2. amps-preamps
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stepped attenuators

Stepped attenuators are new to me and I must say that I'm impressed. I recently acquired a new Burson PI-160 and it leaves the older unit (which I have) in the dust. Burson says that the signal is at its weakest when going through the volume control and tried and tossed out a remote in favor of the attenuator. I can see why. I have all the detail, dynamics, nuance, tone, sound stage, etc. at lower settings that I no longer have to crank it for things to get lively. Its like each setting is all that Burosn intended (hardwired, if you will) allowing all the signal to come through undistorted. I know there's more to this unit than the volume control but I feel it must have a huge influence on the sound quality.
How do you feel about them?
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clio09
3,343 posts
 
I'm building a preamp using the Acoustic-Dimension 41 step attenuators. They are well built, have smooth rotation, and are quite silent. They remind me more of Seiden than Shallco. We'll see how they work in a couple weeks.
rgs92
974 posts
 
It sure seems like a scary & risky prospect, but is it crazy to find a good technician (I guess somewhere in the U.S.) who could either replace the attenuator or reduce the gain in a high-end preamp? Or is it better just to sell the unit and move on?
t_bone
1,182 posts
 
Rcprince,
What attenuators did you install in your JP80? Did it make a big difference?
rcprince
3,059 posts
 
T_bone--I didn't install anything, the stock Jadis volume controls on these units (as opposed to the JPL, for example) are in essence stepped attenuators. I believe they operate using different resistors for each step.
t_bone
1,182 posts
 
I wonder if they changed over time. My JP80 is ancient (s/n 008), has a single volume pot and a balance knob, neither of which are stepped.
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