Need troubleshooting help go easy on me... Newbie


A couple of weeks ago, I posted a question requesting help on my new office (all vinyl) system. After reading the responses, and doing a little research, I decided on purchasing the EAR 834P phono stage. It arrived yesterday. The rest of this system includes: Rega P9 TT; RB 900 arm; Clearaudio Aurum Beta cartridge; Bryston 2B SS amp; PSB 40 MK II speakers; Straigtwire Waveguide speaker cables; Straightwire Rhapsody II interconnects; and PS Audio Ultimate Outlet.

I hooked everything up (started at 1:00 am), and started spinning, but what came out of my speakers was a terrible sound. First, the word that comes to mind when describing the sound is "fuzzy" -- like listening to AM radio in your car, without an antenna. The LPs are clean (used VPI 16.5 machine). Second problem is the right channel is totally dominating the left.

Troubleshooting advice?
wksesq

Showing 1 response by seandtaylor99

Already some good responses. Whenever I have had a problem which is different in the L-R channels I start at the source (in this case the Rega) and swap the two channels, and see if the problem reverses at the speaker. If not then I put the connections back , move one forward in the signal chain and swap again (the very last swap is the speaker cables). This will tell you where the problem is (turntable, phone, main amp, or even speakers) : it's whatever is driving the last cable you swapped. For example if swapping the cables between the Rega and EAR makes no difference, but swapping the cables between the EAR and the bryston alters the volume balance between the speakers then the problem is with the EAR.

Another very quick and easy test in your case would be to get a CD player (perhaps with a variable out) and connect it to one of the inputs of the Bryston amp ... if it sounds fine then the problem is somewhere in the phono chain, if it sounds awful then the problem is most likely in the amp and speakers.

The previous comment about NOT plugging the EAR into the phono input of your amp is also a good one (though I'm not familiar with your amp to know if it has a phono stage ... if it does then perhaps try plugging the Rega in directly .. this would be another test of the EAR).

Hope this helps.