Passive preamp w/Rogue Medusa and Rega DAC

I've had a few customers who have taken it on themselves to add their own remote volume controls to their Lightspeed Attenuators, like these aftermarket ones.

[url]http://www.ebay.com/sch/Consumer-Electronics-/293/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=Remote+volume+control[/url]

[url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALPS-Remote-Motor-Volume-Potentiometer-Control-Adjustment-4CH-50KA-/331214708402?pt=US_Amplifier_Parts_Components&hash=item4d1def5eb2[/url]

They can be coarse in their action. And the remote buttons don't last.
I cannot afford to use them as for me they're just not reliable enough especially the hand sets.
With the Lightspeed being very reliable as it is, and at the low shipped price it is, I don't need or can afford to have returns coming back because of these after market remotes, from companies that look like their here today gone tomorrow, then spare parts become a problem as well.

The only companies that make good quality ones are the big boys Sony, Yamaha, Panasonic, ect and you cannot get these quality ones for the small manufaturers like me.

Cheers George

Why wouldn't you just upgrade your dac to something like the Benchmark DAC 2 which can be run direct into your amp.

Personally, I think your DAC is the weakest link by far...especially if you consider how much more the DAC impacts the sound.

I'm not saying that a pre amp isn't important, but just because a pre amp is old, doesn't mean it's a weak link.

With a DAC, it's a completely different story. Newer dacs are making great strides and I wouldn't count Rega as a trend setter in that realm. (I've owned their digital products in the past and found them acceptable, but not state-of-the-art.)

His Rega dac get some good raps, even over the Benchmark, in some of the a/b's done.

But you are right Labtec going direct with a dac or cdp that has a digital domain VC is the only way to better the transparency of good a passive pre.

You just have to watch that digital domain VC's are used in the top 75% of their full output, otherwise you can run the risk of "bit stripping". EG: 16bit resolution down to 14bit then 12bit and so on the lower you go with them, if he has very efficient speakers he may not even be able to get to 75% let alone over it, before it becomes too loud for him.

This is when a good passive attenuator is the next best in transparency, as the remote controled digital domain VC of the dac/cdp can be full up then with no risk of "bit stripping", and the volume then set by passive pre attenuation.
And then you can still use the remote volume of cdp/dac within it's top 25% so you can adjust it from your listening chair.

Cheers George

http://www.rogueaudio.com/Contact_Information.htm

Ask your question at the source.

I've always thought that that only way of going one better than using a passive pre from dac/cdp to the poweramps is by going direct if the dac/cdp has a digital domain VC, and so long as it's used no less than 75% of full as I've stated in above posts.

Here is a statement fronm the designer of the TotalDac one of the best digital front ends you can get.
"Volume control:
I have made many different volume controls, including high end pots, relays, Shallco + stepper motor, LDR... The best sound was with the digital volume control made inside the FPGA of the DAC d1, made with a 69bit resolution. It was the only way not to "listen" to the volume control components. This digital volume control allows not to have cables and connectors in the signal path."

http://www.totaldac.com/principles.htm

http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2014/05/30/high-end-2014-totaldac/

Cheers George