Passive Linestage Exploration

[egidius]

Is that reviewed in the latest Stereophile?

..I suspect this to be different. This would be the correct link: www.audio-consulting.ch

And, yes, it is made in highprice Switzerland; but then again, the transformer knowledge they have gained is unrivalled. There are severyl versions of it, mine is the simple one reviewed (actually still reasonably priced), but recently they started going for the superdemanding tastes: http://www.audio-consulting.ch/?Products:Preamlifier:Silver_Rock_"Meteor"_AVC

 

[Andre Marc]

Is that reviewed in the latest Stereophile?

..I suspect this to be different. This would be the correct link: www.audio-consulting.ch

And, yes, it is made in highprice Switzerland; but then again, the transformer knowledge they have gained is unrivalled. There are severyl versions of it, mine is the simple one reviewed (actually still reasonably priced), but recently they started going for the superdemanding tastes: http://www.audio-consulting.ch/?Products:Preamlifier:Silver_Rock_"Meteor"_AVC

Well, TVC solutions done correctly are very expensive to build. Music First's flagship is $8000 and they OWN a transformer company.

Without that that advantage the unit would be priced at significantly higher.

 

[Andre Marc]

Is that reviewed in the latest Stereophile?

To the best of my knowledge, Sam Telling did the Prometheus passive. He has also written about the
Music First Baby Ref, and the George HiFi Lightspeed.

 

[flez007]

I have had quite a few of passives (Axiom, First Sound, Sonic Euphoria, Melos), and would like to read about your outcome.

 

[egidius]

own your own transformer

Well, TVC solutions done correctly are very expensive to build. Music First's flagship is $8000 and they OWN a transformer company.

Without that that advantage the unit would be priced at significantly higher.

..Well just to drive that point home: The Audio Consulting transformers have reputedly been made by AC themselfs for many years according to whatever highest specs. Have you had contact with them?

 

[Bill Hart]

Where does something like the Lightspeed Attenuator fit into the scheme? It has a following among the DIY crowd and in ready-built form on Audiogon....

 

[Andre Marc]

Where does something like the Lightspeed Attenuator fit into the scheme? It has a following among the DIY crowd and in ready-built form on Audiogon....

Very good question. It has been high on my list to consider but unfortunately it is made to order by one gentleman in Australia I believe. So getting one
for review is generally impossible. Similar situation with the Malaysian made Prometheus.

 

[Andre Marc]

..Well just to drive that point home: The Audio Consulting transformers have reputedly been made by AC themselfs for many years according to whatever highest specs. Have you had contact with them?

No I have not. Do you know if they have a US importer or any dealers? I will look into it.

 

[egidius]

us dealer audio consulting

No I have not. Do you know if they have a US importer or any dealers? I will look into it.

I am not sure, if this is going a bit far , solliciting an adress, but here it is (taken from the ac website):

USA

Algorythme / Audio-Consulting USA
Konstantin Gregg-Saad

The brand new address for Audio Consulting ready for use equipment.
Two speaker systems ready for demonstration in a 100 square metre room.
Analogue and digital front ends.
E-Mail: algosa9@gmail.com
website: www.algorythme-usa.com/

AC_USA

..my reason for doing so: I am a happy owner of the silver rock, and would actually be interested, how it fares in comparison to cheaper, or indeed more expensive units. So, yes, do contact them.

 

[garylkoh]

Where does something like the Lightspeed Attenuator fit into the scheme? It has a following among the DIY crowd and in ready-built form on Audiogon....

That has QUITE the following. Even the DartZeel is supposed to use something similar IRC.

 

[Andre Marc]

I am not sure, if this is going a bit far , solliciting an adress, but here it is (taken from the ac website):

USA

Algorythme / Audio-Consulting USA
Konstantin Gregg-Saad

The brand new address for Audio Consulting ready for use equipment.
Two speaker systems ready for demonstration in a 100 square metre room.
Analogue and digital front ends.
E-Mail: algosa9@gmail.com
website: www.algorythme-usa.com/

AC_USA

..my reason for doing so: I am a happy owner of the silver rock, and would actually be interested, how it fares in comparison to cheaper, or indeed more expensive units. So, yes, do contact them.

