New, Cheap Dynalo...

[n_maher]

I would not use a stepped attenuator unless you can find one with more than 24 steps. I'd also get rid of the locking 1/4 jack while you're at it.

[Maniac]

I would not use a stepped attenuator unless you can find one with more than 24 steps. I'd also get rid of the locking 1/4 jack while you're at it.

Unfortunately the locking jack is designed into the case, and there just isn't any easy way of replacing it with a regular jack. But I will definitely consider getting rid of it once we have gone through the current batch of cases. As for the upped version, the no-name locking jack will be replaced with a Neutrik locking jack that have silver plated contacts.

As for the stepper, I understand your concern, but the one I'll be using (I'm using it right now on test rigs) does seem to have struck a nice balance between range and step size. As well, for the high end version, the gain of the unit can be specified by the user from anywhere between 1 to 11x. It won't be the exact number that the user requested, but it will be quite close.

Thanks

David

[MomijiTMO]

Hmm locking jacks are annoying. Stepped attenuators will attract more sales as Audio-GD has shown with their C-2C - put it as an upgrade and most folks will buy it.

[Salt Peanuts]

x3 on not liking a locking jack. As for steppers, I've never really liked them - always had issues finding just the right volume, often needing to settle for volume that was bit too loud or bit too soft. Only steppers I liked were the 41-step ones I had on my Gilmore Reference.

[cetoole]

x3 on not liking a locking jack. As for steppers, I've never really liked them - always had issues finding just the right volume, often needing to settle for volume that was bit too loud or bit too soft. Only steppers I liked were the 41-step ones I had on my Gilmore Reference.

I totally agree with all of this. I hate locking jacks, and at least the 23 step steppers I never have had good luck finding the right volume.

[atothex]

The locking jacks remind me of the BCS. I literally don't know anyone who likes either, yet they still exist. Why?

[PFKMan23]

The locking jacks remind me of the BCS. I literally don't know anyone who likes either, yet they still exist. Why?

Actually the BCS makes some sense (lots of money for ESPN and the major conferences), the locking jacks not so much.

[atothex]

Actually the BCS makes some sense (lots of money for ESPN and the major conferences)

OK fine, it makes sense. I still hate it.

[Maniac]

Hummm, I'm thinking, what about modifying the locking socket so that it does not require as much effort to insert and remove plugs? I guess I can tamper with the locking spring in there to make it submit somehow.

[Fitz]

Or just disable the locking mechanism entirely.

[Currawong]

Hmm locking jacks are annoying. Stepped attenuators will attract more sales as Audio-GD has shown with their C-2C - put it as an upgrade and most folks will buy it.

The stepped attenuator pissed a lot of people off on the C2C actually, because they didn't realise that they can be a bit noisy when changing the volume. I don't think they are worth it for the tiny improvement they make at that price range.

[Maniac]

The stepped attenuator pissed a lot of people off on the C2C actually, because they didn't realise that they can be a bit noisy when changing the volume. I don't think they are worth it for the tiny improvement they make at that price range.

I actually have experience with the exact same stepper in C2C, about 5~6 years ago. It used to be all the rage here in Taiwan, with cheap kits that allow you to build it yourself, and yes I did build a couple of it, and no, I hated the thing. However, since I'm also selling similar products, I felt it is best if I keep it to myself, or else people would likely assuming that I'm slinging mud with baseless claim to attack a competitor.

The ladder type circuit often used will produce also a "boom" when you change volume, and if you change the volume often, it WILL die rather quickly due to the spring losing tension. (People have reported that their stepper dies in about 8 ~ 10 month)

Why they hell am I thinking about dropping a stepper volume control in our HA-006? Well, it is because I've found another different design that is closely based on Pot type technology than switch type technology. For example, instead of a real spring loaded switch contact that compress and relaxes as it go in and out of contacts, our stepper uses a wiper assembly with constant pressure just like what you see in pots, and the tactile feedback is done with additional mechanism instead of using the contact to create the stepped feedback to your hand.

Without a switch contact that tighten and loosen when you turn it through the steps, it will not lose tension in such a short time. Also, the circuit is based on 1% precision SMD resistors in series, it will NOT produce a loud boom when you change volume, it will create a very small audible artifacts when going between steps as you turn. However, those audible artifacts is not harsh or loud, and one gets used to it rather quickly. (It's like a soft mid freq pop that is mixed into the music, you might not even notice it if you aren't looking for it.)

[episiarch]

That sounds like a pretty nice stepper. But if it's all SMD, then does it really need to be limited to such a modest number of steps? I realize that more steps would make it more costly, of course, but in terms of physical dimensions can one with more steps be fit into the present case?

[n_maher]

Hummm, I'm thinking, what about modifying the locking socket so that it does not require as much effort to insert and remove plugs? I guess I can tamper with the locking spring in there to make it submit somehow.

Or just disable the locking mechanism entirely.

^^ This - it is simple to remove the entire locking mech, flip the jack 180 degress so the empty recess faces down and you're done.

[Maniac]

That sounds like a pretty nice stepper. But if it's all SMD, then does it really need to be limited to such a modest number of steps? I realize that more steps would make it more costly, of course, but in terms of physical dimensions can one with more steps be fit into the present case?

The supplier indicated that more steps can be done, but that's how he made it from the start, so I'm sticking to what he have on hand. If all goes well, I think in a couple of years it might be feasible to ask the supplier to OEM a stepper with more steps. For now I'll just see if people like this stepper as much as I do.

[Maniac]

^^ This - it is simple to remove the entire locking mech, flip the jack 180 degress so the empty recess faces down and you're done.

