Pre Amp break-in balance issue


I just got a Luxman C700U pre amp to go with a Sanders Magtech amp and the left channel is weaker than the right. If I set the balance at 9 O'clock I get a balanced soundstage but in the middle it's tilted right. The amp is pre owned while the pre is new. Can this be a break in issue that will correct itself? I checked and rechecked the connections repeatedly. Thanks for any input, Joe.

joeyfed55

I don't think break-in will correct it. If you're pretty sure the speakers and cables are working fine, my suggestion is to connect the preamp's right output to the power amp's left input, and the preamp's left output to the power amp's right input. If the left channel is still weaker than the right channel, the problem is with the power amplifier. If the right channel is weaker, the problem is with the preamp.

If you are a ROON user, then the following thread may help as a stop gap solution.

Audiogon Discussion Forum

I own a Sanders Magtech amp and I use it with a Magnepan LRS+ speakers. What a combo and I am so lucky I changed my mind about selling the amp. I needed to use the Schitt Yggi+ LIM DAC to get the total satisfaction I have now with this gear.

I bought my amp used from Roger Sanders and he was incredibly helpful with my questions and demo requests. I would contact him first since your amp was used.

 

I am assuming that with your previous preamp the balance was good?

I am not familiar with that preamp, but I take it that it is SS and NOT tube?  Because a weak tube in a certain socket could cause that..  What I do to verify that the signal is the same at both speakers is I put in a Cd with a test tone designed for that and then I set my multimeter to AC volts and probe + and - on one speaker and then do the same on the other and compare readings.  If I've got a real well matched pair of tubes in the balanced input sockets of my preamp, the readings are almost identical to each other.