I was hunting around in the garage last night and came across an old t-amp I put together many moons ago and it has a TKD pot attached, I bought it quite a while ago and don't recall where from. Are these any good? It's 50k so I figured it'd probably be ok for either the SS I'm about to start or maybe even the Dyna. I can't find too much info on it and nobody mentions them.

looks the same as this which is listed as a Ko-on. Anyone familiar with these?

Yep. They are my favorite of what I have tried. I have one that will be going into the Dynahi I am building currently. TKD stands for TOKYO KO-KON DENPA. I have a datasheet on these if you want it.

Sweet!

I know it wasn't overly cheap at the time and it does have a very nice feel but as nobody uses them i was wondering if it was crappy. Glad it's not. So do you think it would be better saving this for my Dyna and getting a cheap alps for the SS?

Those are the best going atm for that range, assuming the rk40 doesn't magically appear in bulk somehow. I have the audio taper versions from PcX (2cp 2508, iirc), but they really have grown on me. The P65 is really intriguing, but...

i just looked up the retail prices for these...

I didn't realize how much I must have spent at the time. Best garage treasure hunt evar!

Yep. They are my favorite of what I have tried. I have one that will be going into the Dynahi I am building currently. TKD stands for TOKYO KO-KON DENPA. I have a datasheet on these if you want it. These really are crap. You should send it to me for proper burial. I might consider paying shipping...

FTFM

I have a TKD stepped attenuator mounted in my tube integrated. For its size no other stepped would fit. A very good upgrade from Alps. I don't know how their potentiometers are, but if it has the same quality, I'd keep it for the Dyna

My experience with these were not so positively -- I tried three brand new TKD CP2511s and all exhibited some noise in the lower ranges. Cleaning the wiper and conductive plastic didn't help.

Maybe I had a bad batch

I don't recall this one having any noise problems, though it hasn't been used for a few years

My experience with these were not so positively -- I tried three brand new TKD CP2511s and all exhibited some noise in the lower ranges. Cleaning the wiper and conductive plastic didn't help.

Maybe I had a bad batch

I had something like that, but think it was the 6n1p tubes that were the culprit - but, whatever it was, it all cleared out at ~150 hours of burnin (yeah, I'm skeptical also), and have been flawless ever since. Damn sure better than any rk27 I've ever used.

There is an oddity about mine, though, and it still pisses me off, but, for another time...

Got mine TKD 100K pot few days ago from Parts Connexion ($61.95). It's very smooth and dead silent in my tube amp.

I had a 50k TKD pot in a 2-channel B22. I thought it was the best potentiometer I've used, hands down.

I need to pick up another pot, and I'm probably going to get a TKD. Has anyone ever compared them to an Alps RK40?

just curious - anybody ever compared a shunted RK27 to one of these TKD's?

I don't want to start a (potentially heated) shunt debate here so a simple y/n will do ..dB

yes

lol

Hahaha, you asked for that Don

too true - and it tells me all as the tkd is still favoured ..dB

well, one of the better attenuators I've heard was the TKD stepper with S102 shunt, championed by non other than Bob Crump.

Interesting. I don't think I've ever seen the TKD stepper for sale anywhere.

-edit- nm, I think Percy has it.

well, one of the better attenuators I've heard was the TKD stepper with S102 shunt, championed by non other than Bob Crump.

Was it a true stepper or just a detented pot like some RK40s?

Was it a true stepper or just a detented pot like some RK40s?

It was a true stepper, probably one of the best steppers out there. 40 steps. Sells for about $260 for a stereo unit these days.

Percy Audio is the only place I know of that sells these. I've never used one.

http://www.tkd-corp.com/02_products/pdf/p04_p65cs250.pdf

TKD P65 gives me serious wood. It is rk50 class, at half the price.

Waiting for a complete Spritzer freakout...