[roymail]

There must be a good reason why some very good sounding integrated amplifiers, both SS and tube amps, continue to use lower cost volume controls. Many good quality integrated amps use rather inexpensive carbon and conductive plastic pots such as the common Alps blue velvet, Noble, PEC, Bourns, etc.  I don't understand much about amplifier design, but I'm hoping that someone can explain why they don't use higher quality volume controls like Goldpoint, Dact, Penny&Giles, TDK, etc.

I once used an Alps blue velvet in a diy shunt to grd passive VC with Caddock resistors, and it sounded fair at best.  However, when I replaced it with a Goldpoint stepped attenuator, it was in a completely different league.  This makes me wonder if the same sonic improvement could be expected by using a higher quality VC in today's integrated amps.

I know it would bump up the price of the amp some but not by a lot.  I'd like to know if the sound quality could be significantly improved by doing this upgrade.  Thanks to all who join in

[apollophono]

RoyMail: That is a very interesting question?  It brings me to an audio website
wajonaudio.webs.com that has expressed the conclusion you arrived at.  Better
volume pots make a huge difference in the sound of amps, etc. 

I have not heard anything about that, but was always curious about it after
reading about it on that website.  I wish I had great skills and knowledge to
perform those upgrades if that was the case. 

The next question is who is behind wajonaudio?  I know who is behind
http://www.regonaudio.com. 

[RDavidson]

This is just a guess, but I think manufacturers tend to go the cheaper route because adding these volume controls would DEFINITELY increase production costs, but wouldn't help the amp manufacturers' bottom lines. Goldpoint and DACT volume controls cost MUCH MUCH MUCH more than an Alps Blue. They'd have to increase the MSRP of the integrated amps A LOT, just to recoup their much higher parts procurement expenses, assuming we're talking about relatively large amp manufacturers like NAD, Rotel, PrimaLuna etc. etc. If we're talking about smaller manufacturers who build each amp by hand in a smallish facility, then yes, they should be using better volume attenuators (and often do) if they aren't using some sort of proprietary or licenced attenuation technology.

[roymail]

Yes, but how do they get such good sound (high quality sonics) using cheap pots in the circuit?  Any thoughts?

[sfox7076]

It's all a matter of circuit design. Know a weakness and you can mod for it (or around it).  Cheaper than a very expensive part.

[roymail]

 sfox7076, you must be right about that.  It's the only logical conclusion I have come to, also.  Thanks to those who joined into this brief discussion.  Any other input is welcome.

[RDavidson]

That makes sense somewhat. The thing is, I don't think most manufacturers do a good job of designing around attenuators like an Alps Blue. I have found that the pot is rarely turned beyond 12 o'clock or it is just too loud, or distorted in every case I can remember. These types of attenuators work best, the less they have to attenuate (the opposite of autoformer and transformer based attenuation). The preamp or amp just has way too much gain for the pots to be used in their optimal range. With a stepped attenuator, all steps are of equal high quality (at least that's the goal) regardless of high or low volume setting.