2. amps-preamps
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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
sc53
689 posts
 
Where is your preamp? You can't just run the EAR phono pre straight into an amp, you need to connect it to a preamp then to the amp.
gregm
3,021 posts
 
Wksesq, don't know yr phono. So, simple guidelines follow: first check the connections on the PHONO: the arm cable should go to PHONO "IN" left / right(red) at the correct set of inputs ("hi-output", MM -or similarly noted). Second, connect the I/C from the EAR OUTPUT (observing the same L/R config.) to a "line" input on the pre. Ofcourse it's best to turn off the pre while yr at it.

Hopefully, nothing mechanical is wrong.
Good luck!
vantageaudio
182 posts
 

The EAR 834P does NOT have any RIAA equalization and is only a pre-preamplifier. Therefore you will need to feed it into an equalized phono stage to get the correct signal.

Your channel im-balance problem may be related to cartridge alignment or interconnect problems..?

Hope this helps, regards, Richard

xiekitchen
819 posts
 
Did you or an experienced tech. mount the cartridge? Correct alignment of cartridge is absolutely important. There are tools for this, but I'd rely on a really experienced tech. person.
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