Ultimate stereo nightmare
I have a complex stereo system, having accumulated many various components through the years. I also have an impenetrable jumble of wires. Until now I’ve been able to deal with problems that arose. Now that I am elderly I can’t easily get down on the floor to assess things. I bought and installed new very expensive speaker cables (Audioquest Robin Hood), and subsequently found that my right channel was not working. After switching cables, the right channel was still not working. So the problem is somewhere in the system. I don’t know if it’s a loose cable or something else and have no way of tackling the jungle of wires to check it out.
I hired a company that claims they deal with these things, but there’s such complexity I don’t know whether they can deal with it.
At 74 with wonky knees I share your problem. I'd get a nice pillow, sit down with a nice alcohol free beverage. Put on your glasses, get a flashlight, grab some scale labels, and give it some time. Unhook & reconnect everything, labelling as you go along. It's tremendously gratifying once you identify and fix the problem. And make sure you have something to grab when you get up. Down dog in yoga practice is also a good solution to that particular problem. |
I've got a good feeling about your service call today with Jasmine. While it could be true that Jasime doesn't know her bass from her oboe about high end audio, it's also possible that Jasmine is an over-qualified electrical engineering student who likes to spend more time tweaking high performance audio systems than she does on social media. My guess is that by the end of the day you'll have a new best friend, and things will have gone so well that you'll need to "break something" on occassion to have excuse to have Jasmine pay you a visit. (Those Tritons don't make much bass when the power cords are unplugged). Hoping for the best possible outcome. If not, I live in Missouri and have been looking for an excuse to visit Long Island in the winter. |
The Morrow Audio cables are already labeled, the final end will be labeled “MA X” for analog RCA where the X is the version of cable….mine are MA4 cables. Digital cables will be “DIG X” for digital RCA cables. Remember that Morrow cables are also directional, with the labeled end being the final destination end. In the end it might be worth it to consider an integrated amp, that would clear up a bunch of clutter and simplify your set up…..something like a Hegel might be a good choice. Best of luck to you |
@rvpiano Yeah, she works with Cinnamon down at the jiggle-joint during off hours ... |
These two things, and ear buds, are what I use.
And an iPhone and this for injecting a signal into the chain.
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I hear you on the age, also I have an amp I need to reach behind to turn on, so more bending and reaching. So I had a welder make a steel frame and I am using butcher block for the shelves (with rubber vibration absorbers), and here is the winner, high quality casters, so I can just spin it around when I need to. But by making it custom, putting in the cable management holes/holders/etc. I am hoping all this is much easier in the future. It is also custom sized to my gear. I am guessing when all said and done will cost $500-$600. |
Well, I think my audiophile days are over. I took the whole very complicated system apart and labeled the various wires the best I could. That’s the problem. At my age (83) things are not as exact as they should be and I probably screwed up somewhere. I’m afraid Humpty Dumpty is never going to be put back together again. Oh well, there’s always my headphones. |
All you need for the future is structured wiring. No matter how jumbled things become, you will not lose track. Get the professionals you hired to do this if you wish. For every cable, without exception: Place a label (with a label maker, a sturdy piece of heavy paper with handwriting, anything you like) at one end that identifies what is at the other end. Repeat for the other end. It is a PIA. But you only do it once. It is a brilliant approach, and the idea is not mine. It is an idea from network structured wiring for complex distributed wiring setups. Personally, if you are changing/upgrading equipment often, I would recommend making label names based on function. So, the label for a standalone re-clocker is re-clocker, not Brand-Product name. When you buy the new and better re clocker, the label can be unchnaged. I hope it goes without saying that the labels must be durable and easily removable without damage or residue. Good luck from another older creaky audiophool.
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1. Roll on your stomach, 2. Get on your knees with your hands on the floor underneath your shoulders, 3. Drag your right foot forward until it’s on the floor, 4. Be next to a table or dresser and put your arm on its top (you can also use your knee to boost yourself up). 5. Should be able to wrangle yourself up. P.S. I have an adjustable metal cane that comes in handy for this kind of activity. It’s all technique! |
If you lived in Connecticut, I would gladly come out to help. I stay away from Long Island due to all the traffic. I’m willing to bet a cable pulled away slightly from one of the pieces of equipment and won’t make contact. I get what you say about getting down on the floor. I got a new OLED TV last Saturday and once I got on the floor to monkey with the cables, I couldn’t get back up. I had to call my wife for assistance. |
I have a really stupid suggestion and I am not in any way making any type of comment on one's intelligence or technical capability. I know a guy whose left channel went out on a brand new, not inexpensive, McIntosh setup. He was kinda pissed and laid into the dealer who kept telling him this isn't possible. My friend changed the cables from one channel to the other and confirmed the left one was not working. After a bunch of back and forth, the dealer paid a house call to see the problem for himself. He took the remote, pushed buttons to get to the channel balance function, saw it was 100% over to the right channel, rebalanced for both channels and WOW! music came out of both channels. Kind of embarrassing, to my friend 😯 Have you checked your channel balance function? May save you a house call cost 😏 |
After seeing your system, here are some suggestions for the technician: 1. Remove the TV from the table top, 2. Put some plastic slider discs under the 4 table legs (found at home depot), 3. Use a couple of belts to wrap around the very bottom of the front table legs, 4. Grab the belts and SLOWLY pull the table away from the wall (may take 2 people), Note: Disconnect your speaker wire before moving the table (if possible). This should provide plenty of work room. Good luck!
