[JakeMcCarthy94]

Good afternoon everyone, I'm new here but have been reading as a guest for a little while now. Anyways I just bought an Aune T1 with the factory EH 6922, and I also bought a gold lion tube. This is my first tube amp/preamp, but it does not sound right. I am mostly using it as a DAC thats connected to my power amp for my floor standers. Before that I had a cheap Behringer UCA 202. The UCA 202 sounds way brighter and has a wider sound stage than the T1. I have only been using the gold lion tube for about 5 hours total run time, and it has improved but very slightly. Do I just need to give it more time?
 
Another thing is that the left channel has a strange static coming from the T1, its a pretty consistent hiss with the occasional pop. Its bad enough that I can hear it with music playing. It has decreased over time but its still there.
 
And finally, when using the T1 as a DAC/ head phone amp the left channel is significantly quieter. I adjusted the gain switches at the bottom and it sounds ok now, but to me this doesn't seem normal.
 
Also both tubes are quieter on the left channel and have left channel static. 

 

[nykobing]

Try here -
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/633006/aune-t1-usb-tube-dac-amp-discussion-thread-see-first-post-for-faq

 

[JakeMcCarthy94]

I have read most of that post, but there wasn't anything saying why that is happening. Using my computer I have the right channel set at 27% and the right at 65% in order to have balanced sound. My power amp has a USB DSP that shows input and output levels so its not my ears playing tricks. I think I may have a defective unit, I'll probably return it.

 

[MrEleventy]

I think you have a defective unit as well. There's others who have this issue as well.

Typical channel imbalance is usually small and from the pot at low volumes but goes away when the volume is turned up. Anything outside of that, would usually be either tube or device. If you've tried different tubes and still have the same issues, I'm willing to bet it's the device itself. If you can exchange it from where you bought it from, do that first. Dealing with Aune tends to be an expensive and slow affair due to shipping the unit back to China, diagnosing, and then the return trip.

 

[JakeMcCarthy94]

I bought it through amazon so I have sometime to send it back. I emailed the seller and they said that they will pay postage both ways. So as soon as I am home I will send it in. It drives me nuts because all I read about it is positive.