advertisement


The opposite of an attenuator?

foxwelljsly

foxwelljsly

Me too, I ate one sour too.
I’m looking for a device to add a few dB of gain to a single source system.

It doesn’t need a volume control or source switching. Stereo RCA in and out to sit between a DAC and some active monitors.

Basically, the opposite of an attenuator.

Does such a device exist?

cheers
 
As above, there is a +6dB switch on the back of the Music First Audio Classic (transformer-based) pre amp in my cupboard.

I suspect that custom-built transformers are the (possibly expensive) solution to your problem.
 
uncl_nigel said:
I suspect that custom-built transformers are the (possibly expensive) solution to your problem.
Click to expand...

Yes. I'd expect any step-up transformer that does this as well as even a modest step-up amp or pre-amp would be fairly expensive.

Choose a cheap pre-amp. Failing that, learn to solder or get a friend who 'can do' to build a simple preamp board or one of the cheap kits that various electronics suppliers sell. A soldering iron and a cheap kit or few components will be the smallest and cheapest solution if you use rechargeable batteries as its PSU.
 
Unless it was a highly neutral and quality amp/trannie I'd be concerned about any changes in s.q. or tonal balance. Sounds like a mismatch of DAC output to on-board amps' input sensitivity. Is there no adjustment to these? I'm not familiar with DACs but thought that output was more or less similar to that of CDPs. My own CDP DAC shunts out 3.4V (which is too much and needs to be attenuated) but it's a weird Italian (Lector) valved jobbie.
 
The neurochrome universal buffer is a -140db thd, balanced/se, two channel buffer with unity or fixable gain. It does exactly what you want, and probably does it with less noise than just about anything short of an instrumentation amp circuit.
 
This is odd as I would expect an active speaker to have around line level input and most DACs output far more
 
In such a case I might seek to modify the active speakers. They might have a passive attenuator on their input ...
 
More info from the OP on the nature of the problem needed really.

The opposite of an attenuator is an amplifier.

Purely on grounds of cost, a S/H cheap pre amp seems the VFM way to do it (cheapest possible old NAD or Hafler 110 or similar but may well need recapping and servicing etc)

A moments thought on cheapest most practical way of getting a permanent fixed amount of dB boost with no volume control or selector, new and not needing recapping, small, in an acceptable looking box complete with sockets etc etc would be to obtain a Cambridge Audio 640P and send it to me and I could configure it as exactly what the OP is looking for.

I have balancing transformers available which by using just half the winding on one side could give a 6dB boost but the impedances and drive capability of source then need taking into account plus they are just the actual transformers.... no casework or sockets etc, and by the time these are added then not so cheap.
 
Can’t the existing system be modified for gain without extensive alteration?

i.e are there no resistors setting the gain that could be swopped for something else?
 
eastone said:
Can’t the existing system be modified for gain without extensive alteration?

i.e are there no resistors setting the gain that could be swopped for something else?
Click to expand...
No. I am not an electrical engineer. I suspect I may be back to getting a balanced DAC and custom cable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top