[gimmeheadroom]

It's hard to know what's going on. There are a few possibilities but first of all on paper your amp and speaker are a good match. But those speakers need a lot of power so certainly a decent quality power cord won't hurt. You don't need to spend hundreds of quid either.

BTW dual mono is normally used to describe a topology where you have a stereo amp in one enclosure, but it has separate power supplies and electronics for each channel. It's superior to designs that share a common supply and signal path.

Make sure the amp is situated where it has plenty of airflow. What is your input source when you hear the distortion and do all input sources sound bad in the same way?

 

[gryffe]

It's hard to know what's going on. There are a few possibilities but first of all on paper your amp and speaker are a good match. But those speakers need a lot of power so certainly a decent quality power cord won't hurt. You don't need to spend hundreds of quid either.

BTW dual mono is normally used to describe a topology where you have a stereo amp in one enclosure, but it has separate power supplies and electronics for each channel. It's superior to designs that share a common supply and signal path.

Make sure the amp is situated where it has plenty of airflow. What is your input source when you hear the distortion and do all input sources sound bad in the same way?

 

[gryffe]

Hi, thanks for reply @gimmeheadroom

Could you give me an example of a "decent quality power cord"? Preferably from Amazon, cos I could send it back for refund if it didnt make any difference lol.

The amp has plenty of airflow. As far as sources go, I can hear the distortion on both CD and streaming when playing the same song.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Hi, thanks for reply @gimmeheadroom

Could you give me an example of a "decent quality power cord"? Preferably from Amazon, cos I could send it back for refund if it didnt make any difference lol.

The amp has plenty of airflow. As far as sources go, I can hear the distortion on both CD and streaming when playing the same song.

Hi, I'm sorry I don't use scamazon but I hope the guys can give you some suitable suggestions.

Good news on the airflow.

Are you sure the problem is with the amp? Could you explain your chain a bit more? As I understand it, everything is going through the Brooklyn DAC?

 

[gryffe]

Hi, I'm sorry I don't use scamazon but I hope the guys can give you some suitable suggestions.

Good news on the airflow.

Are you sure the problem is with the amp? Could you explain your chain a bit more? As I understand it, everything is going through the Brooklyn DAC?

Hi sorry about not getting back last night.

I don't think the problem is with the amp, I think it's more that the speakers are maybe incompatible with the amp, or at least that seems to be what some people are leaning towards on other forums.

I presume if it was something like a damaged tweeter it would sound terrible 100% of the time and would make listening to music pretty much impossible, which is certainly far from being the case here?

The chain is as follows, not sure how much detail you need so I'll list everything.

Mytek Brooklyn DAC/Pre amp
MCRU LPS for Brooklyn DAC/Pre amp
Mytek Brookline Amp + (power amp) - connected by balanced cables to pre amp
Stack Audio Link II Network Player (streamer) with USB connected to Brooklyn DAC/Pre amp
Stack Audio VOLT (LPS to power the Link II)
CYRUS CD T transport
Rega Planar 6 turntable
Bowers + Wilkins 603 floorstanders
Cambridge Audio Minx 200 subwoofer

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Hi sorry about not getting back last night.

Everybody is entitled to sleep at some point

I don't think the problem is with the amp, I think it's more that the speakers are maybe incompatible with the amp, or at least that seems to be what some people are leaning towards on other forums.

I don't think that's possible. Speakers and amps that are not damaged do not distort. They may or may not be optimal together but they won't sound bad.

I presume if it was something like a damaged tweeter it would sound terrible 100% of the time and would make listening to music pretty much impossible, which is certainly far from being the case here?

The chain is as follows, not sure how much detail you need so I'll list everything.

Mytek Brooklyn DAC/Pre amp
MCRU LPS for Brooklyn DAC/Pre amp
Mytek Brookline Amp + (power amp) - connected by balanced cables to pre amp
Stack Audio Link II Network Player (streamer) with USB connected to Brooklyn DAC/Pre amp
Stack Audio VOLT (LPS to power the Link II)
CYRUS CD T transport
Rega Planar 6 turntable
Bowers + Wilkins 603 floorstanders
Cambridge Audio Minx 200 subwoofer

It's hard for me to keep track of all this but the key to diagnosing problems is setting up a minimal case where the problem occurs, thereby eliminating the complexity and ruling out everything that is not to blame. And this even includes cables. And note, speaker cable polarity matters. Make sure the red and black leads from the amp go to the correct terminals on the speakers.

