Gandah
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Tim, you probably would know more about the E1 then most, do you think it's possible to replace the volume potentiometer without to much hassle?
Asus Essence One Headphone Amp/DAC (CeBIT 2011)
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Quote:
it's stuck pretty hard.
There are 12 mini pins (soldered to pcb underneath), and 2 large pins right behind it (also being soldered to the pcb).
The best way to take it out, use a heat-gun to the appropriate temperature blowing at the pins.
Do this underneath the pcb, not from above, as it might melt hardware around it.
After it's hot enough, the solder should liquify, just clamp it out with a tool, and put a newer unit in.
Should be the same way as unsoldering/soldering capacitors (the easy heat-gun way).
You might need one of those heatgun with a smaller tip, or an adapter on a larger blow hair dryer sized one.
This will minimize damage.
Tim
it's stuck pretty hard.
There are 12 mini pins (soldered to pcb underneath), and 2 large pins right behind it (also being soldered to the pcb).
The best way to take it out, use a heat-gun to the appropriate temperature blowing at the pins.
Do this underneath the pcb, not from above, as it might melt hardware around it.
After it's hot enough, the solder should liquify, just clamp it out with a tool, and put a newer unit in.
Should be the same way as unsoldering/soldering capacitors (the easy heat-gun way).
You might need one of those heatgun with a smaller tip, or an adapter on a larger blow hair dryer sized one.
This will minimize damage.
Tim
Gandah
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Thanks Tim, appreciated it
With what I have read here and on other forums in the last 24hours, is the imbalance problem lies with the alpha Taiwan potentiometer in all E1's, but can be fixed by turn the volume up, this is why only a few people are having this problem, because low impedance HPs don't require much volume power compared to 50+ ohm HPs. However you can get around this problem by turning down the windows/mac volume by giving more volume play on the E1
But when it comes to using the E1 as a dedicated DAC, for "me" anyhow, the imbalance remains no matter how high I move the volume.
So that's why I asked you about replacing the volume pot, which I'm going to look further into
Cheers Tim,
~Steve
With what I have read here and on other forums in the last 24hours, is the imbalance problem lies with the alpha Taiwan potentiometer in all E1's, but can be fixed by turn the volume up, this is why only a few people are having this problem, because low impedance HPs don't require much volume power compared to 50+ ohm HPs. However you can get around this problem by turning down the windows/mac volume by giving more volume play on the E1
But when it comes to using the E1 as a dedicated DAC, for "me" anyhow, the imbalance remains no matter how high I move the volume.
So that's why I asked you about replacing the volume pot, which I'm going to look further into
Cheers Tim,
~Steve
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Oh, you're talking about the sound im-balance channel issue?
Do you think replacing the volume meter will solve the problem?
I get channel imbalance at low volumes regardless of how many impedance headphones i am using.
Even when correct with Windows Volume, one side always sounds to be 2-5% louder than the other side.
This happens in both DAC and DAC/HPA.
Doesn't bother me too much, as i can have it correct in Audio Control Panel, setting one side 96%, while the lower channel sound at 100%.
Tim
Do you think replacing the volume meter will solve the problem?
I get channel imbalance at low volumes regardless of how many impedance headphones i am using.
Even when correct with Windows Volume, one side always sounds to be 2-5% louder than the other side.
This happens in both DAC and DAC/HPA.
Doesn't bother me too much, as i can have it correct in Audio Control Panel, setting one side 96%, while the lower channel sound at 100%.
Tim
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I have a channel imbalance too. My left channel is louder than the right channel. I believe this is quite common with analog volume controls.
However, the channel imbalance is actually quite bad at low volumes. I only hear the channel imbalance on the speakers' volume knob. I don't notice it on the headphone's volume knob. However, when I turn up the volume it seems to balance it out, but then it's too loud to listen too. What I've done is leave the volume on the DAC at 100% and I control the volume up and down through my speakers' volume knob. That seems to fix the issue.
It does seem a bit ridiculous though to pay a high price and still have to do work around methods to have it work properly.
Does anyone know if any DACs do not have this issue of channel imbalance when using analog volume control? or is it even possible to have it have it perfectly balanced through analog volume control?
However, the channel imbalance is actually quite bad at low volumes. I only hear the channel imbalance on the speakers' volume knob. I don't notice it on the headphone's volume knob. However, when I turn up the volume it seems to balance it out, but then it's too loud to listen too. What I've done is leave the volume on the DAC at 100% and I control the volume up and down through my speakers' volume knob. That seems to fix the issue.
It does seem a bit ridiculous though to pay a high price and still have to do work around methods to have it work properly.
Does anyone know if any DACs do not have this issue of channel imbalance when using analog volume control? or is it even possible to have it have it perfectly balanced through analog volume control?
