The New Remote Volume Control is the result of 18 months of design work for achieving a remote/stepped attenuator. Their goal, according to chief designer Kara Chaffee, was “to equal the Goldpoint mechanical attenuator -- just automate it -- so the design parameters were to keep the simple "shunt" style attenuator circuit, and also keep the design using discrete old-fashioned resistors.  The shunt styled circuit has the advantage of a single series resistor --hardwired into the audio circuit, and all you do is to vary the "shunting" resistor that goes to ground. Most common stepped attenuators are series wired, such that many resistors are in the audio path at the same time.

So we decided to create a shunt system that was remote-able without compromising the sound. Now, I did not expect this new design to beat the manual attenuator -- since it is really the same critter, just done with relays - -my only explanation is that perhaps our relays with the silver contacts overlaid with gold, are the answer?  One interesting footnote is that the life rating on the relays is 100,000,000 operations, where few mechanical switches are rated beyond 50,000 operations.”

Stepped Attenuator Assembled and Tested WITHOUT remote control... now $395.00

With Remote Control... now $495.00