Steever Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 (edited) A little while ago, I upgraded the analogue output side of my XA5ES cd player with Burson discrete op-amps. Now I'm thinking of running my Bewitch KT-88 valve integrated fed with the variable out from the cd player and zero attenuation via the amplifier's volume pot so that I have a remote control volume. The manual for the amp says I could do this but I'm wondering if there would be any issues you could think of that would arise from this? In the medium term, what about having the amp modded with a preamp bypass input? Yes, I'd love to get a dedicated poweramp but I'm trying to buy a house so am watching everything that is spent with alot of rationalisation. Thanks for your help guys. Edited September 5, 2012 by Winno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoHo Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 This should work fine, Winno. Try it for a while with the amp's pot at max and see if that gives you a nice range of volume using only the CD players volume control. Then you can mod the amp to simply bypass the volume pot or add some fixed attenuation if necessary. The only issue I can think of is if the CD's volume control is accidentally turned up or switched out - max noise!! Does the CD player have "fixed" outputs as well as variable? You would want to make sure to not use the fixed ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayou2 Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 That'll work fine and it won't harm anything, but I wouldn't personally wind the integrated up to MAX and then vary the volume via the CDP. Better to go to on the dial where you might listen at the loudest ... Wind it on about another 10% and then vary it with CDP from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoHo Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 That'll work fine and it won't harm anything, but I wouldn't personally wind the integrated up to MAX and then vary the volume via the CDP. Better to go to on the dial where you might listen at the loudest ... Wind it on about another 10% and then vary it with CDP from there. I understand where your coming from but ideally you don't want two volume pots in the circuit. It might seem scary to have an integrated amp wound up to max but think about a typical pre/power amp set-up. The power amp has no volume control (usually) and so is always at "max". You just make sure it's fed a suitable signal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayou2 Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Yes agreed but attenuators wound to MAX will add noise to the circuit, it's an inherent trait in all but the most SOTA ie: expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steever Posted September 11, 2012 Author Share Posted September 11, 2012 (edited) I'm sitting here right now listening to Kerri Noble on the system with the amp volume at zero attenuation (full volume) and I have no discernable hiss or noise at all in any of the quiet passages. Maybe I might hold off switching my amp for a power amp and just get it modded with a direct input on the back instead. Love this amp! I don't know if it's the Burson op-amp upgrade or not but dayam (!), music via the variable out packs some whollop and real drive, and the stage is huuuge, even through the Aurum Cantus stand mounts. And I only have to wind it up to about 10 o'clock on the cd player's motorised control and it's plenty loud. Edited September 11, 2012 by Winno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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