[Born2bwire]

Quote:

the left channel on my mg head fades away faster than the right when i turn down the volume... also the stereo image is shifted a little to the right compared to the headphone jacks on my console and CD player. could changing tube fix this problem?

Orpheus stated this in another thread and seeing as I have reported this problem before, I figured that this deserved another posting. I just received a MG Head OTL V2 and I found that when the volume was very low, the right channel would be louder than the left. However, once the volume was increased, the balance moved back to the center. I have since sent my MG Head back to my dealer, Holm Audio, and their tech is looking at it and agrees with my observations. He is in the process of replacing the volume control to see if that is the culprit. However, he mentioned that they got in another MG Head OTL and the new amp had the exact same problem. I did have a MG Head DT amp and I never noticed this problem before (though I only listen to the volume at low enough levels for the problem to appear in OTL or transformer without feedback modes). The tech also suggested that the problem could be some feedback in the amplifier itself that causes the decrease in the left channel and only after you turn the signal up loud enough does the left channel overcome the feedback. I would like to know if anybody experiences this problem and their opinions. The main thing to note is that on the new OTL's, Joe has replaced the dented pot with a smooth one and I'm wondering if this is the reason why I didn't observe this on the DT that I had for 8 months.

 

[fyrfytrhoges]

this is the main reason I don't label myself as an "audiophile." after reading this post I did some investigation and I did notice the slightest, and I mean the slightest shift in the right headphone speaker, however I did not notice that when I turned the volume down that the left or right channels were unequal in the volume as it backed down.

 

[Budgie]

It is common for most volume controls to mistrack at some area of the controls range. Usually at the lowest or highest end of the range. That is part of the reason for the popularity of stepped attenuators that are built with resitors and switches. They can match left and right much closer. A better quality volume control may improve the matching. Maybe the new control that they have switched too has tighter tolerances.