volume control and one channel quiet!

C

condyk

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I suspect it's supposed to be like this ... but, when I have my newl second hand bought Rega Elicit amp at fairly quiet levels I can only hear sound from one speaker. If I crank it up a wee bit then all comes back in stereo! I remember reading a thread a while back somewhere about Quad 303's I think anmd a similar 'feauture' ... but can't remember if the responses said it was a problem, or if they said it's all part of the design. One of the big power supplies also hums slightly, but can't notice when music is playing.

Darn fine amp and be a shame if it's heading for Hi-Fi Heaven!

Dave
 
I'll second that, there is a device that might help ......attenuated IC's these make you turn up the volume toget the same output.

You can make em or buy em


Alternatively get down to your local RS and get a bourns dual conductive plastic pot 10k or 50k log
This will sound betterthan nearly all the carbon tracks types and is relatively cheap.

I recently replaceone in an old Nad 3020...famous for its warm presentation, well no long. It sound up with the best of them now I've rid it of the horrid carbon pot.
 
I had an old Ariston AX910 (the budget cambridge audio style ones only with an ariston badge on it) it sounded actualy quite good for the £60 I paid for it new, although it did sound a tad boxy, but that had the same problem, one channel was louder than the other on quite volumes, I tool this back to richers and one week later they said they fixed it, but it still did the same thing. I ended up selling the amp to a mate for £40 anyway and I still got 12 months use out of it.
 
It's difficult to get channel balance accurate all the way down on a volume pot. Even the expensive ALPS pots suffer from this to some degree or other. When you've got two channels (stereo) it's often not too much bother, but my Alpha AV50 amp (home Cinema) has 6 channels it tries to balance and at the bottom of the range it's all over the place. I'm not going to change it though (the prices of motorised 6 gang pots is enough to make your eyes water).

As suggested attenuators may help, as might a change of pot. A new pot will still be affected to some degree ot other though, and they can wear that way anyway. The most badly worn one I've come across was the one in my Densen, which was a (not insignificantly expensive) ALPS Blue Velvet pot. That was miles out until 50% of the way round the dial. Obviously that one had to go, but even the black silk replacement exhibits it in the sort of mild form you describe.

It's either attenuators to move the low-normal listening position to a place on the dial that is like to work better (usually anywhere after the first 5% rotation), or an interesting DIY experiment into converting the volume control into a descrete device with digital steps (not impossible but massive over kill and quite complicated).

Cheers
 
Zanash

What's the difference between 10 and 50K Pots ... and why not 100K or any of the others?

There are so many on the RS site that all seem the same at. Probably easy enough to change it, but how do I know which to buy?
 
You need to put back in whatever size came out. It's even more important if the pre stage of the amp is passive (don't know about the Rega). Also make sure that you replace a logarithmic pot with another logarithmic one as opposed to linear or vice versa else.......... it'll still work but you may well find a rush of gain all at one end of the travel for instance.

Cheers
 
I wonder if I can replace the Rega volume control with a high quality motorised/remote one so I can become even more of a couch potato?

If so, any pointers as to where I might sources such a beast and a remote to go with it. Is it just a straight replacement?

Dave
 
As suggested you really need to replace with the same value and flavour[log/linear] the type you have will be clealy marked on the body of the pot.

To get over the problem of low level sound and small volume pot movement attenuaters should be inserted into the back of the amp connected to the IC's. Rothwell do some, but it isn't difficult to do it yourself. PM me for more details !
 
Originally posted by zanash
I'll second that, there is a device that might help ......attenuated IC's these make you turn up the volume toget the same output.
Click to expand...


I'm just wondering, but what good do attenuators really contribute to the sound of your system when it just seems a matter of volume output? I can't seem to differentiate much between achieving loudness at a lower volume setting without attenuators and loudness at higher setting with attenuators. Unless they increase, refine or improve some frequency range or sound characteristics, what good is it really using these devices?

regards
 
I have read that the use of attenuated interconnects is beneficial for source components such as some CD players that have an output that is higher than the ideal for a pre-amp. So the thinking goes, that by decreasing the output a more appropriate level is transmitted into your pre-amp. This is according to doctor Russell Andrews anyway... or at least something very similar to that. Its in one of his little guide books, you can get one off him by calling...my favorite is the one about room acoustics.. actually very useful that one.

