Decent Pots

Mark Korda · « **on:** 22 Dec 2012, 12:28 am »

Hi Lab People, are there any decent pots out there besides the exspensive Goldpoints.I'm looking for a good value,kind of like the Alps pots you used to be able to get at the Radio Shack,and where do you guys find them,hey thanks Mark Korda.

Folsom · « **Reply #1 on:** 23 Dec 2012, 05:53 pm »

A lot of options out there.

Dale resistor stepped attenuator. I have one and it is very good. Dale resistors are used in signal paths for very expensive equipment. Yes I prefer the transparency of more expensive resistors but I can't afford to populate one of these with nude vishays at like $12-20 a pop. I am looking at an LDR setup but it'll cost about what a Goldpoint does.

Cheapest one out there that really is decent

Mark Korda · « **Reply #2 on:** 25 Dec 2012, 06:09 am »

Hi Destroyer,thanks for that info.About 10 years ago I made a passive preamp with these Alps Black Widows or Black Beautys 100 ohm pots,but they were not ladder resistor types,but still work flawlessly.I'm trying to reserect a pair of Dyna PAM mono preamps that have dirt cheap pots that are as old as me 56 years young.They have weird ratings such as 500,000 and 700,000 ohms.I'm thinking Antique Radio Supply,for cheap,but am still looking for more quality at a little higher price...still open for ideas......thanks Destoyer....Mark Korda

Folsom · « **Reply #3 on:** 25 Dec 2012, 07:08 am »

Those pots are nice, but modern stepped attenuators blow them out of the water.

I won't use Alps pots anymore because they cost about the same as one of those dale stepped attenuators.

Telstar · « **Reply #4 on:** 25 Dec 2012, 09:59 am »

Alps blue and black are still decent quality. Noble are better but harder to find.

The coarse steps of almost all attenuators make seamless pots preferred by some.

Ericus Rex · « **Reply #5 on:** 25 Dec 2012, 03:20 pm »

Quote from: Telstar on 25 Dec 2012, 09:59 am

The coarse steps of almost all attenuators make seamless pots preferred by some.

How about 48 steps?!?!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Volume-attenuator-48-steps-silver-passive-preamp-Caddock-10-20-50-100-Kohm-/121039963761?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item1c2e8b4671

Davey · « **Reply #6 on:** 25 Dec 2012, 03:37 pm »

Decent dual-gang Alpha potentiometers (linear or audio taper) are still available from places like Mouser. $2.73 each...that's value.

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/catalogusd/645/824.pdf

If you're restoring an old piece of gear, making it work and look fairly authentic is probably more important than any subjective audio quality, eh?

Cheers,

Dave.

Folsom · « **Reply #7 on:** 25 Dec 2012, 09:00 pm »

I'll take too few steps and world class performance over the marginal sound from an actual interferometer, any day.

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #8 on:** 25 Dec 2012, 09:44 pm »

Quote from: Davey on 25 Dec 2012, 03:37 pm

Decent dual-gang Alpha potentiometers (linear or audio taper) are still available from places like Mouser. $2.73 each...that's value.

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/catalogusd/645/824.pdf

If you're restoring an old piece of gear, making it work and look fairly authentic is probably more important than any subjective audio quality, eh?

Cheers,

Dave.

Davey's got good advice here. The Mouser Alpha pots are average sonically, but they take a monumentally step forward in sonics if you use the pot as a shunt and place a high quality resistor in series. Dan Schmalle of Bottlehead made this a pretty popular option in his Valve Magazine back in the 90's. Read more here, it's cheap, effective, and if you can't afford a stepped attenuator, TVC, AVC, or whatever, it's definitely not a bad option at all:

http://www.world-designs.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=5795

Best,
Anand.

Folsom · « **Reply #9 on:** 26 Dec 2012, 01:11 am »

That methods works pretty well with the exception that sometimes the resistance varies on the pot.

Davey · « **Reply #10 on:** 26 Dec 2012, 06:59 pm »

A potentiometer with variable resistance? Oh my goodness.

Since Mark is working on mono preamps it makes little difference with regard to section tracking, does it not?

Cheers,

Dave.

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #11 on:** 26 Dec 2012, 07:32 pm »

Quote from: Davey on 26 Dec 2012, 06:59 pm

A potentiometer with variable resistance? Oh my goodness.

Since Mark is working on mono preamps it makes little difference with regard to section tracking, does it not?

Cheers,

Dave.

Davey's right, it would make little difference. Besides, most of the fellas here would have room effects that would swamp out differences between these various 'pots.' Work on your room first! Those are amplitude differences of several dB's, especially on one side versus the other side of the room! Notwithstanding that disclaimer...(or just switch to headphones

)

PEC pots are also quite good. I would choose them over Alps personally.

