Hi-fi advice needed...

[JohnH]

In either 2003 or 2004, I visited Richer Sounds and bought one of these Cambridge Audio A1 amps for about 80 or 90 quid...
http://www.richersounds.com/product/amp ... b-a1v3-blk

Everything was fine at louder volumes, but when you turned it down to about the volume that we speak at, the left channel would drop more quickly than the right, the sound would appear to shift to the right, and I'd have to compensate with the balance knob. A bit of a pain in the arse, and not what you'd expect from "proper" hi-fi separates.

Why I didn't take the damn thing back to Richer Sounds there and then for a replacement, I'll never know in a million years. I could punch myself for being such a total numptoid. :roll:

Anyway, after years of being stored in its original packaging, I set it up yesterday so that I can listen to a radio tuner bought from eBay. I thought that the problem with the L-R imbalance wouldn't bother me, but having to fiddle with the balance control every time I adjust the volume turns out to be a complete pain in the crevice.

In the hope of getting it fixed, I looked on Yell.com for hi-fi repair workshops near to me, but they seem to have gone the way of the dinosaurs.

Is this a lost cause? Should I just junk it and buy something else? Would an amp with a dodgy volume control fetch anything on eBay? :?

Or should I just stop being a big fanny and put up with it?

 

[rosstheboss]

Mine did exactly the same thing - does it have the split volume knob? I just twisted one a bit further round than the other and put up with it! Sorry to not be of much more help, but also remember £80 is at the loooooow end of hifi, not that that's really an excuse.... :roll: :roll: :roll:

Or you could try here...
http://support.cambridgeaudio.com/faqs_ ... &x=26&y=14

 

[REKIBorter]

LGF is your man for any hifi questions. Even has his own hifi for sale thread http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=80994

 

[Skeelsie]

Have a look for a bargain Sony TAF-920 or 930 940.

£50 notes could have you an understated powerful amp that has battleship build and will pee all over a lot of expensive "Hi-Fi" brands.

 

[JohnH]

Mine did exactly the same thing - does it have the split volume knob? I just twisted one a bit further round than the other and put up with it!

I wish it did, Ross! I could do the same thing and forget about the fault.

Sorry to not be of much more help, but also remember £80 is at the loooooow end of hifi, not that that's really an excuse.... :roll: :roll: :roll:

All replies are appreciated, and yeah, I was in two minds about coming onto the forum to moan about an 80 quid amp -- I must look like such a tight-fisted git!

Or you could try here...
http://support.cambridgeaudio.com/faqs_ ... &x=26&y=14

Thanks for that link, I didn't know that CA had a support site. Apparently, Richer Sounds is the exclusive distributor in the UK -- I'll send them an e-mail to see what my repair options are...

LGF is your man for any hifi questions.

Cheers Rekiborter, let's hope that the title of this thread catches his eye!

Have a look for a bargain Sony TAF-920 or 930 940.

£50 notes could have you an understated powerful amp that has battleship build and will pee all over a lot of expensive "Hi-Fi" brands.

Thanks for the recommendation Skeelsie, I'll do an eBay search.

I've already been looking at the price of secondhand Denon PMA-250s and 255s. Come to think of it, if I'd just spent an extra £30 at Richer Sounds, I could have bought a Denon instead of the box of bolts I walked away with... :roll:

 

[KeepItSteel]

I believe RicherSounds owns Cambridge Audio.

it sounds like your Potentionometer Fybroid Flux Capacitor is wonky.

Have you tried linking the two knobs together with an elastic band?


Seriously, try taking it to a RicherSounds store, if they take you seriously theyll be able to repair it, if theyre even better at their job they'll convince you to buy an Cambridge Azur 640A amp.

 

[Skeelsie]

Sorry full model numbers are;

Sony TA-FB920R
Sony TA-FB930R
Sony TA-FB940R

Aim to pay between £40-£70 depending on condition.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SONY-INTERGRATED- ... 2eb0d4b227

 

[xerxes]

Does the amp use a pot (potentiometer), or is the volume control electronic?

Given the symptoms it's almost certaingly a pot and it will have something like this behind the knob on the inside of the amp, ignore the sliding one on the lower left:

The channel balance is often slightly uneven on these, even when new, especially the cheaper ones, and as they rely on a wiper on a carbon track they wear over time and get worse. Because the resistance increase is logarithmic, as opposed to linear the inbalance is always more noticeable at lower volumes, where the resistance is highest.

If you open up the amp, you may be able to see the make and model number and order a new one and solder it in. If not, you need to find one with the same value, which should be marked on the part, typically 10, 50 or 100k ohms. If it's soldered directly to a circuit board, you'll have to find one with similar pin spacing as well.

A new pot should cost no more than £10 to £15 even if you replace it with a really good quality one like this: http://www.rapidonline.com/Electron...meters/Professional-audio-potentiometer/65228, generally they're under a fiver.

Make sure you leave the amp switched off and unplugged for half an hour or so before you go poking around inside, some large capacitors can store electricity for quite a while and will give you a jolt if you're not careful.

 

[legrandefromage]

there might be some channel potentiometers inside the amp to balance it out, if not, just put up with it. theres not much you can do.

changing the volume pot may not solve anything as it may be an imbalance in the pre amp circuit or the main amp circuit, or both.

 

[TheGreenRabbit]

turn it up to 11 !!!