-14db HIFI Attenuators, Reduce Harshness & Fatigue

Its no different to using tone controls on your amp. There are many reasons as to why you could have fatiguing/harsh playback. Crossover distortion in amplifiers, Radio frequency and other interferences between components such as wide band amplifiers and certain cd players. Then there are just badly matched set ups, the list goes on. All you are doing with an in-line attenuator or tone controls is masking a problem, creating others in the process.

Plus I have'nt seen or used a 'HIFI attenuator'. The nearest thing I can compare it to is perhaps one of these graphic equalizers of yesteryear and you would'nt want to use one of those. - Attenuators are also used to match source component levels to amplifier. Some folks change crossover components to tweek sound characteristics of speakers/tweeters to suit preferences. If you audition/match your stuff properly you wont have to go through all that.

You have a variable one on your amplifier called a volume control. Nasty things.

If you have a source with excessive output that either distorts or makes the volume very high , ie. at the 9 o'clock position it's at full volume, it will cure it.

... but will do nothing if you're problem is elsewhere as mentioned before

oh dear, it looks like i am actually going to have to agree with keithzootpfart. i recently bought the very same attenuators you describe from ebay. prior to using them i had very little control of the volume at low levels and also some inbalance in the output between channels. even at just the 10 o'clock position the sound was very loud and at 9 o'clock it was ridiculously loud - especially for a 50 watt amp! the attenuators have solved this problem to a degree. i can turn the volume to 11 o'clock now before it becomes unbearably loud - maybe my speakers are just very sensitive? incidently, i have not noticed any adverse affect on sound quality and would have to disagree that the attenuators act in any way like tone controls - they reduce the source signal in its entirity.

also, when you use them make sure you plug them into the amp and not the source otherwise they dont seem to do anything!

Thought this would happen some agree some don't which leave me in the same boat as before. Wish i could post a thread that everybody agrees lol!!! Thanks anyway. Paul

Just to save my pride I did mention that attenuators are used to match source components to amplifiers. A treble/bass control is an attenuator as is the volume control (I missed that one, thanks keith). Any unneccessary component in line has an influence on an analogue signal hence source direct features or no tone controls at all. Sometimes, as in the case of source components with unusually high output levels or amplifiers with unusually high input sensitivity and with no way of adjusting it electronically, attenuators are used to prevent overload. I hope I got that right in the absence of an electronics degree.

I am now in my usual miserable mood again.

The Drummerman is just waffling so ignore him. There you are, a consensus. )

Why? Find the cause of your problem if you have one, you had enough pointers from us, and sort it accordingly.

I agree with Keith on this one, I have two Russ Andrews Silver Streaks in my system, one standard and one with -11db attenuation, as far as I can tell the only difference is that one allows me to turn the volume up higher on my amp than the other, problem with attenuation is that turning up the volume means it's hard to tell if there are any other differences.

I suppose the only way to tell would be to set two inputs at diiferent volumes with a sound level meter and compare, but I haven't got a sound level meter and can't be bothered to get one.

So do I and I'm happy for you. This conversation is like groundshog day

Now, where's my little rabbit hiding... ?