Attenuation dilema

PaulGreyhead

PaulGreyhead

PaulGreyhead

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I'm currently using Rothwell inline attenuators between my CD and amp (Musical Fidelity A5.5 and KW550). Cables are Kimber Select KS-1011. I've been told (and read) that the inline type are not too good and I should get my cable changed/adapted to built in attenuation.
Are inline worse than built in, or would I not notice a difference?
I do have an old pair of interconnects that have built in attenuators, so I could (carefully) remove the resistors from those and solder on to my main cables.
Is this worth doing?

(The Rothwell inline attenuators are -10dB and the fitted ones are -16dB).

Any advice would be gratefully received.
 
Should the question really be do attenuators make an improvement to the sound, or are they "snake oil" ? ..... Is the amp and CDP output so badly matched that an attenuator is required ?..... Is it just what RA suggest is needed, to peddle more of their over priced cables ? ;).
 
Thanks for the reply.
Without the attenuators I can only use the first quarter (ish) of the volume control. Although not strictly necessary the attenuators do help to give more control over the volume.
However, I've always believed that buying an expensive cable and then sticking resistors on the end of it would take away the advantage of an expensive cable! Surely the resistors will be detrimental to the sound?
I think I've probably been reading too much about these things and have convinced myself that they are worth it. After all, reviewers never mention that they use attenuation in their tests!
In fact, tomorrow I think I'll do some listening tests without the attenuators and see if there are any real differences in the sound quality, and also to see if I can live with the small volume range.
 
Good plan..... They seem to stem from the idea that an amp sounds better when set to higher volume settings.... yep they do... because it's louder !!! LOL.... believing the higher end of the dial sounds better than the lower has always puzzled me...... but then my amp doesn't use a pot, but stepped attenuator/ladder electronic control anyway.....;)

Just find a decent cable that works well within your system balance, would give the best results I would say.
 
9designs2 said:
Good plan..... They seem to stem from the idea that an amp sounds better when set to higher volume settings.... yep they do... because it's louder !!! LOL.... believing the higher end of the dial sounds better than the lower has always puzzled me...... but then my amp doesn't use a pot, but stepped attenuator/ladder electronic control anyway.....;)

Just find a decent cable that works well within your system balance, would give the best results I would say.
Click to expand...

Those Kimber cables are already $460!!! :eek:
 
I try to buy my interconnects 2nd hand. Saves a lot of money.
I tried the cables without the attenuators today and there is a difference in the sound. I think! I need to listen to more stuff in case it's just my imagination!
 
PaulGreyhead said:
I try to buy my interconnects 2nd hand. Saves a lot of money.
I tried the cables without the attenuators today and there is a difference in the sound. I think! I need to listen to more stuff in case it's just my imagination!
Click to expand...

The only way you can be sure is to get someone to take them on and off without you knowing which is which. Otherwise you're going to be biased.
 
I thought I would just post an update on my findings the last couple of days.
Yesterday I decided to have a quick play with the hi-fi. I ended up sitting there for almost three hours! This is the first time in months that I have actually enjoyed music from the system.
For weeks now I have been moving my speakers around (B&W 805S with 10" Bob Carver sub, which I can't for the life of me remember the name of!) trying to find a good position. The sound stage and focus was almost non existent. The sound was a little fatiguing and I was coming to the end of my tether with the whole system.
After removing the attenuators the other day I put on a couple of test discs and repositioned the speakers. The sound was different but I didn't have time to sit and have a good listen.
Yesterday I did, and I'm a happy bunny again (albeit an old one!). The focus is there, soundstage too, but the music just sounds much cleaner, with more space and air. The bass lines are now clean and distinct, the treble is not harsh any more.
I've been using attenuators since the beginning of the year and actually sold all of my Cyrus kit thinking it was just not good enough quality. It never dawned on me that it could be the attenuators (if indeed it was them, but I'm pretty sure it was).
It seems that they may have been 'clouding' the signal slightly.
Anyway whatever the cause, my system now sounds really nice!

I have a pair of attenuators for sale if anyone wants them :)
 
By their very nature, an attenuator is going to result in a loss of information (i.e. quality) is it not?
 
I wouldn't expect an attenuator, especially a fixed resistor based one, to have any percievable effect on the sound (or for that matter, measureable, bar of course the attenuation!).

Modern metal film construction resistors, if appropriate values are selected so as not to be of great detriment to the impedance ratios or induce excessive voltage noise, are essentially "transparent".

Bear in mind also that the amplifier will have a great deal more resistors than the 2 needed for attenuation! Just the input stage will take the signal through a similar network only without much intentional attenuation and then there's feedback paths etc too.

A rotary pot volume control can have better stereo matching near the middle of it's range though. In fact the matching is often, by most standards, extremenly poor at low settings. Differences of several dB are not uncommon in even specially designated high quality units!
 
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