[Jason Stoddard]

I'm absolutely cool with the idea. If nothing else, immortalize me in the silkscreen.

If we end up doing this, absolutely. At the least.

I fully understand what you mean about almost nothing in a chassis. I have difficulty leaving empty real estate on a board.

My biggest pain point is the cost of chassis. Well, and the cost of transformers. But chassis are especially bad, because they don't do anything, other than sit there and look pretty. Or ugly. And if most of the money cost was in the chassis, I'd feel really really weird selling it.

With respect to ideas about volume indication other than a bargraph or failsafe non-motorized non-synced like the original Freya and Saga, you have to think about manufacturing.

Motorized: too big. Expensive. Different chassis. Now a $200+ product.
LED wheel: custom layout daughterboard, higher labor, another board, questions of interconnection (header, wire, etc).

One board, affordable products aren't simple.

Edit: Actually 5-10 white LEDs with PWM and a custom light pipe would be OK for volume indication too. Encoders, gears...ah, no please. Super easy to A-D a voltage off a linear pot, super cheap (we use PIC32 microprocessors, there's one that's under $1 that would work for this.) Or no pot just remote.

 

[Ripper2860]

Every once in a while there's a hue and cry about LED's and their number and/or brightness. What about only one LED illuminated arranged around a clock-face/volume knob/circle. (with help from MS paint & the volumio logo). The position of one LED tells everything

My 2 cents. Change 'RUN' to 'Cowen/Manson ' level.

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

Charles?

 

[Ripper2860]

Marilyn, but one cannot rule-out Charlie.

 

[cricket]

If we end up doing this, absolutely. At the least.

My biggest pain point is the cost of chassis. Well, and the cost of transformers. But chassis are especially bad, because they don't do anything, other than sit there and look pretty. Or ugly. And if most of the money cost was in the chassis, I'd feel really really weird selling it.

With respect to ideas about volume indication other than a bargraph or failsafe non-motorized non-synced like the original Freya and Saga, you have to think about manufacturing.

Motorized: too big. Expensive. Different chassis. Now a $200+ product.
LED wheel: custom layout daughterboard, higher labor, another board, questions of interconnection (header, wire, etc).

One board, affordable products aren't simple.

Edit: Actually 5-10 white LEDs with PWM and a custom light pipe would be OK for volume indication too. Encoders, gears...ah, no please. Super easy to A-D a voltage off a linear pot, super cheap (we use PIC32 microprocessors, there's one that's under $1 that would work for this.) Or no pot just remote.

@Jason Stoddard: Feel free to PM me if it all happens.

A big YES on the single board designs. I'm impressed with your ability to do that, as well as minimizing wiring.

A bi-color red/green LED can approximate yellow for simple three color volume indicator. Around $0.20 each in large quantities.

 

[pfurey89]

Crazy this thread is 7800+ pages. Have been following since day 1.

 

[macdonjh]

My versions are a bit more sedate.

Finnegan will not leave my chessboard alone so I built him one. Just a little black walnut and tiger maple.

Re VU meter boxes: I think you failed your Schiit production audition, your stumbling block was "almost nothing in an expensive chassis". Don't feel bad, it's kind of a Kobayashi Maru question.
Re chess boards: tiger maple? Did you make sure the spacing is right for Rekkrs? @bcowen will be calling for a home theater amp board.

I'm absolutely cool with the idea. If nothing else, immortalize me in the silkscreen.

I fully understand what you mean about almost nothing in a chassis. I have difficulty leaving empty real estate on a board.

I was going to suggest a free unit, maybe S/N 001? But if @Jason Stoddard goes for it, I'm concerned you'll be sad you didn't post your idea for a 150W mono amp with a choke power supply.

My 2 cents. Change 'RUN' to 'Cowen/Manson ' level.

Too much silk screening for a Modi case: back to $200.

 

[cricket]

I was going to suggest a free unit, maybe S/N 001? But if @Jason Stoddard goes for it, I'm concerned you'll be sad you didn't post your idea for a 150W mono amp with a choke power supply.

Serial numbers always started at 10 where I worked. None of our customers wanted the first unit off the line.

I'd definitely want a unit. A certificate of recognition would be cool, too. I'd settle for an Urd, though.

 

[Chucked]

The catch is volume indication. We could do old-skool Freya/Saga (with a non-motorized pot), but it can be overridden by the remote control. Motorized pots are too large to be viable in that size, bigger size means it's getting too expensive.

How about a binary weighted led volume indicator? 8 led's could display 255 discrete levels, 256 if all off (muted). 7 led's would be 127 levels (128 if all off) Possibly different led colors for the volume level?

 

[bcowen]

Aside from Tekton which is manufacture direct, some dealers may have discounts.

In Canada, Paradigm is a steal. I would contact a dealer and get a discount especially if you live near a border.

$250 US ends up being $435 CDN by the time I pay exchange, shipping, and theft fees... Error... "Handling".

I know find out what my price will be in my hands and go from there.

Axiom is another Canadian manufacturer worth a look. They sell direct like Tekton.

https://www.axiomaudio.com/

 

[bcowen]

What about having to get off the chair / recliner to change sides of an LP / EP? [sound of pterodorktyl wings flapping]

LOL! I see what you did there....

 

[bcowen]

Are you being paid while you make Cowen prototypes??

I'm not paying for that. There's obviously no Carolina blue backlights. Sheez.

 

[Chucked]

The catch is volume indication. We could do old-skool Freya/Saga (with a non-motorized pot), but it can be overridden by the remote control. Motorized pots are too large to be viable in that size, bigger size means it's getting too expensive.

As an afterthought, how about offering singe ended and balanced device options? Maybe a multi channel device (think uber SYN) with independant level adjustments? Maybe Nixie tubes for hexadecimal volume indication or at least 8 led segmented on a uber device? You might qualify for a STEM kickback from the state of Kaalii for teaching the yewts in your state basic technology, someone has to do it why not your company?

 

[Plautus001]

Axiom is another Canadian manufacturer worth a look. They sell direct like Tekton.

https://www.axiomaudio.com/

We sold Axiom back in 1995-1998, same distributor as Teac.

We even sold the Allison AL Series for a while

They were both good value and sound, but once we had Paradigm and Wharfedale it was over.

 

[Dr. Cube]

Possibly different led colors for the volume level?

I think this is one of the Chord UIs that I've seen people complain about.