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.
Erik, The problem with most transformer volume controls was the limited number of volume steps—the right volume seemed to always be between adjacent steps. The are some nice ones offered my MyEmia (autoformer) that has many steps and remotely controlled volume and balance. They used to offer the autoformer and relay switching as a kit, so one could build the control into one’s own gear, but I think the kit days are long past. |
Unless I'm sadly mistaken, they don't seem to be available. |
It may not be up to the standard of the rest of your system, but that’s pretty much what a Schiit Saga does. Unity gain if you turn the stepped attenuator all the way up. There’s a solid state and tube model. Hattor has a nice looking tube buffer meant to be used with their passive preamps. It might have some fixed gain though. I’m not sure if that can be defeated, bypassed or altered as an option. i spent some time trying to find a preamp with little to no gain, even started a thread on it here, but eventually broadened my search. While I didn’t need any gain, getting a little hasn’t seemed to hurt anything. |
I own one of those and they sound very nice. The default is 9dB gain, which really isn’t that much but Arek can build them to your specification. We compromised and mine has 6dB gain.
If you want a great sounding preamp with no gain, the SMc Audio VRE-1 C comes with 6dB gain through the transformers. However, I believe Steve can build it with unity gain as he did with my modified TLC-1, which I use as a unity gain buffer along with the Hattor passive, which provides volume control and other convenient functionality. |
