I’ve been trying to isolate a left channel issue on my P2, and have got a bit stuck. Symptom is that the left channel has lost most of its gain / output level. I can still hear music with my ear close to the speaker, but when I stand back in a normal listening position the sound is centred somewhere close to the other speaker.
I’ve tried swapping valves, in case one is playing up, but none of them made any difference - both signal and PSU valves.
I then checked the audio circuit voltages against the chart @murrayjohnson gave me - all are close to the expected values.
Looking at the passive components, none has any visible damage, but one pin connector on the ECC83 socket (V3) looks a bit dark and dirty:
It’s one down from top left, pin 2 (grid) I think, and I’m wondering if that looks normal or not and, if not, how best to fix it. Is there an effective way to clean it or am I going to have to replace the socket?
For comparison, here’s the other socket in the phono circuit (V6), looking a bit cleaner:
Calling @murrayjohnson , @Valvebloke , @sjs or anyone who can help - any advice greatly appreciated!
That darkened hole in the socket does correspond to the Left channel grid connection on that valve base so worth checking that there’s continuity between R5 & C7 and that point.
Take a continuity meter & hold one probe to the socket (blue arrow) and the other to ends of R5 & C7 (Red arrows). Touching the probe to either/both of those should make your meter bleep. If you have a good connection there you’ll need to search elesewhere.
If, as you suggest, all the DC conditions are as they should be, it does suggest that a signal coupling component (paper in oil cap) has gone open circuit or a joint to one of them has failed.
I must give my P2 a run out sometime. Haven’t tried it for a while.
4 Likes
Thanks Guy! It took a bit of a search, but after getting good continuity along the signal path, about the right capacitance values for the coupling caps on my basic meter and a lot of head-scratching, I decided to de-solder and re-flow a number of joints. Put it back together tonight and I have 2 channels again. I suspect the joint at the valve socket but can’t be certain - don’t really care as I have tunes back
Thanks again for the advice and pointers
6 Likes
Nice. I had a J7 rebuilt Xenon on my Voyd for a while. Great combination esp with the Io gold I had at the time.
1 Like
+1 - borrowing your Xenon is what led to me acquiring my HR100S, those arms just seem to work really well on the Voyd.
2 Likes
While we’re on Voyd’s, I’d appreciate knowing if anybody rates the 2 motor (standard ?) Valdi ?
Better than my Denon DP-80 ?
Thanks
I have a FR64FX (silver wired) and an IO1 to try out on it, should give some interesting combinations - just need to get on and cut the new arm board, finish the case for the SUT etc…
The FR64s is the nicest sounding arm I’ve tried on it. Quite a different presentation to the Alphason maybe less explicit but more colourful sweet and relaxed.
2 Likes
Hope the FX is something like that - I guess it should have a family sound
They are good decks, well worth trying out if you cannot get a Voyd.
Will have different sound to a Denon DD , you’ll have to try it and find out.
But I lived with a Technics DD for some time and much prefer the Voyd I have now.
More of a sense of a stage with real depth to the music.
The Techie just didn’t give me this.
1 Like