2. amps-preamps
  3. 1264817256

Frustrated with new pre-amp and need advice

Hello all. I just bought a new tube preamp from a well-respected company. I'd rather not say who at this point because I'm still trying to work with them. But I am not real satisfied with the responses I've gotten thus far and need to know if my concerns are valid.

There are two main problems: (1) whenever I change sources or go passed 0 volume, I get a loud thump through my speakers. (2) When I have the phono input selected and i'm listening to an lp (via the internal phono board) but my cd is spinning too, I can clearly hear the CD source. It's intruding into the phono input.

So the manuf. rep has pretty much blamed problem #1 on either my ground connection or my power amp. However, when I use another pre amp (a peachtree decco), this problem doesn't happen. So how can it be a problem with my ground or amp?

For problem #2, they've not commented on what could be going on, and their silence doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy.

So I'd most like to know if others ever have similar problems with any of their gear, if they indicate a defect in the equipment, or are these issues things I'll have to learn to live with.

I appreciate all comments!

Steve
slanski62

Showing 1 response by blindjim

blindjim
3,092 posts
 

If the co. has a very consumer friendly stance, asking and getting a replacement unit this early on ought not to be an issue. Even if it’s mentioned some more run in time is required first.

A second same unit will do one of 3 things… alieviate the issue entirely, or determine it is a mismatch for your current setup or lastly, some revision is necessary to the current production models.

Each of those items ultimately formulates into a win win situation.

I don’t use all the inputs on my tube preamp. It has 4 pairs/sets. It is SE only. Normally I’ll use two. A while back after reconfiguring sources on the preamps inputs I mis-selected one of them. I forget exactly which one the selector knob was set to, and while in the other room used the remote to raise the vol. Both sources were on at the time too.

I kept raising the volume and could only faintly hear any source material. Turned out the knob was on a blank spot and the source I heard was on the adjacent or next position over.

So indeed there was some bleed through that could barely be heard yet the volume level to encounter this anomoly had to be at near the max setting.

Once previously on a 100% balanced preamp this exact same thing occurred. In both cases I feel I was very lucky.

During normal operating levels, all other sources were/are inaudible. Again, only when at the near full on vol level or at full on was anything at all audible from an adjacent source selected position… so we’re talking extremes here.

Not just run of the mill routine operating procedures.

I’ve had several preamps and amp combos in here… with some being quite inexpensive and some being very expensive. In none of those mixings have I ever had any bleed thru from one source to another aside from my above accounts.

Lastly… a brand new preamp… SS or tube… should not induce any thunks or plunks audibly to the speakers when sources are changed, especially if prudence with the volume is in force during the source changes… or at least I’ve never experienced such things with any pre or even proc I’ve yet owned..

Hopefully your brand will see to it you are treated fairly and satisfied very soon.
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