2. amps-preamps
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Uneven Temperature of 2-channel Parasound A23 Amp

I have a Parasound A23 amp. I noticed that the right channel of the amp is so much cooler than the left channel.

I first noted this when I left the amp for a few hours yesterday. Nothing was playing - just that the amp was on.

Although a bit warmer, the right channel seems also cooler after an hour of playing music.

Has anyone experienced this phenomenon?

Parasound A23 power amp
Parasound P3 preamp
B&W 803S speakers
Oppo DV-980H DVD player
morgandogge
5 responses Add your response
phd
1,277 posts
 
Is the balance control centered on your preamp, providing equal drive to each channel of the amp?

Are you using ceiling fans that would cool the right side more than the left and or is the right side exposed to free flow of air, leaving the left side restricted?

If you look into these two things the next thing to do is check bias.
oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,444 posts
 
I don't know if you've had the cover off, but I picked up a B&K amp that was "running hot" on one side. There was nothing wrong with it at all, it was just not a Right/Left symetrical layout inside. The heat sinks and output transistors were all on the right side of the amp. The right cover was always hot and the left side was stone cold, simple as that.
daltonlanny
301 posts
 
Morgandogge,
Thanks for the compliments.
It could be adjusted by a casual listener, but you would need to find out from Parasound where the bias adjusters are inside the amp.
The only problem that I could see that this might cause would be a slight imbalance, sonically, between the left and right channels.
I would recommend contacting Parasound customer service and asking them about it.
Hope this helps.
morgandogge OP
16 posts
 
Thanks for your input. First off, is this something that needs attention at all? Could adjustnent of bias on a solid state piece of equipment be done by a casual user? On a lighter note, I see that you have a pretty nice system setup. That is cool!
daltonlanny
301 posts
 
Sounds to me like the bias is out of adjustment on one of the channels.
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