[gsferrari]

As you know I was looking for the AKG K-1000 and I have snagged a pair for $370.00 shipped. They should be home sometime next week.

Here is my question for you fine people:-

I am thinking of picking up a friends ASL WAV 8 Monoblock Tube amps for the K-1000. These have RCA mono inputs and speaker level outputs. No volume control

I need a standalone volume control. What are my options?

I was thinking I have two options :-

1] source -> rca -> volume control -> rca -> monoblocks -> k1000
2] source -> rca -> monoblocks -> volume control -> k1000

in either case I want to know if it is possible to do this :-

Build a DIY volume control with RCA inputs and outputs and either a POT or a Stepped Attenuator. Obviously the volume control in the second case will have to use higher rating passive components than the one in the first case. Also the vc in the second case will need an XLR and a 1/4 output so that I can use other headphones as well...it will also need to accept speaker level inputs...

I am a little confused here...something tells me it is better to control volume straight out from the source so that we are not wasting power...

4] What would you do?

5] Can you build such a volume control for me?

6] How much do you reckon it will cost?

Thank you for your time peeps

 

[agile_one]

Guru: check out the Axiom passive controller from Luminous Audio.

Does exactly what you need to do at the source end, and Tim is a great guy to deal with. Highly recommended.

 

[LeasingGuy]

Check out "The Ultimate Attenuators" from EVS. Sorry about the big pic, it's from the EVS website.

edit, picture a little big for dial up users.

 

[gsferrari]

Thank you Gene...

Thank you LeasingGuy - that volume control looks MEAN!!

I wonder why he doesnt box it? probably to eliminate one pair of RCA's? hmmm...

Keep em coming people!!

 

[lini]

gsferrari: It's way more difficult to find a decent pot with high power handling, so you should definitely pursue method #1.

I'd do it this way: Grab decent coax rca/rca interconnect, cut in in half in the middle; get nice little stereo pot (Alps, Nobel..., with ~ 2x 50 kOhm and logarithmic characteristic) plus a volume knob of your choice; grab some tin candy box you have lying around where the pot fits in nicely (or buy metal some metal case of your choice); drill hole into tin can for the pot and add a few more holes for the interconnects into box/case; now realize that you should have also bought some... uhm... what the English word for Kabeldurchführung/Zugentlastung? ...thingies, when you were buying the pot and knob (and case)

; stick open cable ends through holes (& Zugentlastungen, if applicable); deisolate open cable ends; solder all of the outer conductors (= shields) to tin can (now, if you've bought an aluminium case, you'll find that soldering anything to alu is a hard job, so you'll best add another hole for an additional screw and nut (copper would be finde for that) to serve as your ground point, where you can fix the interconnect shields to...

); then solder the inner conductors of the interconnect piece #1 to pins 1 (or 3) of the pot (separately for both channels, of course) and the inner conductors of piece #2 to pins 2 plus two pieces of copper wire to pins 3 (or 1) and the tin can (or your ground point). That's it - universal line level inline volume control finished.

Greetings from Hannover!

Manfred / lini

 

[gsferrari]

Viele danke herr Lini

OK - This is really what I am looking for in the device :-

RCA Female -> Volume Control (Passive) -> RCA Female

I have two monoblocks, one for LEFT and one for RIGHT so here is the schematic :-


LRCAin/out - Left
RRCAin/out - Right
VC - Volume Control

Left channel :-
---------------------

LRCAin -> VC -> LRCAout -> Left Monoblock -> left speaker output -> AKG adapter


Same for right channel...

I would like to use a single Stepped Attenuator as the VC. I am still not sure actually...depends on the final price of this device including a small box by serpac...or in aluminum/stainless steel...