Super-sensitive volume controls - remedy?

If you are happy with everything else BUT the volume control, try some attenuators. I started with the Rothwells, then found some Endlers, and now I have EVS nudes. They all worked well. I just worked my way up the price ladder. My issue is that my CDP output is high, but it is a keeper, so I have learned to live with the attenuators.

Do attenuators like the Rothwells impose any sort of penalty related to sonic quality? Thanks. Hope this is of interest to the OP too.

I couldn't notice any difference. It is a just a resistor in the signal path.

11-23-14: Ghosthouse
Do attenuators like the Rothwells impose any sort of penalty related to sonic quality? Thanks. Hope this is of interest to the OP too

They "can"' as they could introduce an impedance mismatch between the previous components output impedance and the next stage, the amp.

As they are a voltage divider inside and this will change the input impedance that the previous stage sees.

Especially if that previous component is a weak high impedance tube output stage, EG: tube source or tube preamp.

Cheers George

I have read some very negative things about the attenuators, but others seemed very enthusiastic about them, which leads me to be very cautious about going that route. I would especially not want to "work my way up the price ladder" for something that seems like a band-aid to me.

The Denon DL-160 I'm using has a 1.6mv output, and I get a comfortably loud volume level at about 10:00. I can't imagine how the Parasound would handle my Shure M97XE at 4mv!

My Rotel RC-995 was very high gain whether I used it with my B&K ST-140, Hafler DH-500, or the Musical Design D-140, which underscores my question: where are the power amps that need all that juice?

I don't think I'm a particularly difficult person to please when it comes to sound, but this sort of rampant incompatibility is frustrating.