Tweaker's Asylum

Krell used 'em, back in the early days....

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Trevor Wilson

In Reply to: wirewound potentiometer? posted by W.T. on November 14, 1999 at 09:03:25:

...but listeners soon found that there were audible frequency anomalies, as the control was rotated.
Think about a wire wound pot. It consists of a coil of wire, wound around a former. Much like an inductor. The pot wiper forms a tap, which moves along this inductor, thus, depending upon the load impedance, the frequency response will vary, according to the volume pot wiper position.
Trevor

Rage Audio

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Re: Krell used 'em, back in the early days.... Dave Ingels 09:58:53 11/15/99 (1)
Much like a very small inductor Trevor, in the range of a few microhenries in single turn precision pots. The inductive reactance is inconsequential compared to the resistance in nearly all applications. A bigger problem is the one Rodney describes where the signal either has a DC component or a power pot is used which is not appropriate for this application. With a DC component though a plastic pot will suffer the same or worse consequences. I am not familiar with the early Krell product you refer to but it seems odd they would offer for sale a product if it had such an obvious flaw. But I don't know what type of pot they were using or how they were employing it in their design. I have successfully used Spectrol model 140 pots for years with none of the problems either you or Rodney describe.
Dave
- Re: Krell used 'em, back in the early days.... Trevor Wilson 12:32:00 11/15/99 (0)
  Certainly, if impedances are correctly matched, there is likely to be little effect from the (small) inductance figures available in wire wound pots.
  DC causing noise, is appropriate for ALL pot techologies. Carbon, plastic, or wire wound.
  I am unsure why you would imagine that Krell is immune from errors, in the design of their equipment. Their early power amps, used fans to blow air DOWN through the vents. This is clearly the incorrect method of cooling. Their early power amps also had rediculously long cable runs, for power, input and outputs. These could be shortened, quite easily, for a significant boost of performance.
  Trevor
  - Rage Audio

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