For example, unplug everything that's not involved, disconnect all cables. Listen to a CD over your Brooklyn DAC (+ ?) over headphones.

Is there distortion?
No - connect the DAC to the power amp and listen over speakers.
Yes - play a CD from a different CD player.

etc.

 

[gryffe]

Everybody is entitled to sleep at some point



I don't think that's possible. Speakers and amps that are not damaged do not distort. They may or may not be optimal together but they won't sound bad.



It's hard for me to keep track of all this but the key to diagnosing problems is setting up a minimal case where the problem occurs, thereby eliminating the complexity and ruling out everything that is not to blame. And this even includes cables. And note, speaker cable polarity matters. Make sure the red and black leads from the amp go to the correct terminals on the speakers.

For example, unplug everything that's not involved, disconnect all cables. Listen to a CD over your Brooklyn DAC (+ ?) over headphones.

Is there distortion?
No - connect the DAC to the power amp and listen over speakers.
Yes - play a CD from a different CD player.

etc.

Thanks for reply. I've been out all day today so not had a chance to reply

I wont have a chance to do all that you suggest till tomorrow as its late now, but as suggested elsewhere I quickly switched the speaker cables around and the distortion is now in right speaker, previously on left speaker.

I'll report back tomorrow after I've tried certain things unplugged, and when I can play with a bit of volume.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Thanks for reply. I've been out all day today so not had a chance to reply

I wont have a chance to do all that you suggest till tomorrow as its late now, but as suggested elsewhere I quickly switched the speaker cables around and the distortion is now in right speaker, previously on left speaker.

I'll report back tomorrow after I've tried certain things unplugged, and when I can play with a bit of volume.

That's very interesting and unexpected. But, speaker cables are easy and cheap to replace, so hopefully you have found the culprit!

 

[gryffe]

That's very interesting and unexpected. But, speaker cables are easy and cheap to replace, so hopefully you have found the culprit!

It's not the cable. I meant I just swapped the speaker cable at the amp end between left and right, and the distortion moved to the right speaker where previously it was on left speaker.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I see, oh, that's bad. So if you verified the problem occurs with more than one source, use a good pair of headphones and see if it's the DAC or the amp.

 

[gryffe]

I see, oh, that's bad. So if you verified the problem occurs with more than one source, use a good pair of headphones and see if it's the DAC or the amp.

I think I'm going to get new speakers, I was going to be doing that this year anyway and this has just brought things forward.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

From what you wrote, it is clearly not the speakers that are the problem.

 

[gryffe]

From what you wrote, it is clearly not the speakers that are the problem.

Yeah probably not, unless they are both gubbed no matter how unlikely that is?

I guess we just need to shelve this till Wednesday and see what happens with the new speakers I'm auditioning, assuming I like them and bring them home.
If the fault still exists with the new speakers it’s back to the drawing board I suppose, and at least I’ll have new speakers. I hadn’t planned on getting them till nearer the end of the year, it will just have brought the purchase of them forward.
I’ll still have the problem, but I would still have the problem regardless of what speakers I had lol

Oh, And thanks for all the help, much appreciated

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I'm not following you. In your initial description you mentioned distortion but did not say that it was only on one channel. Later it seemed you narrowed it down to one channel and then confirmed by swapping speaker cables at the amp, and the distortion moved to the other speaker.

So I don't understand why you think both speakers might be problematic. I've read nothing here that suggests the problem could be anything but the amp, DAC, or source (IOW, not the speakers).

If I read between the lines, this has been nothing more than a charade to justify your purchase of new speakers! Shocking behavior on headfi!

 

[gryffe]

I'm not following you. In your initial description you mentioned distortion but did not say that it was only on one channel. Later it seemed you narrowed it down to one channel and then confirmed by swapping speaker cables at the amp, and the distortion moved to the other speaker.

So I don't understand why you think both speakers might be problematic. I've read nothing here that suggests the problem could be anything but the amp, DAC, or source (IOW, not the speakers).

If I read between the lines, this has been nothing more than a charade to justify your purchase of new speakers! Shocking behavior on headfi!

Lol

Time will tell!