See here for info:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/group-buys/46801-group-buy-idea-pec-carbon-pot-p-d-recommended-one.html

Best,
Anand.

mark funk · « **Reply #12 on:** 26 Dec 2012, 10:10 pm »

Nobel is what is in my pre amp.

Folsom · « **Reply #13 on:** 27 Dec 2012, 03:14 am »

The resistance varies, between channels. It means volumes between left and right are not always even.

naggots · « **Reply #14 on:** 27 Dec 2012, 10:17 am »

I always liked TKD pots over alps. Good attenuators are better but DACT cost 3x more

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #15 on:** 27 Dec 2012, 01:00 pm »

Quote from: Destroyer of Smiles. on 26 Dec 2012, 01:11 am

That methods works pretty well with the exception that sometimes the resistance varies on the pot.

That is really true of any potentiometer and is all dependent on tolerances - you are at the manufacturers mercy. Still, room effects swamp out the small differences in my honest opinion. You can have much better tolerances with a stepped attenuator but at a price. It all depends on your level of audiophile neurosis

I've got plenty myself, judging by my builds

Best,
Anand.

Mark Korda · « **Reply #16 on:** 27 Dec 2012, 06:11 pm »

Hi,Davey,Destroyer,Telstar,Ericus Rex,Funk,Naggots,And Poseidonsvoice,thanks so much for all your info,man what help!In an other post near this one I am trying to bring back to life a pair of Dyna PAM-1 mono tube preamps.I plan to use them with the Dyna Mark 3's which have an octal plug and umbilicle cord to the PAM's to power the heaters in the tubes.I also want to acheive the best sound out of them I can get,so to be a minimalist,I want to take out the tone controls.Their a little hard to find,the pots,as they are 400,000 and 700,000 ohms,thats bass and treble.The volume pot is 500,000 ohms and I can find one of those,although the old one has an on /off switch built in and a loudness tab.I don't want the loudness either,Frank VanAlStine said it was not in the circuit on my other post.If you have any ideas,and the time to look,feel free to offer a solution,I'd love to hear it.But once again guys,thank you sooo much for all your help....sincerely Mark Korda...P.S. The other site has a copy of the PAM's manual,if you got any ideas,Id love to hear em!

Folsom · « **Reply #17 on:** 28 Dec 2012, 01:54 am »

Quote from: poseidonsvoice on 27 Dec 2012, 01:00 pm

That is really true of any potentiometer and is all dependent on tolerances - you are at the manufacturers mercy. Still, room effects swamp out the small differences in my honest opinion. You can have much better tolerances with a stepped attenuator but at a price. It all depends on your level of audiophile neurosis I've got plenty myself, judging by my builds

Best,
Anand.

I've found the tolerance on resistors in stepped units to be more accurate than pots. I've used a few blue Alps but found that they were not as tight of tolerance.

Steve · « **Reply #18 on:** 31 Dec 2012, 09:10 pm »

Mark, using switches with multiple resistors in series, all those solder connections
is inferior if one wishes the best. One is compromising and the expense is unjustified imo.

Using a shunt also has problems because the input impedance (Z) varies wildly, so
bass response and to some extent high frequency response varies as well with control adjustment if
the previous stage is capacitively coupled. If the previous stage
is DC coupled, such is not the case.

TKD is a very nice, very accurate/natural sounding pot, from specialized listening tests,
if you can afford one. If you can afford two, one for each channel, then one could rid of the
balance control, and improve the sound. If not that important, a dual section TKD will
be just perfect.

Cheers.

Mark Korda · « **Reply #19 on:** 2 Jan 2013, 11:50 pm »

Hi Steve,thanks for your advise.The pre amps in question are Dynakit PAM-1's.There old and mono,so there's no balance controls.I think there was a balance on the stereo control box that used to come with them DSC-1,but I don't have that,don't need it,cause theres to many bells and whistles for me.http://www.ebay.com/itm/DYNACO-DYNAKIT-DSC-1-STEREO-CONTROL-ADAPTOR-for-MONO-PREAMP-PREAMPLIFIER-/230895704474?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item35c274d99a Steve,I might have to give up on the idea of trying to find new tone control pots as they are 400,ooo ohms and 700,000 ohms,I can find the volume control that is 500,000 ohms.On my other question on the Lab,about the Dyna PAM-1,a member offered his idea and a diagram of what to do to take out the controls.Frank VanAlStine seemed to be in agreement with him.If you got time check it out and see what you think,and once again thanks for all your help...Mark Korda.....the site is right under the Pots question.