Passive Aggressive - a passive volume control with dynamics!
Please see my preamplification page for my opinions on active versus passive preamps... essentially, if you have a strong front end, you have to try a passive... I have many customers who have been *stunned* at the increase in resolution, life, and dynamics... I'll gladly send you my loaner for evaluation...
This passive uses my favorite volume control.. the same unit in my very best line stages... it is an 80% nickel cored autoformer (transformer with shared primary and secondary).. I have tried them all.. as a small manufacturer, that is my job... try them all in search of the best... this unit easily bested units from Stevens and Billington (Music First), Sowter, DIY HiFi amorphous, vintage Daven "T" attenuators, and of course all the "special" resistor stepped attenuators.. I even tried a 1:1 transformer with an attenuator on the secondary... this unit from Intact Audio was the clear winner...
I am also proud of this circuit as it allows for balance as well as volume without any additional signal path parts... master volume is in 3dB steps and trimmers can adjust in 1dB steps.. the balance is especially helpful with those warm glowing bottles that we all love....
A word about nickel cores... they were designed to be very sensitive at low level... this high nickel (80%, or Permalloy) has continually amazed me with its ability to retrieve details out of a black background... I now use nickel in nearly all my low level applications...
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Passive Aggressive
High nickel autoformer based volume control
balance control in 1dB steps
remote available
quantity of inputs/outputs per request - unit pictured has two/two
most hardwoods available - units depicted are walnut, dyed maple, and mahogany
internal wiring is cryo'd silver core with teflon jacket
input and output jacks by vampire
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some pictures of a custom unit to complement a Yamamoto amplifier... modern lines... but vintage respect...
