Why no remote controlled discrete resistor volume?


I don't get it. It seems that Alps have the remote volume control market cornered. My understanding is that, in general, discrete resistor volume controls (stepped attenuators or relay activated resistors as used by NAT, AN Kits and others) are thought to provide the best sonics (detail, clarity, precision, etc.), followed by potentiometers and then chip controls. If this is true, why have none of the discrete resistor gang (Goldpoint, DACT, Seiden, TKD, etc.) come up with a direct competitor (or drop-in replacement) to the basic Alps remote motorized conductive plastic potentiometer volume control that can be purchased (motor and all) for about $35? These things show up in some highly reviewed preamps with prices approaching $10K and above. It just seems to me there should be better sonic options for remote controlled volume on preamps costing several thousand dollars and up. Why is it so hard to motorize a stepped attenuator? Just curious.
mitch2

Showing 4 responses by mitch2

Shadorne, my experience is that I like the discrete resistor controls better than pots, because I sense greater clarity, definition and coherence. I only have one experience with a chip control (which I think sounds ok) but received some feedback on another forum;
http://db.audioasylum.com/mhtml/m.html?forum=amp&n=159528&highlight=help+understanding+mitch2&r=&search_url=%2Fcgi%2Fsearch.mpl%3Fsearchtext%3D%26b%3DAND%26topic%3D%26topics_only%3DN%26author%3Djnr%26date1%3D%26date2%3D%26slowmessage%3D%26sort%3Dscore%26sortOrder%3DDESC%26forum%3DALL
I found it interesting that while they thought the PGA2310 was an upgrade of the CS3310 from Cirrus Logic, they still found the chip controls as a group to be crappy, including the PGA2320 in the $10K Esoteric C03.
Byron - that's great! I was not aware anyone had accomplished that. I still find it amazing that something so simple and relatively inexpensive (compared to the $5K+ preamps we purchase) has not been implemented by more companies compared to using a basic volume pot. Thanks also Ngjockey, although the Altavista solution is more what I was looking for.
I had a DACT in the TEAD Vibe I used to own. I liked the sound of that preamp for solid state. Resolution was quite good, but I have heard better dynamics and better high frequencies.

Nikki, I am sure Gilbert's Blue Circle attenuator sounds outstanding, although installation could be a challange in most normal sized preamps. Thanks for the picture.
Ralph, I was not clear. I was pointing out how manufacturers of very expensive preamps use a low cost $35 part for one of the most critical aspects of a preamp - the volume control. My experience indicates the volume control is important to the sonics, and that spending $300-$500 or so for a quality volume control is totally reasonable for a preamp costing $5K and up. Based on the posts above, it seems the options are available but the manufacturers using the less expensive pots either decide the benefit does not improve sonics, or that they can sell preamps without the more expensive (and better sounding) volume control and that the remote option is more important. Some like at Joule, indicate the volume control is "outside of the signal path" and that their use of a pot doesn't matter. I do not quite understand how that works.