Preamp with two volume controls?


 

Anyone familiar with a preamp that has 2 volume controls. Currently I use 2 Mcintosh C50 preamps in my system. One is for the 2 MC252 amps and 1 used as a volume control for my 3 SVS subs and an Anthem STR amp. The extreme differences in how bass is recorded in new verses old recordings and the wide range in low frequency mastering in the many styles of music I listen to has led me to look for different ways to rectify these issues. What I am doing works pretty well, but I would love to have a more direct method. Thanks in advance.

jmalen123

Audible Illusions is in Ormond Beach and I’m not sure they’re still operating. I emailed them with no response. I live in Daytona. 

As many of the replies so far indicate, the general purpose of equipping a preamp with two volume controls is to negate the requirement for a balance control and not to provide control over two different outputs.

To achieve the latter, assuming the preamp is not purely passive, would require duplication of a large portion of the preamp's circuitry - which would not make commercial or sonic sense.

As regards the original post, the complexity of the speaker arrangement suggests the possibility that there may be frequency response issues that cause some recordings to have too much bass and others not enough.

The Jadis JP 80 MC and some Croft Preamps also have/had independent volume controls - again for balance adjustment purposes rather than to control discrete outputs.

On the high end side, both Lamm (LL 2.1, L2.1) and Jadis (JP 80MC, JPS 2, JP 200MC) have separate volume controls for each channel.  In addition, since both the Jadis and Lamm preamps have tape-out outputs, you could run two outputs for each channel, one with fixed volume for your powered speakers (i.e., subs), one variable running through the volume pots.  The Lamms also have two variable outputs (one XLR, on the L2 series) that go through the volume controls.  Pricey, though.  

Ormond Beach/Daytona (whatever)

Phone: (386) 676 - 2004

Email: AF@AudibleIllusions.com