Headphone thoughts...

[Goodrat]

In my quest for designing the perfect headphones, I realized a few things.
When using audio taper pots, in order to have a natural volume change when turning the pots, one would have to wire them so then one is loudest when turning towards your head and the other away.
This is because the value changes more slowly from the wiper to the CW end vs. wiper to the CCW end.
If wired as most are with both controls louder when towards your head, for example, one control will cange too quickly.
Thoughts?

[Beachcomber]

Why not just use linear taper controls then the change will be equal no matter which way you turn the control.

n/t

[Goodrat]

Re: linear taper controls

Well you could, but then the change in volume would not match the natural logrithmic characteristic of human hearing. I believe we notice a volume change when the volume is changed in 3db increments (half power).

[Goodrat]

Re: linear taper controls

Here is an explaination I dug up:
"...Rotating the knob 10 degrees produces approximately the same perceptual increment in volume anywhere across the range of the control. If the control were physically linear, the logarithmic nature of loudness perception would place all of the perceptual "action" of the control at the bottom of its range."

[Goodrat]

Here is an interesting link

Actually after reading it, I wonder which pot I need, since audio taper can mean a few different things. But there is info how to convert a linear pot. This would solve the left-right problem.



Secret life of Pots

[Beachcomber]

Very interesting reading!!! It's stuff you don't

usually give a second thought. THanks for the link!!!

HH

Beachcomber