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OP. I would next evaluate your amp if your pre IS working ok. Play some music by sending the signal directly into the amp (bypassing the pre) using a CD player, streamer, etc. and see if both channels are working. If the right channel is still not working switch the speaker wire and see if the problem lies in your amp or speaker wires. Bruce
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OP. Start by evaluating your preamp by doing this. Switch the input interconnects AND the output interconnects SIMULTANEOUSLY. Play some music. If the RIGHT channel is still not working then the problem is in your pre. If instead the LEFT channel is now not working then the problem is somewhere else. Best of luck. Bruce |
Nothing worse than working on wires you don't have free-and-easy access to. Recently reorganized my home theater rig -took two days, and thought I'd have to call an ambulance a couple of times. The result? Lost 80% functionality in my "Main HDMI out" connection (no video or eARC) but the secondary HDMI still works sort-of. We suffer for our art. |
My tech canceled for today. I’ve printed up labels for all the wires to facilitate the job. I’ve been reassigned another technician for tomorrow: a “Jasmine.” |
First off, it sounds like you’re still enjoying your hobby. The fact that you just spent serious money on (upgraded) speaker cables is a pretty good indicator of this. I wouldn’t change a thing. If you use the formula: Grief Factor (GF) = Biological Age (BA) * System Complexity (SC) * Cable Stiffness (CS) * Frrequency of Mishaps (FH), the result produces the relative degree of Audio Headachery (AH). My assumption here is that your Frequency of Mishaps (FH) is low and you love your system more than you hate the inconvenience of having to deploy more dexterious individuals to the rescue. Hopefully, your "audio guy" gets you going and you’ll be playing your Cindi Lauper’s Greatest Hits cassette in no time (out of both channels). Okay, but it might be good to be a little proactive for the "next time". Here’s my suggestion. Find electronic version of the manuals for all your stuff. Then print out the illustration of the rear panel of each. Ideally, you’ll have some software (or buddy) around where you can put the all the illustrations on the same page and "connect the dots". If this is not the case (probably not), then just make good notes for each piece of gear as to what goes where. Armed with this information, and a little patience, anyone with functional eyeballs, knees, and phalanges can inspect your equipment and make (re)connectoins as needed. Okay, a quick (old guy) story. We spend one day a week operating a service business with the goal of keeping old audio gear from going into a dumpster. I got a call from a guy who said he was in his 90’s and was having trouble with his "Bose turntable". I knew this wasn’t correct, but didn’t think it was appropriate to challenge his perception of what he owned and agreed to go pick it up and bring it into the shop. When I arrived, he identified himself as a 98-year-old and the what he referred to as a "turntable" was the CD transport on top of his Bose Wave radio. A replacement motor is on it’s way from China. So, things could be worse. Your "stereo" is not a Bose Wave Radio, and you know the difference between a turntable and CD transport. Looks like your remedy may be just around the corner. Best of luck with that. |
I would check where the cable wire is inserted into the temination. A slight chance that it may be loose due to not being fully attached during manufacturing. Try wiggling it near its` insertion as you play some music. If you use locking bananas, check to see if the connector is fully expanded into the speaker binding post.
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Where are you located , one of us Audiophiles maybe can help you if in our area . i am in MA. Many know me from my Duelund Loudspeaker purifiers but I have helped others with Xover upgrade recommendations as well as quality parts and voicing audio Systems . Being a Audiophile for over 40 years is a passion , my only limitation getting near retirement is $$ for more toys . Enjoy your music 🎶 🎼!! |
I feel the OP pain. Just had to spend half an hour reconnecting bare copper wire to a binding post, after my cleaning lady Womanhandled my speakers into submission in the relentless quest to fight dust. Had to fight a Forest of cables and my own body complaining about having to kneel on the floor. I am ordering banana plugs but not looking forward to the joys on installing them |
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Good luck Richard, here’s what I did in your situation. One approach , I took the system apart and cleaned and treated all the cables, components, tubes, and tube sockets with Deoxit. This took a full day. Then I pulled the rack away from the wall and removed the sheeting that covered the back side. I then reassembled everything away from the wall minus the tv and power amp ( weight ). Then someone helped me and we moved it back against the wall. Put the tv back on top and slid the amp onto the shelf. The second time I wanted to tear it down , it was easy as the back had been previously removed. Also with the back removed it’s a big plus when I’m running a tube amp and not SS. I’ll text you a photo of the current setup. Regards, Mike B , Ca. |
