Review on PAC LC-1 Remote Amplifier Level Controller,Black,Small: Advanced Audio Control at Your Fingertips by Chris Long

I have been using these PAC level controls for many years. In most cases I prefer to use them on the subwoofer amp than the level controls that come with some amps and plug directly into the amp for a number of reasons. The first reason is that these PAC controllers are housed in a plastic case that can be easily removed without damaging the circuitry. This way you can just use the working circuit inside the case which is a potentiometer and a small chip. This makes installing the controller much easier and more enjoyable as you can simply install a much smaller potentiometer in a small hole in the dash or other compartment of the car and hide the potentiometer behind the dash where only the knob itself is visible. (Photo shows the controller installed in my Tacoma) "Sorry, I didn't take a picture of the controller after I removed the case." With a bulky case wrapped around it, you're stuck turning the level control with two small screws on the outside of the dashboard, which is an ugly eyesore. Some may think that "level controls that plug directly into the amp wouldn't be a better option" than this PAC controller. Well, in most cases the answer is no. I'll explain why. This PAC LC-1 controller connects in series with the RCA from the main unit to the amplifier. Thus, it directly controls the signal going to the amplifier. Because it controls the signal going to the amplifier, it is able to completely roll off the amplifier's signal so that the signal does not reach the amplifier. Therefore, there is no output to the woofers, which means that the woofer does not output any sound. This is great because sometimes you want your music to be completely bass free. Now the level controls wired directly to the amp control the amp's output gain, allowing it to reduce the gain only as much as the amp will allow. In many cases with amplifiers, even when the gain on the amplifier is turned all the way down, there is still power being delivered to the subwoofers that reproduce the sound. The sound from the woofer will be much quieter, but it's still audible. Simply put, when you want to be able to control the volume of your subwoofer from completely muted to completely. This PAC LC-1 controller is exactly what you need. They are well made, easy to use and work great. Another thing is that they control the signal that goes into the amp and not the gain that comes out of the amp. They can be used with any size amp as head units input signal is typically less than 5 volts. which is easily handled by this controller.