Compare Standard and Custom Stepped Attenuators
Features of Goldpoint Mini-V Stepped Attenuators:     (Mini-V is pronounced: "Mini Vee")
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Exceptional sonic clarity. 
Smooth, "precise feeling" turning torque.
Precision resistors - 1% and 0.1%, 25ppm.
High quality, Swiss made switch components.
Mono, Stereo, Quad, and 6-channel versions available.
Hookup is simple: 3 wires per channel connect to solder eyelets.
Lifetime: 25,000 or more rotations (most other brands are only 10,000 rotations).
24-position, make-before-break, thick hard-gold plated contacts on precision engineered printed 
circuit boards resulting in minimum contact bounce - and therefore no clicks or pops when switching.
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Goldpoint stepped attenuators sound better than potentiometers, (even very expensive ones). This has been the consensus of audiophiles for many years. But unlike common potentiometers (or other stepped attenuator brands), our stepped attenuators provide very clear sound and precise signal level matching.
All Goldpoint stepped attenuators have make-before-break switch contacts, so do not create "clicks" or "pops" during use. The sitch contacts are hard-gold plated and are a "low switch bounce" design. They make great potentiometer upgrades, are easy to install, and will last a lifetime under normal use. (Note: As is correct for selector switches, Goldpoint selector switches have break-before-make switch contacts.)
 
Mini-V (MV)
Stereo Mini-V
0.1% thin film SMD resistors are already installed
 Mini-V (standard)

These are the best sounding, most precise 24-position volume controls available. They come with pre-installed high quality SMD resistors. (Low noise, laser trimmed, 0.1% nichrome resistors). The sound quality is transparent, which is what you actually want in a volume control. The readily available (audio taper) values we offer are: 5K, 10K, 20K, 25K, 50K, 100K, and 250K. (We also offer a precision volume control replacement for the McIntosh C20.)
The surface mounted resistors used on the standard Goldpoint Mini-Vs are 0.1% Nichrome THIN film with a thermal noise specification (TCR) of 25 PPM or 50 PPM. These are the best sounding resistors I have ever used (or ever heard). They have an essentially transparent sonic signature. This makes them better than Vishay S102, IRC RC55, or even Caddock MK32 resistor types, in our opinion, because they do not add or subtract any sound qualities to your musical signals - just precisely accurate level control.
Because of their precision, the standard Mini-Vs are also the best choice for recording studio and other Balanced Input applications. This precision means perfect channel-to-channel signal level tracking, so many audiophiles with regular (single-ended) stereo applications can skip the use of balance controls all together.
 
 
Mini-V Custom (MVC)
Stereo Mini-V Custom
blank - no resistors installed
 Mini-V Custom

Mini-V Custom: Make any value or any taper stepped attenuator you want to anytime you want to. Make your own resistor lists, use one of our pre-determined audio taper lists, or make a linear taper stepped attenuator. 
also see:
1) Resistor Lists and How To Make Linear Tapers
2) Attenuator Types: Series, Ladder, and Shunt

New Mini-V Custom
Choices:

We have added a choice of size, as well as putting the Goldpoint logo on these PC Boards. When ordering, let us know which size you want: 1/4W or 1/2W. They are the same price as above.
Mini-V Custom stepped attenuators are blank stepped attenuator switches. Only these require you to purchase and install your own resistors. (All of our other stepped attenuators come with resistors pre-installed.)
Even though you can save money using these Mini-V Cistom units, we normally recommend you use our off-the-shelf Mini-V standard or V47s unless you really need a customized attenuator value or customized taper. 
 
 

Stereo V47
1% KOA thru-hole resistors are already installed
 V47

Goldpoint 47 position stepped attenuators utilize excellent sounding 1% KOA Speer Nickel-Chromium thru-hole resitors. One stepped attenenuator value: 10K, is currently available in Mono, Stereo, or Quad

We've made their use an option for our Passive level controls at modest additional prices. Upon request we will install them in our SA1, SA2, or SA4 units. 
see Prices page
Although 24 positions is plenty for most applications (and it's been that way for decades), having 47 positiions is desirable in some situations. The turning torque is smoother and the steps are smaller. Most steps on our 24 position Standard Mini-Vs are 2dB. The step size on the V47s is typically 1.5dB.
 
 
-A few notes on stepped attenuators.
Stepped attenuators offer distinct sonic advantages over common potentiometers. This is due to their use of discrete resistors and the purest method of signal attenuation: resistor voltage dividers. Discrete resistors typically have better low noise characteristics than the carbon or cermet resistor elements used in potentiometers.
The total measured resistance for each position of a stepped attenuator remains constant throughout years of use. This is because the wearing (rubbing) parts in stepped attenuators are low resistance switch contacts, not resistive elements with wipers sliding on them as in potentiometers. Potentiometers can add clicks, pops, and static sounds due to wear.
Stereo potentiometers used as volume controls often produce different volume levels for each channel, and the amount of  mismatch can vary as the potentiometer is turned up or down. The channel-to-channel tracking specification for stereo potentiometers, even very expensive ones, is typically 5% to 20%. With stepped attenuators you can easily achieve stereo signal levels matched to within one half of one percent (0.5%).
With stepped attenuators, the signal level has been pre-determined for each step, so front panel calibration markings can represent actual signal levels.
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Front panel knob showing calibration steps.
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