Thanks a bunch! I will contact them. I am just wondering if these are super low volume built to order, in which case a review sample may understandably be tough to come by.

 

[Bill Hart]

That has QUITE the following. Even the DartZeel is supposed to use something similar IRC.

Yep, i raised it partly for that reason, and partly because i didn't think it fit neatly within the two categories Andre had mentioned. It's an optical switch, right?

 

[Andre Marc]

Yep, i raised it partly for that reason, and partly because i didn't think it fit neatly within the two categories Andre had mentioned. It's an optical switch, right?

I believe you are correct about an optical switch. Sam Telling has written it up on several occasions with very positive findings.

 

[Saturntube]

I have tried Transformer and Resistor loaded volume controls, my favorite are resistor loaded shunt type: there are a few different types, the shunt type uses less resitors on the signal path. Check out the Goldpoint web page they had a nice description of the different volume controls they handle, maybe it is still there!

What about Placette Audio?

Good luck, very nice idea!

Even if someone likes active preamps better, with gain or no gain: the volume control Always makes a difference!

 

[Saturntube]

The Lightspeed and also the Lighter note (TX) are based on a light depending resistor, so they put a higher or lower light on the switch and the value:volume goes higher or lower, the main benefit is that the conection is only one, as oposed to having a mutliple switch which conects the diferent resistors or fields in a transformer-autoformer: It seems this is the biggest problem in a volume control...
My friends at Omega Mikro with their wonderful extreme view have now decided to use a passive control with just one volume! Yes just one resitor so no volume fidling, if you want to change the volume you change an RCA plug with a different resistor! This should be best!

 

[mep]

The Lightspeed and also the Lighter note (TX) are based on a light depending resistor, so they put a higher or lower light on the switch and the value:volume goes higher or lower, the main benefit is that the conection is only one, as oposed to having a mutliple switch which conects the diferent resistors or fields in a transformer-autoformer: It seems this is the biggest problem in a volume control...
My friends at Omega Mikro with their wonderful extreme view have now decided to use a passive control with just one volume! Yes just one resitor so no volume fidling, if you want to change the volume you change an RCA plug with a different resistor! This should be best!

Seriously??

 

[Saturntube]

Tell me, and think a while about it, if you had only one source: BIG IF: could you live with just one volume?

While I dont have this, yet, I have been putting attention to my listening habits: when I play full records, and then change the side, and then play another similar record, I rarely have to change the volume...dont even touch the knob. If the volume is a little bit higher after a while our brain does the adapting.... kinda like when you go to a rock concert!

When I want to impress my friends... well that is different!

 

[mep]

I don't have just one source nor only one volume level I prefer all the time. While I do believe that every recording has a "correct" volume it should be played back at, that volume changes with every different recording (and resistor in your case).

 

[Saturntube]

every recording has a "correct" volume

I absolutely agree, but sometimes this volume depends really on the size of your room...

Most recordings have a similar volume, there are exeptions, mainly from certain labels that change the output volume of their offer, but in general you could change a record and live with the volume it is already there, and if you listen to the complete record, then you get used to the volume, more if it is sounding phenomenal! Now if you are skipping music and playing only the hits or only your reference recordings from 4 or 5 different records, well.

Now you could have a plug for Vinyl, another for Digital and another for RTR, or maybe a couple for each....

I was also impressed with the idea, I had to call and see if what I read was correct... then I started this investigation on my listening habits and found out the idea is not all that out of space!

I would be very interested in your experience or others about this....

 

[mep]

Each of my R2R tapes has vastly different listening levels. Some tapes are recorded very hot, and some tapes are not. And some tapes are in between. Having to change resistors for every different source would be a nightmare for me. The bottom line is that passive line stages aren't for everyone. Throw in a passive line stage that only has one level of output changeable by a resistor soldered into a RCA plug , and now you have sliced the audiophile market to a ridiculously small sliver.