Rothwell RCA In-Line Attenuators
Here's the solution to a problem from which far too many audiophiles suffer - too much gain in the system. The symptoms are easy enough to spot - the volume is plenty loud enough with the volume control set to the 9 o'clock position, too loud with the volume control at 10 o'clock, and fine control at low levels is impossible.
The Rothwell In-Line Attenuators are the answer. These audiophile devices simply plug into any input sockets and reduce signal levels by 10dB. They can be used with integrated amps or pre/power amps, and are compatible with equipment over the entire price spectrum, from budget to extreme high end.
When used with integrated amps (simply plug them into any input sockets, then plug the source component into the atenuators) the volume control will be two or three "hours" further round its range than it was before, giving better conrol at low levels and operating well away from the end stops. When used with pre/power amps, there is an added benefit.
This may seem like nothing more than a minor irritation, but in truth the performance of the system is being compromised. Although potentiometers work reasonably well over most of their operating range, they are notoriously problematic at extreme settings. The most obvious problem is channel imbalance - one channel will fade out (or fade in) quicker than the other, causing the stereo image to shift to one side - but on a more subtle level, the music may sound veiled and indistinct with the volume control turned down to the point where it is nearly off. Some people have tried to cure the problem by fitting a more expensive volume control only to find that it doesn't do much good. That's because the volume control isn't really the problem.
Its the excess gain in the system which is the real problem. That in turn forces you always to use the volume control over a very limited portion of its travel. What's needed is a way to reduce overall system gain without compromising sound quality and without major modifications to the equipment itself.
Please note, the "For Source" option above is different to the standard option. The For Source attenuators have the input on the male end of the attenuator and the output on the female end and are intended to the used on the output sockets of CD players and pre-amps (as opposed to the input sockets of pre-amps and power amps, which is where the standard attenuators are used). This means the direction of the signal flow is opposite to our standard in-line attenuators and allows them to be used with equipment where space behind is restricted or the use of DIN connectors would make it otherwise impossible. Usually, though not always, this means Naim equipment.
