Can I put low-ohm resistors on my speaker wires to bypass the bad low end of a volume control potentiometer?

Question

Okay, here’s the problem:

The volume control potentiometer on my 30-year-old Pioneer SX535 receiver is fried at the low volume settings (sputter, crackle, dropped channel, etc.), but it works fine at higher volume settings.

I’m looking for a replacement part (do you have one?), but until then….

Since a potentiometer is basically a variable resistor, what if I added a resistor to each positive speaker wire, therefore requiring the volume control to be turned higher (past the bad low-volume sectors) to achieve the same low level of sound?

If I’m not full of beans, and this makes sense, then what ohm rating resistor should I try on the speaker wires (positive only or both?) to bypass the low end of the volume control potentiometer?

Thanks for thinking about this.

Answer 1

You probably have oxidation on the contacts in the pot. This can easily be cleaned, no need to replace or solder anything. Got to Radio Shack and pick up some electronics contact cleaner (DeoxIt is the best). Open up the receiver so you can get access to the pot. Rotate the volume control to get some wiping action across the contacts.



You can also clean the rest of the pots and switches as well.



I have a 30 year old Pioneer SX-1080 and the pots are still working perfectly after I cleaned them.



Hope this helps!

Answer 2

A much better way to try is to clean the volume control first as legions of Techs have done since time immemorial ! get some switch cleaner and dribble some down the spindle then swish the control backwards and forwards while exerting outward pressure on the spindle .

Note . the noise and crackle on the control is caused by carbon dust which the wiper travels over thus making the crackles .

Sorry " fried " is a delicious word used by all and sundry when describing electronic faults but is not applicable in your case !!!!

Cheers Pete

Not nice Gordon copying other peoples answers !!!

Answer 3

This wouldn't work, BUT there is a way of doing this using a transistor instead but not really worth the time. Pots are available at radio shack and every city in the US has a radio shack, just make sure it matchs the value of the original pot, if you can't find anythign that will fit into your chassi then you can install pots inline with the positive conductor of each speaker and jumper the original pot so that you get full output both of these options would be easier then trying to create a cutt-off circuit and they would maintain your volume control.

Answer 4

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