Buffer amp no gain
I would like to put a buffer stage between volume control and power amp to ensure impedance matching. I like the look of the First Watt B1 but don’t need the volume controls.
My volume control is a passive ladder type with expensive resistors, silver wired etc
So my question is, can I buy a buffer with phono inputs and outputs but no volume pots. Either valve or solid state is OK.
What DAC and what is the output impedance? What volume control and what is its resistance and attenuation type? What amp and what is its input impedance? Balanced or unbalanced? What interconnects? There is nothing that is ’transparent’. You are adding connectors and cables, along with circuitry, all of which color the sound.
I ran [self-designed] passives for years, both in the studio and at home. I only went with active control when I tri-amped. |
It's PHONO. UK phone connectors are similar to a Ethernet jack with pins on the side. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_telephone_socket Autocorrect? |
Placette’s Q&A is a largely bollocks. If there are only two resistors active at a time that means there are multiple contacts added in the cct and all contacts are audible and the number should be minimized. Every part has a sonic signature and a particular part may not be idea in a particular application. Passive volume controls should be optimized for the system and one-size-fits-all may be fits-only-a-few.
""I know the sound of every resistor, every capacitor—everything. I know what tonal balance will be created when I mix this with that. So, when I started to develop the N11, I had a sound in my head. I made the schematic, optimized the layout to measure well, and then began listening and tuning with small parts. I adjusted the capacitor contacts, chose the correct parts for the desired sound, and determined what kind of silk screen on the printed circuit board would create the sound that would best fit Noble Line target customers." from Jurgen Reis in MBL Noble Line N11 line preamplifier |
