Replacement for 20k AX2 volume pot in Arcam Alpha 3

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peterfreeth

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Joined 2020
#1
Hello all, I got my old Alpha 3 out of the loft in preparation for a house move and I notice a lot of noise on the volume pot. Obviously I could dismantle it and clean it out, but I thought a replacement and upgrade would be better. I've had a look online at ALPS pots and can't see a direct replacement, in particular they have flat sided shafts rather than knurled. The shaft looks to be 18mm long.

Pasteboard - Uploaded Image

Pasteboard - Uploaded Image

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


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


Can anyone recommend a replacement? I've seen something that looks the same as the one fitted, 20k Linear Stereo Potentiometer | Switch Electronics but I think my Alpha deserves something that costs more than 60p.

Many thanks.
 
#2
That exact type is not the best as you have experienced. A real compatible version does not exist AFAIK but these come close physically and they're stepped attenuators:

DACT Typ SMD Stepped Attenuator 21 Step Volume Control Potentiomete HIFI 10-250k | eBay

I have a few of these and they are OK for the price but when I bought them there was no "disassemble parts" (I take that as recycled parts) in the description 🙂 You could search for such a type in 20 kOhm.

It looks like fitting an Alps blue or the like will be a challenge.
 
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#3
Thank you jean-paul, that's an interesting suggestion.

An ALPS blue might just squeeze in as the distance from PCB to centre hole is about 13mm and on an ALPS it's 12mm. I was thinking of ALPSBLU-02 and drilling out the volume knob to fit the smooth shaft. What do you think?
 
#4
The cheap Dact clone can be Quite Good. Care though, as there are Clones of Clones of Clones being sold.
Read reviews ..and note where it ships from .
Alps Blu (I've been Told ? are Long out of Alps production.. most all are now clones out of china Again of varying quality.
Even Clone Dact types simply outpertform these.
That said Arcam is Shite, where anything could be an improvement.
Frankly Not worth the Candle to repair. Mine wasn't..😉
G'luck tho
 
#5
Aw, don't say that. An Alpha was my first hifi amp back in 1985. It got lost a few years back and I bought the Alpha 3 for sentimental reasons. I planned to use it in the home office when I move house, as I've been putting up with a cheap Chinese USB amp for the last few years, which is surprisingly not bad, but not good either. I had never heard of Dact so will take a look, thanks for the advice.
 
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