2. amps-preamps
  3. 149842-121

help........

just purchased a conrad Johnson classic, with the m8080 tubes.  man this thing is loud.  I barely have it on 2 and can barely handle the loudness.  what can I do.  assoc equipment McCormack dna 500, oppo 203, alon IV, acc zen.  is there another tube I can use to bring the volume down some... let me know, thanks.  maybe the impedence is not right for these tow.
kennesawjet
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dover
2,249 posts
 
@mcreyn 
If the problem exists with his Oppo 203 then the solution is to go into the set up option on the Oppo and set a max volume. This will enable him to run his CJ at a higher volume.
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,714 posts
 
There is no low gain substitute for the M8080 ( 6C4 ) tube. I use this SCHIIT SYS to attenuate the output of my CDP. It’s worth a try!
https://www.schiit.com/products/sys
jetter
3,035 posts
 
+yogiboy, the SYS is all you need.
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
If the problem exists with his Oppo 203 then the solution is to go into the set up option on the Oppo and set a max volume. This will enable him to run his CJ at a higher volume.
@dover The wording in the manual for the Oppo UDP-203 pertaining to the "maximum volume" setting in the menu leaves me uncertain as to whether it (a) allows the entire output voltage range to be scaled down, or (b) simply limits the maximum possible output voltage. Do you know for a fact which of these possibilities applies?

If (b) applies your suggestion would of course not resolve the issue.

And if (a) applies do you have some idea of how much the maximum output voltage can be scaled down? I’m thinking that something like 0.5 volts would be necessary to satisfactorily resolve the OP’s issue, and preferably even less.

Regarding the other suggestions that have been offered, an advantage of an inline attenuator such as the one Imhififan suggested is that in contrast to the Sys it would not require an additional set of cables, and with it their potential to introduce sonic effects as well as adding cost.

As an alternative to the Harrison Labs attenuator the OP may want to consider Rothwell attenuators, either the 15 db version or the 20 db version. In addition to providing more attenuation than the Harrison Labs device they have a much higher input impedance (approximately 30K vs. a bit under 9K, both figures varying slightly depending on the input impedance of the device they are driving). In this particular case either input impedance appears likely to be suitable, but the low input impedance of the Harrison Labs device might limit its usefulness in the event of future changes to the system.

The Sys, btw, has an input impedance of only 10K, which like the Harrison Labs attenuator might make it unsuitable for use in the event of future changes to the system.

Regards,
-- Al


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