Need Help: What In My Home Electric System Killed the Sound?


Could really use some troubleshooting from you electric experts out there, of which I certainly am not one.  House is in rural western Maine.  My electrician (licensed and very experienced, but not in audiophile context) is running a dedicated line to the 2-channel rig.  He installed the new line up to the outlet, but didn't complete yet (we're waiting for delivery on the outlet), so the new line is temporarily capped off at the wall.  In the meantime, elsewhere in the house, he changed a broken recessed light socket and changed the related wiring to that light.  Those are the only two changes to the electric I am aware of.   The 2-channel system remains plugged into the same outlet we've been using for years (until the dedicated line is in).  This weekend, the life is gone fro the system.  For example, volume at "25" on the pre-amp would normally be quite loud, but now it needs to be turned up to 40 to get the same loudness.  Regardless, dynamics are gone, tempo is a tiny bit slow and has lost toe tapping, and vocals moved from near field to way back in the mix.   Nothing was changed in the system (Rega Saturn CDP; McIntosh C52; McIntosh 452; and Polk SDA 1.2 TL (heavily modded)).   Any thoughts on what might have cause these symptoms?  Electrician can't pinpoint anything.  Any input appreciated.  
Ag insider logo xs@2xwhitecap
just a suggestion , but make sure you or someone else didn't accidentally adjust the input level in the pre  on one or all of the inputs . usually done per  source input.
I know i had a c47 and  I did this , then if forgot how to get back to it .
If i remember it is a little tricky to get into the settings.
Yes, all is finally right with the system.  After extended checking and rechecking with the electrician about the home's electric system, I then did a component by component process of elimination  --  saving the amp for last because of size/weight, its no picnic to handle and ship.  Of course it turned out that the amplifier was the issue.  I don't know the technical details, but something got overcooked in the amp, and the cause was not determined  --  perhaps due to electrical surge/lightning strike nearby.  I (unwisely) did not have surge protection in the system at the time.  Anyway, the good people at Audio Classics identified the problem and fixed it.  BTW, I can now report happily that installation of the dedicated line (first thought to be the problem) has yielded huge sonic benefits; the system is now sounding better than ever, far better.  

Thanks for all the helpful responsive comments.