That and where are the data demonstrating that there's a problem with conventional solutions which has eluded everyone else and needs fixing with something that's "harder to make" and more expensive.
An LDR could be viewed as a step up over a simple ALPS pot that's for sure.
In what way? I grabbed an old, well-used ALPS pot out of my junkbox and ran a distortion spectrum. There's no shielding, it's a high value pot (100k), and it's all done with clip leads, so there's a bit of noise pickup at -120 dB, but that's pretty much it. Harmonics are at the residual level of the APx525 I use. I'm just not seeing a problem here.
SIY, appreciate your test measurements! That's what we are all about here.
Well, if I'm going to assert things, I like to have evidence.
If tracking is the main concern, yes indeed, a stepped attenuator is better. As a practical matter, I never had a noticeable issue when I still changed volume with a knob. Of course, digital attenuation is still king...
Of course it does. Of course.
And I'm sure you have controlled listening data to back up your assertion since you're selling this stuff, right?
It would be good to wait but not everyone can.I have a PGA2311 digital pot, as like you I needed to know where they fit in with regard to sound quality, and I am just
relaying my own experience with them. Lets await to see how my product measures- you can then look back at some
of these comments in a few months, to see if I was right or wrong.
Lets await to see how my product measures- you can then look back at some
of these comments in a few months, to see if I was right or wrong.
I have a PGA2311 digital pot, as like you I needed to know where they fit in with regard to sound quality, and I am just
relaying my own experience with them. Lets await to see how my product measures- you can then look back at some
of these comments in a few months, to see if I was right or wrong.
This is a science forum. Opinions are not evidence.
True. The Alps "Blue Velvet" (RK271-series) offers 3 dB channel tracking to -60 dB and 5 dB tracking below -60 dB attenuation. That said, all of the Alps pots I've measured have offered very tight channel matching except for where the resistance taper changes. So you get tight matching for 99.9% of the pot rotation, but will have 2-3 spots of maybe 1º of pot rotation each where the matching is worse. I've never had an issue with this in practice. You can see Amir's measurements of various headphone amps, including my HP-1, for examples of the channel mismatch that occurs in practice.Hi, thinking of a stereo pot here, channel balance across the range will not be very good on an ALPS pot, even the so called "audiophile" ones [...]
That's a digital attenuator, but that aside. I agree that the PGA2311 is not fantastic. It has higher noise than I like and also higher distortion. You can find the numbers in the data sheet. There are other options, however. CS has a nice one... It's still tough to beat an actual volume pot, though.I have a PGA2311 digital pot [...]