Attenuator recommendations

Excellent point Herman. There are pre-amps with input gain switches. The manufacturers saw nothing wrong with putting the reduction ahead of the pre-amp line stage. ARC did this and others I'm sure.

Actually, although no one has mentioned this (I didn't read all of the posts so maybe I just didn't see it), don't most amps have the attenuator between the source and the line stage and the signal thats being attenuated is the signal from the source to the pre-amp, not the pre-amp to the amp?

Thanks for asking for clarification, I've had too much espresso today

Not a problem. :) I may call him about this. I wonder if he builds the shunts in the same sort of RCA M-F assembly as Rothwell. I'm dying to find out where to get that kind of thing so I can try to build my own. I've asked here and on AA and no one seems to know. Checked the usual electronics parts websites, too.

In most cases I would use one at the input of the preamp though instead of the input to the amp

Yeah, I'd have to agree with that, Herman. Makes it more complicated for me, though. First I'd have to build or buy multiple pairs. And second, my main source (D/A converter) runs to my pre over balanced ICs.

Maybe I should just send my pre back to Pass to have them mod it. The cost to get all those external attenuators would probably be about as much as just having the internals adjusted.

Tboooe, adding an attenuator to your system isn't "wrong", it's just inelegant. You have a really fine collection of components and you should try to get the system right rather than kind of get it right and then apply what is effectively a band aid solution. Just my opinion.

Tboooe,

Did you try decreasing the input gain on the BAT preamp (the one that is causing the music to be too loud even at the lowest volume setting)? Most if not all preamps have an input gain setting that can be adjusted up or down. So if it was set at zero, decrease it to -6 or more until you find a reasonable loudness. Just make sure you are decreasing the input gain that your cd player is connected to. That should do the trick. You will find that your volume knob will have more room to move instead of being stuck at volume setting 1 or 2 and the music is already too loud.