Zephyr RCA is our new Passive Linestage kit, featuring the Welborne Labs' remote controlled stepped attenuator. The Zephyr is a minimalist design featuring one set of inputs and one set of outputs. It is primarily intended for those of you who use only CD for your source material.  However, you can also connect this passive unit between your existing preamp and amplifier thereby adding the remote volume control feature to your existing system.  The Zephyr RCA is a great little unit for office and bedroom systems too!

It is packaged in a nicely made aluminum chassis with a thick 1/4" brushed aluminum front panel.  This front panel is available in both a clear and black anodized finish.  We've kept the chassis size small to minimize wiring lengths and it measures a very petit 5.5"W x 2.25"H x 6.0"D..

Obviously the main feature of this passive linestage is the remote controlled stepped attenuator used for the level control.  You can read more about the attenuator here but to summarize, it features a wireless handheld remote control that allows you to adjust the volume, in 60 steps, left/right balance, mute and power.  The digital display shows the attenuator steps from 0 to 60.

The kit includes the remote controlled stepped attenuator kit with handheld remote and Dale 1% metal film resistors, aluminum chassis, gold-plated Vampire rca jacks, Welborne Labs teflon coated OFC hookup wire and the external power supply unit.  An upgrade package is offered featuring Caddock resistors and pre-tinned Cardas hookup wire. 

The attenuator is available in 10K, 50K and 100Kohm versions, please specify when ordering. Operates on 115V or 230Vac with our power supply.

The passive linestage concept provides volume control without the distortions and non-linear products associated with active preamplifier designs. This concept, along with the Zephyr’s component quality, offers the listener a more natural sound capable of greater resolution than most active preamplifiers. A passive linestage incorporates no active electronic components for amplification such as transistors, opamps, or vacuum tubes. This circuit therefore relies on the gain supplied by the source (CD, tuner, tape, etc.) as being adequately high enough as to not require further amplification. The majority of sources available today provide enough output voltage to drive most amplifiers well into clipping, therefore the sole purpose of this Passive Linestage is to attenuate, or control, the source’s signal. It is important to note the best results will be achieved from a passive linestage when it is used in conjunction with sources possessing output circuitry of exceptional quality. Typically with passive linestages the best sonics are achieved with a low value attenuator such as 10Kohms. This value may not be practical with some vacuum tube equipment and may need to be increased to 50K or 100K ohms. Passive linestages can exhibit high output impedance’s at certain gain levels and therefore should not be used to drive interconnects with high capacitance ratings or long runs of interconnect cable between the linestage and amplifier(s). Doing so may result in rolled-off high frequencies.

Also available factory assembled for an additional $125 fee. 
Includes a full 2 year manufacturers warranty.