switches I used sound very good after many years of use. Chris needs them for line level audio, so there should be no problems at all with ordinary toggles.
Afternoon.
May I ask what is the choice then would be with two inputs on a dac side: toslink and rca spdif?
May I ask what is the choice then would be with two inputs on a dac side: toslink and rca spdif?
Toggle switches for audio signal switching MUST be gold plated. Audio circuits are "dry switching", with switching currents below 50ma. Silver plated switches are for currents above 50ma since switch arcing "clean" contact by removing small quantity of silver witch every switch action.
Gold plated toggle switches would be very hard to find in ordinary electronic parts shops. But I also doubt that plating is good enough. Most gold plated connectors for audio have so thin layer of gold that after certain number of connecting actions most of the gold is gone and after that you only have base metal contact.
In the USA, there are electronic shops with actual stock in Boston and LA. Elsewhere, you order from the warehouse and pay shipping. The highly discusssed Radio Shack, don't even carry the **** grade parts they used to carry in "small towns" like Louisville with only 1.5 million residents. Radio Shack stocks cell phones, RC toys, batteries, only. You can get copper contact toggle switches suited for incandescent lamps and small motors at the hardware store. These are totally unsuitable for dry circuits (low current and low voltage). The C&K part number I listed is a gold plated contact toggle switch, in stock usually (check stock on the internet) at Mouser in Texas. I've used them at two previous employers, one of them used C&K gold miniature switches for geophones, which are very low energy signals.
In the US, gold "flash" products have a very thin gold coating. Gold "filled" products have a thicker coating. Gold "plating" is has the thickest minimum specification. These terms are defined by the Federal Trade Commission.
In the US, gold "flash" products have a very thin gold coating. Gold "filled" products have a thicker coating. Gold "plating" is has the thickest minimum specification. These terms are defined by the Federal Trade Commission.
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