[puck]

Here's a passive switch that I built to allow me to connect my DAC to up to 5 amps or vice versa (although I highly doubt that that situation will happen). It's single ended so it has a common ground and a 2 pole 5 position rotary switch. I used Nuetrik Rean RCA receptacles, a NOS Alco non-shorting gold plated terminal switch and multicore stranded silver plated OFC wire with teflon jacketing. Part of my job is running a prototype machine shop so I modeled up the housing and machined it out of 6061 aluminum.

I spent some time swapping it in and out of line in my system to see what it did sonically. For me, I thought that there was a barely perceivable loss of fine detail with it in line but I was sure so I had my daughter come and do some listening for me. She concluded that that is the case. It's very subtle but there is a little degradation there. I'm not sure how much is from the circuit and how much is from the extra connections in the line. Also, in order to ad it into my system, I had to use one set of interconnects that are lower quality than the rest so that may play a small part as well. All that being said, the sonic differences are small enough that, for me the functionality of the switch is worth it so I will leave it in my setup. I will likely get a better set of interconnects though and see if I can tell any difference there.

 

[kkrazik2008]

Here's a passive switch that I built to allow me to connect my DAC to up to 5 amps or vice versa (although I highly doubt that that situation will happen). It's single ended so it has a common ground and a 2 pole 5 position rotary switch. I used Nuetrik Rean RCA receptacles, a NOS Alco non-shorting gold plated terminal switch and multicore stranded silver plated OFC wire with teflon jacketing. Part of my job is running a prototype machine shop so I modeled up the housing and machined it out of 6061 aluminum.

I spent some time swapping it in and out of line in my system to see what it did sonically. For me, I thought that there was a barely perceivable loss of fine detail with it in line but I was sure so I had my daughter come and do some listening for me. She concluded that that is the case. It's very subtle but there is a little degradation there. I'm not sure how much is from the circuit and how much is from the extra connections in the line. Also, in order to ad it into my system, I had to use one set of interconnects that are lower quality than the rest so that may play a small part as well. All that being said, the sonic differences are small enough that, for me the functionality of the switch is worth it so I will leave it in my setup. I will likely get a better set of interconnects though and see if I can tell any difference there.

Great job, this looks slick and serves a great purpose. I’ve bought and returned several cheap and mid-priced switch boxes, they all were junk. The wire to wire work here is the key, if you make another one definitely get the word out.

 

[puck]

Thanks! I had heard that it is hard to find good switch boxes out there and was having trouble finding anything at all so I figured it would be worth trying to build my own and see how it did.

I could definitely make another one if someone was interested. I actually ended up with 2 of the rotary switches so I do have a second one. They are new old stock so I don't think that I could get more of the same ones but it would be easy enough to modify the design a bit to use a different switch as well.

 

[markkr]

This is FANTASTIC! I was looking for a similar solution and ended up with a Mapletree Audio Line Router.

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

Very nice work, I love that billet CNC case! I've made several of my own switchboxes as well over the years, both balanced and single ended. I can't share the link here, but if you look up diyaudioblog and switchbox on Google you will find some. I also recently modded a Japanese switchbox that was very well made. It was the Audio Design HAS-3LB. I just upgraded the XLRs to Cardas and the wiring to pure silver.

I tend to like the solid core UP-OCC wire and Elma or Goldpoint switches for my own purposes... but the hermetically sealed one you selected looks quite good as well. If you are building any more of the chassis like that one, please let me know, I'd happily pay you for one.

 

[puck]

Thanks for the compliments! I was going to use an Elma switch but found these at a great price from a place that sells NOS parts for old studio gear and figured I’d give them shot. They are all gold contacts and had the number of poles that I wanted.

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

Nice, good for you. There are great NOS switches and pots out there begging to be used, glad you were able to employ one.