I'll see if I can keep the latch in place and disable the mechanism somehow, if I remember correctly, the latch locks the plug in place with a lobe on the plastic shaft. If it is as I have remembered, it could be as easy as taking the locking latch off and snip off the lobe on its shaft and stick it all back together. The locking latch will feel exactly the same as before, with the over-stiff spring feel and all, but won't do anything for locking the plug in.

[manaox2]

The supplier indicated that more steps can be done, but that's how he made it from the start, so I'm sticking to what he have on hand. If all goes well, I think in a couple of years it might be feasible to ask the supplier to OEM a stepper with more steps. For now I'll just see if people like this stepper as much as I do.

You could add a switch connected with a resistor to add an extra range of gain, though I can see how that might be confusing on a commercial product.

[Maniac]

For modifying gain, I guess that can be done with a switch, but it would not be ideal if you have to pull a wire to get it to a switch somewhere. Because this would mean that you got two great big antenna in your feedback loop. I'll see if there's other possible way to do it in the future tho. However, the stepper basically means that the first quarter of the pot is just as good as the rest of the pot (not to mention the stepper sounds way better even when compared to the pot in its "good" range), thus it would not making gain switching as critical as with regular pot. Which is what I'm hoping that people who don't need as much gain would feel this change is going to be useful to them.

[Dusty Chalk]

I'll see if I can keep the latch in place and disable the mechanism somehow, if I remember correctly, the latch locks the plug in place with a lobe on the plastic shaft. If it is as I have remembered, it could be as easy as taking the locking latch off and snip off the lobe on its shaft and stick it all back together. The locking latch will feel exactly the same as before, with the over-stiff spring feel and all, but won't do anything for locking the plug in.

That sounds right. You might even be able to -- instead of completely snipping off the lobe -- just cutting the 90 degree side down to 45, so that it slips both on the way in and on the way out. Give people a sense of (its) purpose.

(leaves room for KY Jelly/vaseline joke)

[mypasswordis]

Lube doesn't make snipping lobes off shafts any less painful.

[LarsMarkelson]

Had a good experience ordering a HA-006+ Plus Edition from acoustic-fun.com. Total shipped was $325 from Taiwan to Seattle, ordered on Tuesday Feb 9 and received on Saturday Feb 13!

It definitely makes my HF-2 and K702 sound better. This is my first really good headphone amp, previous to this I was using a Claro Halo soundcard that had a headphone amp built-in. Since I'm a noob I can't report much else, other than my headphones sound better and I'm happy with my purchase. Source is computer using RCA outputs on Claro Halo soundcard.

[Currawong]

I actually have experience with the exact same stepper in C2C, about 5~6 years ago. It used to be all the rage here in Taiwan, with cheap kits that allow you to build it yourself, and yes I did build a couple of it, and no, I hated the thing. However, since I'm also selling similar products, I felt it is best if I keep it to myself, or else people would likely assuming that I'm slinging mud with baseless claim to attack a competitor.

The ladder type circuit often used will produce also a "boom" when you change volume, and if you change the volume often, it WILL die rather quickly due to the spring losing tension. (People have reported that their stepper dies in about 8 ~ 10 month)

Why they hell am I thinking about dropping a stepper volume control in our HA-006? Well, it is because I've found another different design that is closely based on Pot type technology than switch type technology. For example, instead of a real spring loaded switch contact that compress and relaxes as it go in and out of contacts, our stepper uses a wiper assembly with constant pressure just like what you see in pots, and the tactile feedback is done with additional mechanism instead of using the contact to create the stepped feedback to your hand.

Without a switch contact that tighten and loosen when you turn it through the steps, it will not lose tension in such a short time. Also, the circuit is based on 1% precision SMD resistors in series, it will NOT produce a loud boom when you change volume, it will create a very small audible artifacts when going between steps as you turn. However, those audible artifacts is not harsh or loud, and one gets used to it rather quickly. (It's like a soft mid freq pop that is mixed into the music, you might not even notice it if you aren't looking for it.)

What you describe reminds me of the Goldpoint, which IIRC is somewhat as you describe. When I had one, it took a bit of use to settle down. Fair call on your comments on those attenuators though -- if they are crap they are crap and making a mistake deciding to use them is just that.

[Maniac]

What you describe reminds me of the Goldpoint, which IIRC is somewhat as you describe. When I had one, it took a bit of use to settle down. Fair call on your comments on those attenuators though -- if they are crap they are crap and making a mistake deciding to use them is just that.

Well, when I first used the stepped attenuator a while back, it did bring a marked improvement in sound, and I thought I'd get used to the booms and large step size. (Which is what most people think they will do when they first got their stepped attenuator.) Well, I ended up taking the stepper off my headphone amp and got myself a nice cosmos (the same one used in KECES HA-171) pot instead. What I'm trying to say is that it would not be easy to determine if that stepper will be easy for user to get used to until quite a few had a chance to use one or more for a while. Tho from what I can see with my current one, it is pretty promising.

[deepak]

Steppers in 2 db increments work fine for me. I have heard an inductive AVC that has steps spaced at 3 db and even that was ok (different application though in a speaker rig).

[Maniac]

Well, here's a bit of a teaser for you all on some the HA-006++'s upgraded parts.

Click photo for a slightly larger photo...

Here's the new RCA socket, custom ordered caps, and 21 stepped pots... There'll be more parts coming too, some will stand out rather clearly when you compare two version's photo, while some are quite stealthy... (like resistors... virtually all resistor are upgraded to higher spec ones, but it's really difficult to tell them apart if you are just looking... )

Estimated price for HA-006++ should be around $450USD plus shipping.

Enjoy.