Gandah
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I agree absolutely ridiculous, I also don't have any imbalance problem with internal HP amp, well I did when I first got it, but went away after a few hundred hours, I'm hopeful for the same with the XLR/RCA pot, but I'm not going to hold my breath as its more severe, 5db difference guesstimating
Your Denon's and my Fostex are very much the same HPs in build, and Ohms, and are both made by Fostex. Where approximately do you normally set your volume on average? for me I have windows volume at 40 and internal HP amp at 10 o'clock, this also depends on source file, but on average its 40, 10
I agree absolutely ridiculous, I also don't have any imbalance problem with internal HP amp, well I did when I first got it, but went away after a few hundred hours, I'm hopeful for the same with the XLR/RCA pot, but I'm not going to hold my breath as its more severe, 5db difference guesstimating
Your Denon's and my Fostex are very much the same HPs in build, and Ohms, and are both made by Fostex. Where approximately do you normally set your volume on average? for me I have windows volume at 40 and internal HP amp at 10 o'clock, this also depends on source file, but on average its 40, 10
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Agree with it not showing as much on Headphones, but yeah, speakers it surely hits hard.
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Yeah for Spotify and MOG this works great but for Foobar using ASIO it's not. I've been searching for a plugin but haven't fund one that works unfortunately
Yeah for Spotify and MOG this works great but for Foobar using ASIO it's not. I've been searching for a plugin but haven't fund one that works unfortunately
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I leave the Windows volume at 100% and the HP amp volume is usually at 7-8 o'clock position.
I agree absolutely ridiculous, I also don't have any imbalance problem with internal HP amp, well I did when I first got it, but went away after a few hundred hours, I'm hopeful for the same with the XLR/RCA pot, but I'm not going to hold my breath as its more severe, 5db difference guesstimating
Your Denon's and my Fostex are very much the same HPs in build, and Ohms, and are both made by Fostex. Where approximately do you normally set your volume on average? for me I have windows volume at 40 and internal HP amp at 10 o'clock, this also depends on source file, but on average its 40, 10
I leave the Windows volume at 100% and the HP amp volume is usually at 7-8 o'clock position.
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Do you leave the volume on the speakers DAC at 100% and control the volume through the speakers itself?
You have the same speakers as I do. I'm just curious to how you control yours.
Do you leave the volume on the speakers DAC at 100% and control the volume through the speakers itself?
You have the same speakers as I do. I'm just curious to how you control yours.
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The A5+ that i use is heavily moded (http://www.head-fi.org/t/644525/audioengine-a5-speaker-upgrades).
I would say it's 2-5% less loud than the regular.
Tim
- 100% in Windows.
- 12-3PM on Essence One
- Volume is controlled on the A5+ to my desired listening levels.
The A5+ that i use is heavily moded (http://www.head-fi.org/t/644525/audioengine-a5-speaker-upgrades).
I would say it's 2-5% less loud than the regular.
Tim
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I do it the exact same way as you. Windows is a 100% and I have the volume set at 3 o'clock position on the Essence One right now. I also use the volume knob on the A5+ to control the volume.
I do it the exact same way as you. Windows is a 100% and I have the volume set at 3 o'clock position on the Essence One right now. I also use the volume knob on the A5+ to control the volume.
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hmmm interesting, I hear no difference with XLR volume between 9-5 o'clock. Makes me think why asus didn't just put a pre-amp button rather than volume pot
hmmm interesting, I hear no difference with XLR volume between 9-5 o'clock. Makes me think why asus didn't just put a pre-amp button rather than volume pot
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That's awesome hahaha!
3 o'clock is good, as anything before 12 has a channel imbalance issue on speakers.
I set it at 3 just in case it needs any extra room to settle down the balancing problem.
How do you like your A5+'s with the Essence One?
Which op-amps are you using?
Seems to me, that whichever op-amp you use, A5+ has great smooth treble, and good bass impact.
The LME49710 & LME49720 which is suppose to be more centralized on sound stage/detail/separation/treble still sounds great on the A5+.
It's actually my preferred as i felt prior bass was too over the top, and the LME49710/20 fixed the issue nicely.
Makes it sound more neutral which is nice.
With NE5532 sitting in I/V and LFP though....it's bass becomes overly emphasized, and that ends up covering up all the other features that i preferred.
Just thought like sharing.
Tim
That's awesome hahaha!
3 o'clock is good, as anything before 12 has a channel imbalance issue on speakers.
I set it at 3 just in case it needs any extra room to settle down the balancing problem.
How do you like your A5+'s with the Essence One?
Which op-amps are you using?
Seems to me, that whichever op-amp you use, A5+ has great smooth treble, and good bass impact.
The LME49710 & LME49720 which is suppose to be more centralized on sound stage/detail/separation/treble still sounds great on the A5+.
It's actually my preferred as i felt prior bass was too over the top, and the LME49710/20 fixed the issue nicely.
Makes it sound more neutral which is nice.
With NE5532 sitting in I/V and LFP though....it's bass becomes overly emphasized, and that ends up covering up all the other features that i preferred.
Just thought like sharing.
Tim
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