On 19 Aug 2012 at 7:35pm sean wrote:
Hi All
Help Help Help...please.
im having some real problems with my hifi. i own a A custom built audio note hifi comprising of a pair of kegons a m8 preamp custom built dac and cd 2 . i recently added a gyrodec with lin arm and audio technica cart and perched a pair of pearl evolution ballerina 401's thanks pete ..i had my hifi in storage for approx 3 yrs or so 2days ago i put it all back together again with my new purchases and it sounds awful so depressed . the speakers sounded wonderful when i auditioned them but all i am getting now is via the gyrodec is all mid and treble no bass distorted sound from the cd player same again distorted but has lots off bass . the dac just has lots of mains hum barley no audio signal at all anything past quarter volume just sounds like a mess. please can you help thanks sean.
On 19 Aug 2012 at 7:45pm Mme B wrote:
Would love to help but didn't understand a word. Hope you have better luck with someone more savvy.
On 19 Aug 2012 at 8:01pm some help wrote:
Check youâ??re not getting any phazing from the leads being round the wrong way, especially the speaker cables, this can cause an uneven pulsing sound with lack of bass etc. Check everything is properly earthed as this can cause lack of sound and electrical hiss. No bass on your turntable sounds like a pre-amp issue. Dac may have some other issues, difficult to say, try resetting it. Suggest you taken everything apart and put it back together again otherwise get an audio technician to have a look.
On 19 Aug 2012 at 8:07pm some help wrote:
If you've got another pair of speakers that are compactable try them to dismiss that the issues are caused by the speakers
On 19 Aug 2012 at 11:51pm SOM (15A) wrote:
I would start from basics,
Set the Amp and Pre up making sure you use a known good RCA Inteconnecter,
Then connect up the Ballerina's make sure you keep the polarity correct + to +
- to - and you connect to all four binding post of the speakers either by using speaker jumpers or a bi-wire Speaker cable,
Turn on the Amp/Pre Amp and select an input (At the moment with no CD/DAC Or Turntable connected,
Listen to the system, you should have a clean white noise with no hum,
If you don't ,swap the RCA connector and try again, if you still don't then try the Mains cable, DONT MOVE ON UNTIL YOU HAVE THIS RIGHT,
Next Plug in the DAC to the Pre Amp BUT DO NOT PLUG THE CD TRANSPORT IN TO THE DAC,
Now try the same thing .. Turn the system ON and listen to the speakers for a clean white noise with no hum.,
If you have a hum look at the interconector between the DAC and Pre, Change that if needed , if you still have a hum change the mains cable to the DAC,
DO NOT MOVE ON UNTIL THIS IS CLEAN,
If you are unable to get a clean white noise the fault is within the DAC ,
If you have a clean signal at the stage plug the CD Transport in to DAC and repeat the same ,
Replacing the RCA between the CD and DAC if you have a hum , and then the mains cable if needed,
If you can not get a clean white noise at this stage then the CD is at fault,
If it is clean then play a CD, ...
If you have been unable to get a clean signal from cd and dac , you could try a standard CD Player straight in to the Pre Amp,
If you are winning at this stage Listen to a now well recorded cd and play around with moving the speakers and listen position , Maybe look at the room if the system sound incorrect.
Move on to the Turntable,
There are so many things that might make the turntable sound wrong,
Again start basic ,
You should be able to get an exceptable sound with out playing with the setting on the turntable itself to start with, So leave the arm setting as they are at the moment,
If you plug the Turntable into your Pre amp then I guess the Pre amp has an Inbuilt Phono Stage, ?
You need to check that you have the right settings on the phono stage,
I guess that the Cartridge is MM (Moving Magnet) so this is the first thing to check,
On the pre some where will be a MM (Moving Magnet) MC (Moving Coil) Switch,
Make sure this is set correctly ,
There are also a few other things to adjust but it will depend on the Phono Stage in the Pre to what is avalablie most Phone Stages will have a switch for Cartridge loading and one for capacitance , but this is fine tuning really .
This should get you up and running.
On 20 Aug 2012 at 1:51am TDA wrote:
Anyone fancy a pint?
On 20 Aug 2012 at 5:54am Dozer wrote:
I can't, im asleep after reading all that. lol 
On 20 Aug 2012 at 6:32am Numbnumb wrote:
Cant believe I actually read it! I have no idea what the hell he was on about!
On 20 Aug 2012 at 8:18am Pete wrote:
Me too !! That was amazing !
On 20 Aug 2012 at 9:10am Ben wrote:
Me too. Not a clue....but couldn't stop reading.
On 20 Aug 2012 at 9:37am Chaucer wrote:
The life so short, the craft so long to learn!!
On 20 Aug 2012 at 3:46pm Sussex Jim wrote:
If your equipment has been out of use for a year or two it may be that the electrolytic capacitors have dried out. Try connecting to a variable transformer and gradually raise the input from zero to 240volts in order to reform them.
They may need replacing.
On 20 Aug 2012 at 6:04pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
Gosh, it's like reading a foreign language!
What knowledgeable folk we have on this forum. I was going to suggest reading the instructions as that sometimes helps.
On 21 Aug 2012 at 11:04am middleclassandabitsmug wrote:
Mornington Crescent!
On 21 Aug 2012 at 5:41pm Pete wrote:
I think you made that up Sussex Jim just to be "cool" - go on, tell us the truth...
On 21 Aug 2012 at 7:04pm SOM (15A) wrote:
It is possible electrolytic capacitors have dried out but I have never hear of them
being reformed ! Once the electrolyte has dried up or leaked out the electrolytic capacitors have had it !
I wonder how Sean is getting on ? he's gone quiet ......
On 22 Aug 2012 at 8:31am Sussex Jim wrote:
Pete, I do not need to be "cool". I am educated to HNC level in electronics and have experience going back to the days when you could take your hi-fi into a high street shop and have a local technician repair it. There used to be several in Lewes.
I am on this thread seriously to help people like Sean; and I suggest that you and others stop adding useless banal comments.
On 22 Aug 2012 at 8:37am Pete wrote:
Sorry Sussex Jim, no offence intended. A few notes for you on electrolytic capacitors attached.....
Check it out here »
On 22 Aug 2012 at 7:44pm som (15A) wrote:
I still offer a repair service in Lewes ! Just of the High Street.
And many years ago back in the late 80's work for another in Lewes.
some of you may remember Lewes Television LTD...
On 22 Aug 2012 at 10:23pm Film Buff wrote:
electrolytic capacitors...Wasn't that what Marty McFly had in that Delorion car in Back to the Future...??
On 27 Aug 2012 at 10:28am Sean wrote:
Hello all thank you for your comments , sorry for the delay in getting back to you all
Som (15a) I did as you recommended , I stripped hifi down cleaned and acquired some new RCA's. and a can of contact cleaner I found that the 2 6x5wtg in the preamp to be very noisy so I cleaned and reseated them that seamed to do the trick all mains hum gone. The dac when I opened her up I found that the 6x5wgt green Philips jan valve has gone , so I am in need of a replacement tube . Do you have 1 and how much ? I am also selling a lp12 with grace arm and sure cart I'd anybody Interested and I'm looking for a good mc cartridge for my gyrodec many thanks regards Sean