Absolute best balanced stereo potentiometer?

[chipwits]

I am going to make my own passive volume attenuator. I was considering using an 8 poll, 24 position, ladder type switch for stepped attenuation, however this is costly. What is considered the absolute best potentiometer for balanced stereo attenuation? i.e. the part. I want to put it in a rackmount chassis.

Alps Blue is one I have heard that is good; any other recommendations?

Thanks,
James

[chipwits]

Ah cool, found the following stepped attenuator for $29!

http://glass-ware.stores.yahoo.net/aikampstepat.html

Not balanced though. Maybe I don't need balanced from my passive box to amp though since it is line level and short distance. I can convert the balanced signal to unbalanced within my box with some simple circuitry.

Also, Wonder if mic preamp gain and post gain would sound better with these versus pots.

James

[Minion]

Well that stepped attenuator is pretty much what I suggested to you a couple days ago....It is Just a couple rotary switches with 1% Resistors for setting the Steps....

You will still have to assemble it when you get it so you might save a few bucks and Just build one yourself....You could even make a Ballanced or stereo one useing a 2 Pole 12 step Rotary switch with 1% resistors and get very accurate Stereo/Ballanced attenuation.....

You can get rotary switches on e-bay for about $1.50 each....Or you can go the cheap route and get some 100K Dual Ganged pots for ballanced/stereo attenuation and not have to worry about the resistors at all but then again this wouldn"t be as accurate.....

Well good luck with your project....


PS: Many Pieces or solid state equipment have the signal comeing in Ballanced but it is then deballanced and then the unballanced signal goes through the Circuitry and just before the output it is reballanced again...It is done this way because it is easier to process an unballanced signal than a Ballanced signal ....So the gain stages in Ballanced amps are many Times adding the Gain to an Unballanced signal and then reballanced before outputing .... you can do something simular with your design to save parts and PCB space and not need Ballanced attenuation.....


Cheers

[Massive Master]

Grayhill are somewhat of a "go-to" standard...

[chipwits]

This looks interesting:

http://www.sacthailand.com/transSilkVolume.html

James

[Tonio]

yum o

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