Audio Attenuators

[Deleted]

About 12 months ago I fitted a Danish DACT2 Audio Attenuator to my Class A solid state preamplifier. I fitted it because I wanted the very wide bandwith ,(due to low internal capacitance)
precise imaging, and no drift of the audio image with the potentiometer setting. The results were most impressive, I heard detail that I had never heard before, even at settings lower than usual listening volume. It was like a veil had been lifted. After hearing this, a friend with an almost identical preamplifier fitted one too. Solo artists like Renee Olstead, had their voices seem to come out of nowhere, and take a little longer to fade away, such was the transparency. Unfortunately, the DACT2 is quite expensive.
Yesterday, Allan, a fellow audioholic from Sydney (also) sent me
a link to the site of a small Aussie DIY supplier. Anyone capable of using a soldering iron and has access to a digital voltmeter can construct a great 23 position attenuator from a kit. The price ? AU$50. THAT'S ONLY 21 QUID, OR US$40 !! P &P is extra, of course. A group buy could make them even more worthwhile.
SandyK
www.diyfidelity.com.au/index.php?cPath=_33&osCsid=86d13860b63248bf096706043c89bcf8

[jelosno]

I am always tempted to try a stepped attenuator but always feel if I would do so I will need the setting that is just between the (here) 23 steps...

how much was the DACT?

Stefan

[Deleted]

Jelosno
The DACT2 set me back AU$245 !! (Soundlabs) But it was worth every cent of it in my system.
I have never had a problem with the settings I want , as they are finer settings where they are most needed. The only problem I have ever had with the DACT2 is an occasional click when I turn the control anti-clockwise.
I don't see why these DIY controls should't sound very close to the DACT2. Perhaps they can supply info about the attenuation settings on each position?
SandyK

[PinkFloyd]

£21 is a very good price for a 23 step attenuator, may well try one myself.

This guy has got a very good rep and prices are also very good, he can make one up in most values ( 10K.50K.100K.250K) just thought I'd throw him into the equation too Sandy Here he is

David White was a great one for stepped attenuators and he insisted they MUST be populated with 0.1% 15ppm resistors and not standard 1% jobs....... nothing to do with the resistance tolerance but all to do with the much lower temperature coefficient the 0.1% possess (typically 15ppm) I'm sure Rick would argue a good case for hand matched carbons but he seems to have fallen off the planet.... anyways, IMO words like "military" mean fck all and low ppm temp coeff means everything

[jelosno]

Here he is

Link doesn't work on my machine...

The DACT2 set me back AU$245

ahemm.... I think I'll give that one a miss for now

[Deleted]

Faulty link
I prefer the Danish DACT2 , but these attenuators would be an inexpensive way to see if an attenuator would benefit your equipment. I would use one of them in a headphone amplifier
though. Very few people's gear would noticeably benefit from .1% tolerance low temp co- efficient resistors. The gear that would benefit most,IMO, would have far better than average channel separation and distortion levels, and also a very low noise floor.
The low temp co-efficient may be helpful in high quality gear that runs very hot , but perhaps better ventilation would help more in that case ? Anyway, I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't get as much enjoyment sitting down and listening to music on a stinking hot day. That mighn't be so much of a problem in QE2's country ?
SandyK