OptiLevel®is a patent-pending "direct path" precision volume control system. Conventional potentiometers use either carbon or conductive plastic tracks riveted to metal tags or pins with a "wiper" scraping over this track and a second contact. This arrangement significantly degrades the music signal.

Digital volume controls, often used in high-end equipment, disingenuously channel the signal through thousands of tiny transistors (i.e. inside an IC package). Hence, the signal is still excessively comprised, often more so than the simple potentiometer.

Often vaunted as the ultimate volume control, so-called stepped attenuators combine rotary switches and resistors to form a precision volume control of laboratory grade quality if implemented well.

However, stepped attenuators are often not remote controlled and usually offer only 24 steps with a coarse adjustment, meaning the optimum volume for a given piece of music usually and annoyingly ends up some where in between the available positions. Further the stepped attenuator being a purely passive device, often lacks the proper drive required for the following stage, hence the dynamics of the audio signal is usually compromised.

AMR's patent-pending OptiLevel® direct volume control system, when channelled even through the most complex route, the audio signal only passes through a maximum of just 3 premium-grade resistors employed in series to control the volume. AMR also uses only the highest-grade gold plated silver contact relays (as switches). In fact, the hermetically sealed relays provide a much more optimal switch than most rotary switches used in stepped attenuators.

This extremely high quality signal path is implemented around the NOS 5687 thermionic electron valve. It has the ability to match and provide the required drive to the delicate audio signal at all volumes while still preserving every bit of minuscule information in the signal.

Incorporated into OptiLevel® is "Level Offset Matching." With the vast amount of input sources available on the market, the incoming voltage is unlikely to be the same for all.

As a result, when switching between sources, there may be an unpleasant increase or annoying decrease in the volume. With "Level Offset Matching" the microprocessor can be easily programmed by the user to ensure that all source levels are matched and memorised so that they remain at the same level for enjoyable listening or proper comparison when switching sources.

Being fully remote controllable, a broad range of 71db precise volume adjustment in 1db steps is offered. The desired volume for any given piece of music can be easily set quickly and repeated. AMR's OptiLevel® volume control system provides a sonic quality exceeding the very best stepped attenuators with the convenience and flexibility of the best digital volume controls.