Has anyone just turned this amp to max and then do all the volume adjustments through their Dac’s pre out? or a passive volume control in the chain?
Max no, but I do have a passive pre in front of it, even with that at 1/2 I usually run it at about 10’0Clock.
I had no issues with the volume even without the pre.
The pre is only there because it let’s me control volume remotely for a number of amps.
In my experience, it seemed to be random. My first LP from a few weeks ago (#xxx900396) had a huge volume jump from 10:30-11 o’clock. Furthermore, there was channel imbalance below 10:30, so the volume pot was just trash. I sent it back explaining the issues with the volume pot in that unit. The replacement unit (early 400’s) still has that gain jump between 10:30-11 o’lock but it is considerably less than the first unit and the channel imbalance is no more. I’m definitely keeping the second unit.
In the meantime, I also obtained a balanced passive pre to control the LP’s volume (if need be, not so with the replacement unit) and a few power amps that drive my HE-6.
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That sounds like my unit. It had a channel imbalance during the tube burn in period, but since I detect no imbalance at all.
After 150hrs of burning in my previous LP with the stock tubes, the channel imbalance still persisted, so it was an easy decision for me to send it back. The replacement LP has a better volume pot overall than the earlier LP from the get-go. Luck of the draw to which shabby volume pot is picked out from the parts bin I suppose, some being shabbier than the others, as the QC isn’t up to snuff for this particular part.
Cheap pots are just a total crap shoot, it’s what you get when building to a price I guess.
Bought mine used off ebay. Kinda making me feel like a dodged a bullet there with the potential for issues it seems.
Given the MSRP of the LP, you’d think that they’d stick a better pot in there. Even the Schiit guys stick a 4-gang Alps Blue Velvet in their $199 Magnius.
And you can tell the budget went more towards the pot than the sound of the amp lol. But it is a really nice volume pot for an amp at the price point
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Heh, you got me there 
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The asgard 3 pot is pretty nice so there’s that lol, there is an example that a solid volume pot in a solid amp can exist for the budget range, step it up monoprice, also please add a gain switch
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Schiit should get credit for the pots in all their amps, I believe they use Alps pots in everything.
The smaller form factor ones occasionally have issues, but the form factor means they have to use a 12 or 16mm pot and even though I believe Schiit custom orders them from Alps those are generally not great.
Using a cheap pot is an easy place to save $30 in a balanced amp.
But I agree it’s unfortunate Monoprice chose to cut corners on the pot.
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I was going to mention that, the pots in the magni are only alright imo, but their more full size pots are pretty good
I believe JDS Labs does the same thing with their Atom (ordering the smaller form factor pots from Alps). The guys at JDS Labs even mentioned that they complained to Alps about channel imbalance issues with their small pots and saying that it was not good enough. Even Alps can screw up. However, their larger form factor pots are generally well-regarded.
Now I want to see if there can be a point where we can have stepped attenuators in a more budget amp lol (or digitally controlled analog volume would be nice too since that would also prob avoid channel imbalance issues)
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I’ve fallen in love with relay stepped attenuation, the trickytritritrickytrickettytrick is fantastic, may be an accuired taste for some, but I love it.
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Relay based pots might actually end up being cheaper than high quality mechanical stepped attenuators.
I mean, it would not break the bank (20 to 100 bucks price increase), questions if if the design can make room for one.
Let’s say we have a $120 amp and put a $25 attenuator in it. That is a selling point and feature right there. Possibly a first in the sub-$200 market.
Edit: Or you get a digital version, no idea how to design controll logic for that. Should not be hard though.
Scratch this, only ones I could find that are less than $80 don’t handle frequencies below 10MHz
Any resident DIY amplifier designer that can tell me if this would work?
Same, much prefer over regular pots as long as I have enough range
That sounds like breaking the bank in a budget amp lol, but in a midrange design entirely reasonable (like the plat)