Classe Audio CAP-2100 ユーザーズマニュアル

ページ / 46
24
rotary Th
  e rotary knob on the front panel does not directly control the volume. 
Instead, it controls circuitry that does so with greater fi delity and precision than 
traditional volume potentiometers could ever achieve. 
Since the volume control circuitry is under software control, it is possible to 
customize its behavior under various conditions. To better understand why this 
is so valuable, consider two scenarios: 
Person A places a high value on precision in achieving exactly the 
volume setting that makes the music most realistic; being able to 
easily change volume setting by a fraction of a decibel is critical to his 
enjoyment of the system.
Person B just wants to jump easily from low volumes to a reasonable 
listening level, and is less concerned with the fi ner points of precision 
than with getting what he wants with a quick twist of the knob.
You can see the problem in these scenarios: Person A wants extremely fi ne 
gradations on the volume control, which will require many rotations to go from 
extremely low settings to normal listening levels; Person B wants to get from 
one to the other with a “quick twist” of the knob, requiring coarse gradations in 
order to cover so much range in so little space. What happens when Persons A 
and B live in the same house? Or if Person C wants to have both, depending on 
their mood at the moment? (In fact, most of us are probably like Person C.)
Classé solves this dilemma by altering the response of the volume control, based 
on several factors.
Since it is rare to listen at extremely low (barely audible) volumes, the low range 
adjustment of the volume control allows for faster response to knob input when 
the volume setting values are low. When activated, you will get from extremely 
low to middle volume control settings a bit faster than you would otherwise. 
Th
 is eff ect can be subtle, and may not even be desirable when the speakers used 
have extremely high sensitivity (since this results in using the lowest part of the 
range more than you would otherwise). 
Th
  e most signifi cant factor in the perceived responsiveness of the volume control 
is the speed at which the knob is being turned. We all naturally tend to move 
volume knobs more quickly when we need to make a bigger change, and we 
tend to slow down as we approach our desired volume. Th
  us, if the 
CAP-2100 sees the knob moving relatively quickly, it uses coarse steps to 
eff ectively accelerate the action of the circuitry. As the knob begins to turn more 
slowly, the CAP-2100 will actually increase the resolution of the steps, which 
slows down the action of the volume control and yields greater precision in 
choosing an appropriate setting.