[i luvmusic 2]

The only problem i have with the 24 steps is where 7th clicks is not loud enough and on 8th clicks too loud for me,I need something like Khozmo 48 steps but they are pricey.

 

[nailbunny7]

  The only problem i have with the 24 steps is where 7th clicks is not loud enough and on 8th clicks too loud for me,I need something like Khozmo 48 steps but they are pricey.

Khozmos are good, but keep in mind they are gigantic and would probably not fit in a Bottlehead Crack, whereas the Goldpoint and Valab do.

 

[JamieMcC]

  The only problem i have with the 24 steps is where 7th clicks is not loud enough and on 8th clicks too loud for me,I need something like Khozmo 48 steps but they are pricey.

 
http://glass-ware.stores.yahoo.net/a5stat.html
 
Stuff it with RN55 Dales job done

 

[ZachPtheDude]

Khozmos are good, but keep in mind they are gigantic and would probably not fit in a Bottlehead Crack, whereas the Goldpoint and Valab do.

A Khozmos in a crack? You would have to make a much larger housing for the crack, and probably use a 12 x 12 inch plate at the least. That'd be a huge piece of crack

 

[i luvmusic 2]

 

Khozmos are good, but keep in mind they are gigantic and would probably not fit in a Bottlehead Crack, whereas the Goldpoint and Valab do.

A Khozmos in a crack? You would have to make a much larger housing for the crack, and probably use a 12 x 12 inch plate at the least. That'd be a huge piece of crack

No not for the CRACK passive preamp.

 

[i luvmusic 2]

 

  The only problem i have with the 24 steps is where 7th clicks is not loud enough and on 8th clicks too loud for me,I need something like Khozmo 48 steps but they are pricey.

 
http://glass-ware.stores.yahoo.net/a5stat.html
 
Stuff it with RN55 Dales job done

Is this the  one in your SEX amp?
 
Thanks!

 

[ZachPtheDude]

No not for the CRACK passive preamp.

Interesting. Another bottlehead kit or something else?

 

[JamieMcC]

  Is this the  one in your SEX amp?
 
Thanks!

Yes its the same as used in my Sex, I have fitted them to a couple of amps so far and the first thing I used one in was a home made passive pre. First assembling one using the metal films selected from their option page which by the way looked identical to those in my Valab these worked well enough but for the Sex I wanted to push the boat out and ordered the RN55 Dales from mouser. Using the list of values that comes in the nice little instruction book which comes with the A5.
 
I used a spare Crack enclosure to mount it in which was a tight fit width ways think I had to sand a fraction of the end of the pcb to get it to fit but can not actually remember. I ended up cannibalising the pre amp to use the attenuator in another amp build.
 
I was eager to see how it sounded so in pic of the passive pre below the input selector switch is missing but I also purchased the Select 5 pcb based switch from same people http://glass-ware.stores.yahoo.net/select5.html to use for the selector switch.
 
 
 

 

 

[Doc B.]

Just to add a little anecdotal info to this discussion -

A couple years ago I wanted to upgrade the attenuators in our premium kits. At the time we were developing the BeePre 300B preamp. We modularized the preamp protoyping setup as much as possible so we could make changes to one part and listen. And so the attenuator was in its own box and thus easily changed out.

We tried some commercial stepped attenuator designs including our own Sweetest Whispers and other much more expensive designs, along with transformer attenuators and a few different pots of carbon and plastic composition.

Interestingly the attenuator that stood out in these comparisons as the cost effective choice was the Blue Velvet. It was better to our ears than everything but the Sweetest Whispers. And so from there we decided that, to get the best sound we could, we would have to develop a new attenuator of our own design. It uses very well made switches and Dale resistors with values worked up by Paul Birkeland. It's clearly better to my ear than the Blue Velvet, but it costs a heckuva lot more and would not fit in a Crack.

I don't know if the one I got was a fluke or if they all sound the same (PB thinks it's a counterfeit), but I still keep that Blue Velvet in a box around as an easy to add attenuator that doesn't color the sound.

 

[i luvmusic 2]

 

  Is this the  one in your SEX amp?
 
Thanks!

Yes its the same as used in my Sex, I have fitted them to a couple of amps so far and the first thing I used one in was a home made passive pre. First assembling one using the metal films selected from their option page which by the way looked identical to those in my Valab these worked well enough but for the Sex I wanted to push the boat out and ordered the RN55 Dales from mouser. Using the list of values that comes in the nice little instruction book which comes with the A5.
 
I used a spare Crack enclosure to mount it in which was a tight fit width ways think I had to sand a fraction of the end of the pcb to get it to fit but can not actually remember. I ended up cannibalising the pre amp to use the attenuator in another amp build.
 
I was eager to see how it sounded so in pic of the passive pre below the input selector switch is missing but I also purchased the Select 5 pcb based switch from same people http://glass-ware.stores.yahoo.net/select5.html to use for the selector switch.
 
 
 

 

I just ordered the A3.
Thanks!

 

[i luvmusic 2]

I don't know why i'am thinking of making a passive preamp while my CRACK and the SEX are not Working.

 
Time to fix those things when i get home tomorrow then maybe next a couple of weeks work on the Preamp............... more work.

 

[JamieMcC]

  I just ordered the A3.
Thanks!

 
The A3 looks interesting as its more compact and also adds a small amount of balance control and should work nicely with a amp like the Sex and a speaker set up. Looking forward to hearing more about it later on.

 

[Grado77]

Just to add a little anecdotal info to this discussion -

A couple years ago I wanted to upgrade the attenuators in our premium kits. At the time we were developing the BeePre 300B preamp. We modularized the preamp protoyping setup as much as possible so we could make changes to one part and listen. And so the attenuator was in its own box and thus easily changed out.

We tried some commercial stepped attenuator designs including our own Sweetest Whispers and other much more expensive designs, along with transformer attenuators and a few different pots of carbon and plastic composition.

Interestingly the attenuator that stood out in these comparisons as the cost effective choice was the Blue Velvet. It was better to our ears than everything but the Sweetest Whispers. And so from there we decided that, to get the best sound we could, we would have to develop a new attenuator of our own design. It uses very well made switches and Dale resistors with values worked up by Paul Birkeland. It's clearly better to my ear than the Blue Velvet, but it costs a heckuva lot more and would not fit in a Crack.

I don't know if the one I got was a fluke or if they all sound the same (PB thinks it's a counterfeit), but I still keep that Blue Velvet in a box around as an easy to add attenuator that doesn't color the sound.

 Doc,
 
I just installed the popular PEC pot......are you saying the BV is better? The ALPS is cheap enough I may just have to order one (but where to find a real one is the question?).
 
The PEC is unbalanced on the bottom and it has a hair of slop to it. You can feel it slightly catch when turning either direction (yes the screw is tight as can be)
 
I guess it sounds great but I thought the stock pot wasn't bad at all.

 

[Doc B.]

I'm saying yes, the Blue Velvet sounded better to me than a PEC in my system. But I may also be saying that you do not want a real one, you may want the fake. I'm not sure what about it made Peebs decide it's fake.

 

[i luvmusic 2]

They are nice indeed (ALPS BLUE VELVET)i used 4 of them and one extra that i used to experiment i got mine from Parts Connexion i hope they are real.