THE importance of a volume control cannot be overstated – without it, you get either silence or shattered eardrums.
Those who want to connect their CD player or any fixed-volume source to active speakers or a power amp, without the hassle of another chunky piece of gear like a preamp, know what we mean.
Enter the Emotiva Control Freak, a passive volume control knob. Yes, that’s it!
Unlike a passive preamp, the Control Freak has no chassis – it’s just the knob and some wires, and with the option of single-ended or balanced configuration. No active electronics here to get in the way of the signal – Emotiva says this is merely a 10k passive volume potentiometer that does not affect the quality of the signal passing through it. Control Freak effects smooth level changes with excellent channel tracking.
The large aluminium knob and housing rest on a soft rubber base that lets Control Freak stay firmly in place on your desktop. Just hook it up between source and power amp/powered speakers and you’ve got total volume control at your fingertips… for a mere US$49.99 right now.
