The Bent Audio Model 102s Kit
Transformer-Based Passive Volume Control

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Part 5 - Final Assembly / Wiring    Follow the assembly instructions and the wiring schema closely and complete the back to front plate wiring. Up to this point I have followed the instructions to the letter. However, it is at this stage of the assembly process that I chose to make a few small changes to my kit:   I opted for balanced outputs, XLRs instead of the RCAs I had originally ordered. I did this because of two reasons: I had balanced inputs on my amplifier that provide better performance; and, upon closer inspection of the wiring schema, I noticed that the output wiring naturally lends itself to balanced or XLR type connection. I chose to build my Bent Audio 102s in such a way that I no longer need an extra set of interconnect cables from the unit to the amplifier. I did this by extending the internal wiring an extra foot and attaching a Neutrik XLR male plug on the end (see picture below). Because John is generous and provides much more material than you need to complete the kit, I had enough of left-over silver wire and Teflon tubing to construct these short, loosely braided, quasi-interconnect cables. Yes, there are limitations: first, you're stuck with this "interconnect" and its plug type, i.e. you cannot easily swap in other interconnect cables. Second, its length means you have to place the Bent Audio unit on top of your amplifier. However, I am perfectly happy to trade these in for the following advantages:    The extra foot of internal wiring (that now sticks out of the unit) is still shorter than the internal wiring found in many high quality preamps. To me it's almost like directly coupling the amp to the preamp. There is, thus, one less interconnect cable in the whole chain, including the corresponding set of connectors. This translates to better sound quality and better overall value: I do not need to buy/use an extra set of interconnect cables. I still have a pair of unused WBT RCAs that I can always connect and put to good use. I can always heat up the soldering iron and address any connector incompatibility issues, change the cable length, or change the cable to something more exotic. Part 6 - Electrical Checkout   The instructions manual provides you with details on how to check your work for proper operation before hooking the unit up to your system. This is important; you want to make sure all systems are go before firing it up. There was a small glitch in the wiring schema that was flushed out by a thorough check. John and I exchanged a few emails and pinpointed the problem. I made the correction to my wiring and he updated the schema to reflect the latest specs. Another run through the checklist and my unit now had a clean bill of health.   Part 7 - Final Case Assembly   This involves screwing into place the left and right sides of the unit. These are made out of a material different from the rest of the casework. They're made from extruded aluminum which is then painted black. My only comment/complaint here is that the finishes of the two are somewhat different; the black on the extruded aluminum sides does not fully match with the black of the rest of the case. There's also some peculiar discoloration on the side panels, as if they were smudged by fingerprints. Having said that, I no longer notice the difference now that the unit is in its place on my system rack.   next page: