Volume control upgrades?

bmwr75 · 10767

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Offline bmwr75

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on: October 29, 2012, 09:15:45 AM
Hello Fellow Crack Addicts,

I've installed the Speedball and 100uF metalllized polypropylene capacitors as upgrades.  Am running an E80CC driver tube and JAN 5998 power tube.

Have noticed a channel imbalance at the very low end of the volume knob range.  What is a recommended volume potentiometer upgrade?   Would be great if you also know where to order it from.

Thanks,
Scott


Offline jimiclow

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Reply #1 on: October 29, 2012, 11:17:51 AM
I think most members, including Doc and Paul recommend the Alps blue. I used them in my Crack and Stereomour and I like the result.
Mouser sells them cheaper. Buy a few to save on shipping.
If you go with stepped attenuator, you can't go wrong with Goldpoint or DACT.
I have a DACT waiting for the SEX.

Bottlehead Stereomour with V-cap, Mundorf, Alps
SEX 2.1- Alps, Mundorf
Stock Crack
Reduction with Mundorf, Clarity caps
Schiit Asgard, Schiit Lyr
Technics SL1200mkII
Woo WA-6
Hoyt-Bedford speakers, Fostex T90A
LCD-2, HD600, ER4P, HF5, SR60i, DT990-600, DT770-32, HFI580

Offline bmwr75

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Reply #2 on: October 29, 2012, 12:36:01 PM
Anybody got a Mouser part number for the ALPS Blue pot?  Or, the specifications I can search on to narrow down the number of items returned in a search.


Offline bmwr75

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Reply #3 on: October 29, 2012, 01:24:55 PM


Offline Grainger49

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Reply #4 on: October 29, 2012, 02:09:29 PM
Yes, it is for printed circuit boards.  But you can just wrap the wires, crimp them on and solder.


Offline Nick Tam

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Reply #5 on: October 29, 2012, 03:53:53 PM
Doc should definitely include the Alps blue in the Crack kit... I mean they can't cost more than 10 bucks?

Edit: Nevermind... they cost $18 online... although they are barely $9 around here locally :\
« Last Edit: October 29, 2012, 04:02:54 PM by Nick Tam »

Bottlehead Crack

Source: Fostex HP-A4
Cans: Sennheiser HD700
Sylvania GB6080 + Sylvania VT-231

Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #6 on: October 29, 2012, 04:04:27 PM
They aren't all that expensive, but where do you draw the line?  Somebody who wants to put in a Kosmo, Goldpoint, etc. will want to buy the kit without the Alps to save money, then we get into some serious packing and inventory issues.

The supply of these controls is also not super consistent, fakes are abundant, there have been some dimensional changes that would be problematic for the long term supply of our kits.  To get good units, it's about $17 per pot, and I wouldn't feel confident that we could order 100 at a time from any of our regular suppliers.






Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man

Offline Nick Tam

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Reply #7 on: October 29, 2012, 04:21:48 PM
Well, of all things in the kit I think the cheapest investment for improvement is definitely the Alps Blue pot. It was annoying how the kit alpha pot had a non-linear gain at low level and that Alps pot made all the difference. For less than $20 bucks, it is as good as you can get I suppose. The next step up from that would be the step attenuators and TKD pots but there's absolutely no reason to put those in the kit if they can't offer a significant improvement from the Alps. From the stock pot to the blue however, it was a big difference. Only problem I had was the long pot shaft

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Source: Fostex HP-A4
Cans: Sennheiser HD700
Sylvania GB6080 + Sylvania VT-231

Offline jimiclow

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Reply #8 on: October 29, 2012, 04:23:26 PM

Bottlehead Stereomour with V-cap, Mundorf, Alps
SEX 2.1- Alps, Mundorf
Stock Crack
Reduction with Mundorf, Clarity caps
Schiit Asgard, Schiit Lyr
Technics SL1200mkII
Woo WA-6
Hoyt-Bedford speakers, Fostex T90A
LCD-2, HD600, ER4P, HF5, SR60i, DT990-600, DT770-32, HFI580

Offline Mosez

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Reply #9 on: October 29, 2012, 04:29:11 PM
I ended up pulling an Alps pot from eBay like this one:

Note the wire eyes on this model. Works great.

Daan Zweers

Offline jimiclow

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Reply #10 on: October 29, 2012, 04:33:27 PM
Quote from: Nick Tam on October 29, 2012, 04:21:48 PM
Well, of all things in the kit I think the cheapest investment for improvement is definitely the Alps Blue pot. It was annoying how the kit alpha pot had a non-linear gain at low level and that Alps pot made all the difference. For less than $20 bucks, it is as good as you can get I suppose. The next step up from that would be the step attenuators and TKD pots but there's absolutely no reason to put those in the kit if they can't offer a significant improvement from the Alps. From the stock pot to the blue however, it was a big difference. Only problem I had was the long pot shaft

I couldn't agree more. Not to mention they can go "scratchy" after a few months.
They are standard on my 2 Schiits and Woo 6.

Bottlehead Stereomour with V-cap, Mundorf, Alps
SEX 2.1- Alps, Mundorf
Stock Crack
Reduction with Mundorf, Clarity caps
Schiit Asgard, Schiit Lyr
Technics SL1200mkII
Woo WA-6
Hoyt-Bedford speakers, Fostex T90A
LCD-2, HD600, ER4P, HF5, SR60i, DT990-600, DT770-32, HFI580

Offline earwaxxer

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Reply #11 on: October 29, 2012, 05:54:38 PM
Sorry - dont mean to be a party pooper, but I personally like the TKD plastic log taper over the Alps.

I have several Alps Blue Velvet pots, one of them in my stock Quickie, one in a t-amp. I think the TKD sounds better, for about the same bucks. I would say, buy both of them and see which one sounds the best. I would be curious to hear how that pans out. In the mean time, I'm sticking with my TKD.


http://www.partsconnexion.com/controls_pot_tkd.html

Eric
Emotiva XPA-2, Magnepan MMG (mod), Quickie (mod), JRiver, Wyrd4sound uLink, Schiit Gungnir, JPS Digital power cord, MIT power cord, JPS Labs ultraconductor wire throughout, HSU sub. powered by Crown.

Offline Lar

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Reply #12 on: October 29, 2012, 06:11:52 PM
 Only problem I had was the long pot shaft
[/quote]

My Dremel made short work of that.   ;)

Larry V

Offline Nick Tam

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Reply #13 on: October 29, 2012, 06:33:38 PM
Quote from: earwaxxer on October 29, 2012, 05:54:38 PM
I have several Alps Blue Velvet pots, one of them in my stock Quickie, one in a t-amp. I think the TKD sounds better, for about the same bucks. I would say, buy both of them and see which one sounds the best. I would be curious to hear how that pans out. In the mean time, I'm sticking with my TKD.

Those are around $40 bucks... not cheap anymore to be included in the kit really

Bottlehead Crack

Source: Fostex HP-A4
Cans: Sennheiser HD700
Sylvania GB6080 + Sylvania VT-231

Offline Grainger49

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Reply #14 on: October 30, 2012, 12:29:53 AM
And......................... there you have the reason Dan doesn't put an Alps Blue in the kits. 

Everyone has a favorite pot, so Dan uses a good (not great) pot and anyone who likes something different will swap in their favorite.

Same thing for film output caps.


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