What is this odd little box I've been storing for years?


I received this switch/pot a few years ago with a used preamp and have never been able to identify it. When I asked the seller he said he didn't know either, he just thought it was part of the preamp (it's not). I wish I could post a picture here - but it's about a 3.5"black cube, with an older brown AC cord, an on/off rocker switch, fuse holder and small attenuator pot on the front. I though it might be a wireless remote switch for a turntable, but can't find any similar images online. Any ventured guesses would greatly helpful
Glenn 
gwbeers
I thought it might adjust the speed of a turntable motor, but I don't know how it would communicate with the motor???
A 1950s snake oil product?
Could be some sort of rheostat. Does the AC plug fit the wall or could it be for a specific receptacle?
Plug it into a cheap power strip (non-audiophile grade) connected to a lamp. See if it can act as a dimmer of the lamp. 
It's a standard plug. Very well made, doesn't have that snake oil feel. I'm guessing more like an 80's product. I appreciate your feedback.
Might it be a timer of some sort? Perhaps when the knob is turned up to some setting and the device is turned on a motor drive causes the "attenuator pot" to work its way down to its minimum position, at which time a sound is emitted.

Are there any slots or other openings through which a sound could be emitted? Also, would it be practical to open the device and look inside?

Regards,
-- Al 
It reminds me of that movie, The Box. Don't turn a thing or accept any offers from Frank Langella. 😄
HaHa! The worst thing is I can't figure out what to call it, to find a reference online. The shaft of the pot only turns 180 degrees. Inside there's a transformer (EWC31004GO5), the base of the cylindrical fuse holder, the rear of the pot is a rheostat with a black resistor inline to the transformer (no timer-but great idea). I had an old JA Michel Transcriptor
turntable whose on off switch used a magnet to open and close the circuit.Wondering if this might be of that era (early 60's)
You know, that slimy, just doesn’t feel right feeling. Kind of like Geoffkait's stuff !!!!!
tpreaves, so you were the the one tying to cop a feel at the movies last week? 
This may just be audiophile fruitcake - so I think I'll just include it with the next piece of gear I sell
celander, you have my permission to sew that guy’s 🍑to his face.
The shaft of the pot only turns 180 degrees. Inside there’s a transformer (EWC31004GO5), the base of the cylindrical fuse holder, the rear of the pot is a rheostat with a black resistor inline to the transformer....

The only thing I can think of at this point is that it might be a piece of test equipment, perhaps for the purpose of applying a variable load to the output of AC power supplies of some sort. The fact that the device does not provide an output would seem to rule out any other possibility I can think of.

Regards,
-- Al
The odd thing is that once you toss it out, you will figure out that you need it for something. Lol
My first thought was "maybe it's part of something like the B&W bass
alignment filter". Look at one. Joe
Post a pic and question to Vintage audio on facebook.  Someone will know what it is.  There are some very knowledgeable people on the site.
I do not know what it is, but I know you will not miss it if you throw it away as you obviously have no use for it anyway.
Glupson, wrong. The second he throws it out he will discover it’s an indispensable part of something. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done that with various seemingly unmatched Tupperware. 
So wait, I'm having trouble. It has a power cord, and no other electrical connections to the outside world??

From your description, this box has only one electrical connection, a power cord.

It reminds me of the "parallel line conditioners" of old. These devices were supposed to clean your AC line power.

Two examples that I can recall are the Tice Clock and the Coherent Systems Corp EAU-1 Electraclear.

Audiogon has lots of comments about the Tice Clock. Here’s one short thread --

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/anyone-remember-the-quot-tice-clock-quot-controversy?highligh...

And here’s an old Audiogon listing for the EAU-1 --

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/ac-conditioners-coherent-systems-corporation-eau-1-electraclear-pa...

Unfortunately, I could not identify your particular box. (Dunno if a pic would help either).

Good luck.

sc53,

That is guaranteed and I stand corrected. He would regret it, but could still live quite a meaningful life without it.

I think it might be a genuine "Ozark do-nothing." My opinion, of course....  :-)
Ok. I figured what this box does: it’s a forum thread discussion generator.
Just curious.
If it is a turntable power supply, shouldn't it have an AC socket as well as an AC cord?
I think SOTA called that an "electronic flywheel."  But surely it must have an output connector somewhere on it, as well as the AC cord?

Regards,
-- Al 
What I thought was a rheostat pot, because it had a slotted recessed shaft that rotated 180 degrees (or at least is does now), is a proprietary
cable connection to the Sota... 
" What I thought was a rheostat pot, because it had a slotted recessed shaft that rotated 180 degrees (or at least is does now), is a proprietary
cable connection to the Sota... "

Ah! That explains it. (And I had wondered about the presence of a rheostat pot. eh)
It's all about overcoming data insufficiency. That was fun. We could do with more brain-teasers. 
Too bad audiogon won't move out of the dark ages and allow photo uploads......sigh......
Hey I'm agreeing  tooooo Geoffrey 

we want pics  

we want pics

we want pics!!

T212
@ozzy62 “Too bad audiogon won’t move out of the dark ages and allow photo uploads......sigh......”

Well, there’s an app for that!*

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