Hello, friends!
Can you give a hint on these question?
- Do I need a volume control on the AMP? My father tells me that I do not need it on the amp because I plan to use the external audio card of the PC as the sound source, and it has it's own volume control. This is in fact true.
Will the volume control somehow deteriorate sound quality? I am looking at potentiometers of ALPS, TKD, Elma. Can you recomment any?
- I would like to have an audio level meter for both channels on the amp. I think they look nice. Something like Audio Level VU Meter WF1029X. Do they work fine in the amp? any particular model you can recommend bellow 50 EUR?
Thank you!
Can you give a hint on these question?
- Do I need a volume control on the AMP? My father tells me that I do not need it on the amp because I plan to use the external audio card of the PC as the sound source, and it has it's own volume control. This is in fact true.
Will the volume control somehow deteriorate sound quality? I am looking at potentiometers of ALPS, TKD, Elma. Can you recomment any?
- I would like to have an audio level meter for both channels on the amp. I think they look nice. Something like Audio Level VU Meter WF1029X. Do they work fine in the amp? any particular model you can recommend bellow 50 EUR?
Thank you!
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1. Decades ago, my friend and I went to listen to Lynn Olsons Ariel speakers, and his 300B push pull amplifiers
(both speakers and amplifiers were Lynns designs).
The system sounded wonderful!
There were curtains, and they were open, a very large set of picture windows showed some trees and other natural things.
I think the scene added to the listening experience.
2. I have been to many other peoples homes to listen to their systems.
Many of those had various kinds of level meters, swing needles, multiple individual spaced LEDs in a vertical line, Eye tubes, and tubes that had a wide white line that lengthened and shortened vertically with the music.
3. My personal opinion . . .
All the various kinds of 'meters' distract me from just listening to the music, they make me watch the system, not hear the music.
(both speakers and amplifiers were Lynns designs).
The system sounded wonderful!
There were curtains, and they were open, a very large set of picture windows showed some trees and other natural things.
I think the scene added to the listening experience.
2. I have been to many other peoples homes to listen to their systems.
Many of those had various kinds of level meters, swing needles, multiple individual spaced LEDs in a vertical line, Eye tubes, and tubes that had a wide white line that lengthened and shortened vertically with the music.
3. My personal opinion . . .
All the various kinds of 'meters' distract me from just listening to the music, they make me watch the system, not hear the music.
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my experience is to have volume control on every amp
you never know when you want to use it in biamp configuration and it comes handy when you need to match different efficiencies
once you are in process of building it, you should make it more versatile, what if one day you need to use it in different configuration
VU meters are cool, but otherwise useless
Meters were gimmicks. Bling for those who wanted to show off their rack rather than listen to it.
Many amps have trimmers on the input. Handy as many preamps no longer have balance controls. A set it once adjustment anyway. As mentioned, a help if using it for bi-amping. If you put it on the front and add a source selector, they you have an integrated amp.
Before you just stick on on, do read Cordell and Self on what variations of impedance can to the first stage.
Many amps have trimmers on the input. Handy as many preamps no longer have balance controls. A set it once adjustment anyway. As mentioned, a help if using it for bi-amping. If you put it on the front and add a source selector, they you have an integrated amp.
Before you just stick on on, do read Cordell and Self on what variations of impedance can to the first stage.
If on the fence you can always install a volume control defeat switch, one with gold contacts. Then don't use the volume control until the chance day you need it, just a thought. I've been wondering the same lately because my source is a DAC, so why put a mechanical wiper in the path at all? Different for a phono source of course or if you have a gain stage that is truly needed.
One thing that is useful, is a red+green LED to show clipping. Hitting the maximum output voltage too often. My most recent purchase has it, and is useful for setting up a source if you find it was sounding funny - and hitting red to much. If you use FM radio as source, different stations have different signal strengths and different amounts of compression, so some volume adjustment is neccesary.
I realize a SS display device may be anathema to vacuum tube fans, but it is just a display. It doesn't affect the music in any way. The most difficult part in a tube amp is finding a +24 or +30 supply to split into +-12 or 15 for op amps, and the led itself. I find such wall transformers for $1 at the charity resale shop frequently, and have put a mains socket inside an amp to power one.
If you have a 12 v filament supply, that can be rectified and split into +-6 v. Since an excessive line level signal is 2.1 vac, +- 6v is enough headroom to operate most op amps.
I realize a SS display device may be anathema to vacuum tube fans, but it is just a display. It doesn't affect the music in any way. The most difficult part in a tube amp is finding a +24 or +30 supply to split into +-12 or 15 for op amps, and the led itself. I find such wall transformers for $1 at the charity resale shop frequently, and have put a mains socket inside an amp to power one.
If you have a 12 v filament supply, that can be rectified and split into +-6 v. Since an excessive line level signal is 2.1 vac, +- 6v is enough headroom to operate most op amps.
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Volume control yes,but make sure there's a cap between it and g1.
Meter, not necessary but we all love dials and meters, the more the better (unless your Scandinavian) . One thing though, it does add complexity, more to go wrong. If you do add a meter make sure you add a buffer with a 10m IP Z before the rectifier of the meter circuit. I have a circuit with clipping indicator if your interested, uses a TL074 opamp and a few trannys.
Andy.
Meter, not necessary but we all love dials and meters, the more the better (unless your Scandinavian) . One thing though, it does add complexity, more to go wrong. If you do add a meter make sure you add a buffer with a 10m IP Z before the rectifier of the meter circuit. I have a circuit with clipping indicator if your interested, uses a TL074 opamp and a few trannys.
Andy.
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