“Nothing I’ve heard or tested has equaled the transparency and dynamics of sound from a correctly implemented series/ shunt LDR arrangement, as used in the Lightspeed Attenuator”
George Stantscheff
My name is Scott Campbell and over the last 30+ years as an avid audiophile I’ve tested and listened to just about every conceivable passive potentiometer (volume control) including Bournes, Alps Blue Velvet, Alps Black Beauty, Penny and Giles, Dact Switched resistors, and transformer (TVC) based volume control.
I’ve also owned and reviewed some of the most famous and expensive valve, solid state and hybrid preamplifiers available.
In my opinion, the Lightspeed Attenuator has bested them all in every listening test I could devise.
The Lightspeed Attenuator was born in the beautiful seaside suburb of Manly, Australia, in about 2014. Since then, it’s been enthusiastically accepted by Audiophiles worldwide.
See links below to Sam Telligs review and others. In fact The Lightspeed Attenuator has made it in nearly every Stereophile Recommended Components list since it’s launch in 2014.
Stereophile Reviewer Sam Tellig (Stereophile Review Sam’s Place Feb 2014) enjoyed it so much he bought one for himself, as well as another for his Son ! The DIY Audio community has been equally taken with the Lightspeed. With forums such as Audiogon and DIYAudio boasting discussion threads in excess of 500 pages and over 500,000 posts !
The secret of George’s design is, I believe, having no contacts at all in the signal path. In my opinion, the only possible thing better than a Lightspeed Attenuator would be to have no volume control device at all and to drive your amplification directly from your sound source.
The potential problem with this is that the control of the volume may be too sensitive, causing high volume when adjusted, or not sensitive enough – meaning large adjustments before any sound is heard. Or, your source may not even have a volume control!
The Lightspeed Attenuator is affordably priced and includes shipping worldwide.
$650.00
Application
In order to achieve a good match with the Lightspeed Attenuator, your source (ie CD Player, Streaming Device, DAC etc) must have enough output (measured in ohms) and your amplifier must be sensitive enough to receive that output (again measured in Ohms for this purpose)
Therefore, the only stipulations for successfully using the Lightspeed Attenuator to improve your sound quality, is for the Source to have an Output Impedance of less than 1k Ohm and for your amplifier to have an Input Impedance of greater than 33k Ohm
Interconnects between The Lightspeed Attenuator should be kept short if possible and preferably low impedance (less than 100pf per foot). If you must use longer interconnects, keeping them under this measurement will help to ensure you get the best from your components.
Changing your old preamplifier for a Lightspeed Attenuator offers the benefit of removing all the connections, wiring, relays, op-amps, plugs, potential distortions with AC noise etc from the critical signal path between the source and your amplifier.
Thereby allowing you to hear the absolute truth of your source for the first time!
Specifications
At a glance and without delving too deeply into the technical aspects
The basic LDR (Light Dependent Resistor) works in the Lightspeed Attenuator by mimicking a 10k ohm series shunt logarithmic potentiometer.
In the Lightspeed Attenuator, the signal goes through nothing but one single soldered resistor! Not one sound robbing, light contact metal wiper on a resistive track in a volume control (potentiometers) to get in the way of your pristine signal!
This preserves the absolute character and performance of your source, allowing it to operate within it’s most effective and efficient range.
This also means that your amplifier receives the exact level and quality of signal that it needs to operate at it’s very best.
Dynamic range, transparency, linearity and signal amplitude are maintained from the source all the way through to the input of your amplifier.
The Lightspeed Attenuator is affordably priced and includes shipping worldwide.
$650.00
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