2. amps-preamps
  3. 168622-22888

amplifier with volume control

I began my journey with an active preamp then switched to a placette passive which was more transparent but sucked the life out of my system (but I was using longer interconnects to monoblocks).  I have one source (a computer with a usb dac) and am now running direct to my amplifier which sounds much better than my previous 2 configurations. I am using a digital volume control and my thought is to change to an amp with a built in volume control - like an audion - or have a tech install one on my amplifier. My question is how is an amp with a volume control different - if at all- from a passive (simple pot in a box) connected with short interconnects to an amplifier?       thank you
majorc

Showing 3 responses by ieales

ieales's avatar
ieales
1,201 posts
 
I keep forgetting that if you have a cheap passive with some suspect pot, all bets are off.

In the studio I used channel matched Penny & Giles. Don't recall the cost but it was a lot.

For my last HiFi stepped passive built a few years back, silver contact switches, precision, matched low inductance resistors, high quality internal interconnect and top flight connectors.
ieales's avatar
ieales
1,201 posts
 
The demands the input of an amplifier puts on a source is just like what a speaker puts on an amp 
utter nonsense. This just flat out wrong. There is next to zero current required in the input of an amplifier. There is no dynamic impedance or flyback current. Like most of what MC says, PURE HOGWASH!

you will find out that a well designed pre amp will actually outperform a passive circuit with any type of dynamic music, something is lost going all passive
utter nonsense.

If the impedance and design are correct, a passive has less coloration than almost any active circuit. Some devices may not be capable of driving a passive, but that is not a fault of the passive.
ieales's avatar
ieales
1,201 posts
 
I would hope that, all things being equal, that having the attenuator built into the amp would be an improvement over a separate passive box with the additional interconnect.
Nope. Bypassed many an input level control in studio amplifiers because they are redundant and color the sound.

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride
More to discover