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Balance Control?

post #1 of 8
1/29/12 at 8:11am
Thread Starter 

In June of this year I will be moving to house which will preclude me from using my amp and speakers for a while and I was thinking of getting a BHSE/SR-009 as a replacement. My current setup has a Herron VTPH-2 driving a Cary SLI-80.I have a large ear-to-ear imbalance that needs a balance control which the SLI-80 provides.

 

I would drive the BHSE directly from my Herron VTPH-2 (1.0 V output)  but would lose the balance control feature from the SLI-80.

 

Anyone know of a way to insert a balance control into this arrangement?  I don't want to put a linestage into the mix solely for a balance control.

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post #2 of 8
1/29/12 at 12:08pm

Do you exclusively play vinyl?  If not, and you are interested in computer audio, the latest music players (e.g., I use PureMusic and Amarra on Macs) have relatively simple balance controls built in.  Otherwise I think you may be able to add a couple of in line resistors to create a continuous imbalance -- though as others may attest this may color the sound.   

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post #3 of 8
1/29/12 at 12:17pm
Thread Starter 

Strictly vinyl.

 

Thanks

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post #4 of 8
1/29/12 at 3:27pm

how about trying to reproduce the current speaker + room sound - at the cost level you're talking the Smyth SVS Realizer is not that big of deal, you could even save on headphones, and "cheap out" with LCD-3 or HD-800 and $1k amp for 1/2 the price

 

http://smyth-research.com/index.htmlS is a revolutionary audio process that emulates, in headphones, the complete experience of listening to actual loudspeakers in an actual room, in up to eight-channel surround sound.

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post #5 of 8
1/29/12 at 10:09pm

Talk to Justin to see if can't build you a BHSE with dual volume controls. 

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post #6 of 8
1/30/12 at 9:04am

I've seen pictures of a RK50 with concentric shafts to do balance.

But i believe its a very custom item, and probably very expensive.

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post #7 of 8
2/1/12 at 7:16pm

The STAX amplifiers themselves have the "dual knob" volume controls; so does the Koss E.90 (ESP/950 amplifier). Would let you do what you're after, without inserting more equipment. Different amplifier (or headphones) though. I don't know if the STAX knob will "track" with an offset; the Koss will not (what I mean by "track with an offset" is along the lines of my old AKAI - you can adjust one channel to be X dB different from the other, and then turn the larger (rear) knob and both channels will move together, maintaining the offset difference, until one/both of them reach their maximum). That said, it isn't really that much of a pain to adjust both to-taste while listening (I even do this with the AKAI, despite the feature). 

 

Here's a picture of the STAX showing the knob:

http://staxusa.com/images/products/269.jpg

 

Here's Koss' explanation of the feature:

Quote:
 
How is a dual volume control different from a balance control?

A dual volume control incorporates volume control and balance control into one control. It allows the listener to adjust the sound level in either stereophone ear cup independently of each other. A balance control works in conjunction with a volume control to limit or increase the amount of sound that reaches a listener’s ear. A dual volume control is also a great feature for people with partial hearing loss in one or both ears.

 

Again, different amplifier (or total system) than what you had in mind, but it would get the job done neatly. 

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post #8 of 8
2/1/12 at 8:43pm

My SRM007II's volume controls track together offset or not. You must grab both independently to shift the balance. Run them down all the way and they will slide into reset with a little pressure.

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