My pre-amp has a little switch on the back which attenuates. You can flick it either way at any point. Using that, Id describe the sonic difference of an attenuated signal as slightly softer sounding without the same level of dynamic peaks. Personally, I dont like the effect the switch has so I leave un-attenuated.

You certainly do get to use a bigger amount of your volume control.

Sideshowbob has some Rothwell attenuators I do believe. They look handy if you want to attenuate without buying a new interconnect.

Chris
 
Ok ... it's Sunday and not much to do other than play about.

My Marantz cd6000 OSE was a second hander and without a manual and so today I've finally got round to trying to do anything other than the basic turn on, press play, press stop ...

It seems I have a handy volume button on the remote. So what I can do is put the amp at whatever level I want, so sorting the channel/volume thing, and then use the CD remote to control volume via the CD player!!

Clever huh?:JOEL:
 
Yes that works but a cautionary note is that the quality of the variable output on some CDP is frankly awful....My Denon for one. I really only try to run it from the fixed outputs.

I saw on a web page this morning after doing a rothwell attenator search on google, that the noise floor is lowered by using said attenuators. I've not tried it so the jurry's out on thaat one.
 
Remember that when the Marantz is turned off, the line out will re-establish itself at full output when you next turn it back on.

Worth preparing your eardrums, speakers (and neighbours :D ) for....

Cheers
 
Originally posted by condyk


It seems I have a handy volume button on the remote. So what I can do is put the amp at whatever level I want, so sorting the channel/volume thing, and then use the CD remote to control volume via the CD player!!
Click to expand...

That's exactly what i do also with my cd 17 and amp. It's more convenient for me in increasing or decreasing volume in small steps or increments via the cdp. As long as you don't make the terrible mistake of connecting your cdp to a power amp.

cheers
 
Osama

Sorry, I'm not clear about this ... what happens if I do connect my CDP to a power amp?

I thought that would be a good idea if using the CDP volume capability as it takes out the potential degrading influence of the preamp.

Dave
 
Sorry I guess i didn't make my statement clear. Like what timpy said, when you turn off then on the cdp, the cdp volume setting always re-establishes itself to full throttle. An output level that maybe you can say like turning the knob all the way down the floor to the other side.should you forget to adjust the cdp volume and do this, then it maybe goodbye to your speakers, eardrums and good relationship with you neighbors.

Maybe you'll notice also that even at the lowest cdp volume setting, it still gives out a loud sound. So if you want to lower down the sound a bit more there's no way of doing that since most power amps have no volume control. A good pre-amp is still the best way to go, unless you have money to burn for an expensive cdp with a more efficient built-in volume control. I think Wadia has one like this, the 301(?).

Or maybe you can try a simple tweak of connecting your cdp to the tape out instead of the normal cd input. This is claimed to shorten the signal path and thereby achieving a fuller sound.

cheers
 
Im suprised everybody doesnt put their CDP into their tape input.

On my pre, tape sounds loads better than the other inputs.

I might be wrong - but I think its the tape input not output you need to connect to.

Chris
 
Hi


The tape output may offer better sound depending on it's layout. Normal inputs go via the selector switch then via a tape selector switch then onto the volume control. Using the tape input switch bypasses the selector switch but the signal still goes through the tape switch.

Some tape outputs are routed from the other side of the tape switch. What you get is all the inputs will go through the tape switch & they is a path to the tape output & the volume control. Using the tape output will allow direct access to the volume control.

But some amps will have their tape outputs routed from before the tape selector switch. It all depends on the design.


SCIDB
 
Does that mean then if I put a CDP in the tape OUTPUT instead of the INPUT that Id have my CD's playing WITH all the background noise of my phono stage added?

Thats weird.... think Ive got it wrong again..



Chris
 

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