The Super 3's that I own are the original, wide baffle model I prefer with a dampened Fostex FE127e driver. This is a bit smoother than the FE126e, but it is still a bit shrill on top. The newest RS5 (OEM) driver is a drop-in retrofit that takes about 10 minutes to do. The difference between the two even before break in is not subtle. The new driver is noticeably more efficient, smoother yet more extended on top, and goes deeper down low.

For the price, the Super 3 is hard to beat and is a fantastic way to break into high efficiency/low power audio. Once you start going up the Omega line (and "going up" refers only to price) we start trading compromises and beginning to compete with multiway speakers. One aspect of Omega line is that one driver handles most of the musical spectrum with no passive crossover components. This is not unique to single-driver speakers. There have been a number of two way speakers that let the low frequency driver run full range with no crossover and bringing a tweeter in to fill in the top. Examples include:

- Reference 3A MM DeCapo and other iterations,
- Dynaco A25 (one of my favorites. Just a really good sounding speaker)
- Joe Roberts' interpretation of the Altec two-way using 414/802/32a components. He recommends letting the 414 run full range and bringing in the 802 at 6-8khz. The ALtec 414A/B/C has been referred to as the best midrange driver ever made. One that just happens to reproduce bass.

I once owned Dynaco A25s for about 5 years. Really smooth sounding speaker. I can understand why people like them.

Since getting my LP-27a, I have missed my remote. I just installed a remote controlled passive controller.

It works like a charm. I'm currently feeding three inputs (one digital and 2 analog). One line output goes to the LP-27a and the second to my powered subwoofer (Zu Undertone). The fixed output will allow me to add a headphone amp. I'm seriously interested in Dennis' headphone amp.

The mute and volume feature is handy since I stream audio, play ripped files via JRiver and am feeding broadcast TV all through my PC and into my DAC, and can disable the sound from annoying ads, adjust sound leve , etc. I really can not hear any sound degradation.

The only drawback is that I wish it was Gold and Harley Black!

Curious who makes the remote attenuator. I was looking at that possibility at first, but I'm relying on the one built into my streamer/DAC instead.

I have no idea, I guess it is possible to open the case and find out.
It is a motorized volume control.

I like the feature of the volume automatically going to zero and automatically going to the mute (turning off all inputs) when first powering up the unit. No surprises when turning on the LP-27a and Firebottle KT88 SE HO.

I you want a high end remote control (either as TVC or using a stepped attentuator) Bent Audio is a good source. BentAudio.com :: TAP

Dennis informed me that he has made some changes to the Hot Rod power supply that allow for the use of both directly and indirectly heated rectifier tubes. I am still unclear how critical those tubes will be in this application, but he said that with a simple balancing circuit any ripple is eliminated.

Here are the notes Dennis took on the Hot Rod amp. Columns are Bias Voltage, Bias current calculated using Ohm's law and a bias resistor of 360 ohms, and maximum output wattage...

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/q...psskdsf34n.jpg

He also told me about the change to use directly heated rectifiers, but I don't know any more at this point....

So that is for the amp which he sold as the ET88 Hot Rod 12 wpc.

I have the 17 wpc version of this amp, using 5AR4/GZ34 with Genalex KT88. So I'm guessing all or most of the above output values would be higher on my amp.

Also note that the Tung-sol KT66 is really more like a 6L6GC, with a 0.9a draw. The Genalex KT66 draws the full 1.3a and likely makes more power.

No need on my account. I assumed it was a branded product. But it does sound like a complete solution that goes in line from the source to preamp (or preamp to amp I guess). Maybe it was built from the Bent parts! continued below........

I wouldn't want to take on a project from parts at this point. However, it looks like some of what Bent offers would be compatible with existing Inspire preamps to make them remote controlled, ie, not an external box. I have the DACT attenuator and they make a motorized control for it. Only problem would likely be fitting the motor unit and the PCB both inside the chassis. Already pretty tight in there. Could be something Dennis incorporated if the layout was designed for it, but he hasn't seemed particularly interested in remote control.

At this point, I'm glad I have a DAC that I really like that has a remote volume attenuator. My LP-2 is set on full volume with the DAC dialed back.