[Tetromino]

I've acquired a pair of Grado SR-60s that are occasionally cutting out on the left channel, but this is easily remedied by just turning the volume up and back down again. I can't seem to artificially produce the cutting out by manipulating the cable in any way, it just happens seemingly at random. I'm happy to recable them if this will solve it... but I'm wondering if this is in fact a driver issue so I don't waste my time recabling?
 
Thoughts much appreciated!

 

[kchapdaily]

this does not necessarily point to an issue regarding the sr60's. why would changing the volume temporarily solve the problem? are you using an amp?

 

[Tetromino]

Quote:

this does not necessarily point to an issue regarding the sr60's. why would changing the volume temporarily solve the problem? are you using an amp?

 
I would say that there is definitely an issue with the headphones as I bought them from eBay knowing they are in a semi-working condition, with the intention of fixing them (loose connections are quite common so I thought I could recable). I've tested them from a variety of players which I have used with other phones successfully for a long period of time. I think that your question about changing the volume is what I am, in fact, asking...

 

[kchapdaily]

the only way that i know adjusting a potentiometer in an amplifier can have this effect (besides some weird stray capacitance or inductance issue) is a low volume channel matching issue. only really nice pots have good channel matching at low volumes. i know that on my amps if i turn the volume very low one ear essentially cuts out. low volume listening is plausible with grados on high power systems due to the very low power requirement.
 
besides that id say open up the grados, get out a multimeter and check continuity on all wires. you say its definitely the headphones, but there are only two things in the grados that could be bad: cable and drivers. we know its not the drivers because the cutout is not permanent. so its the cable on the grados, or its farther up the chain.

 

[nikongod]

You can check wire continuity without opening anything. Just bust out the ohm meter (multimeter) and hook it up to the headphone plug. The SR-60 have a 1/8" connector so you can even use alligator clips and really go to town when you jiggle the wires. 
 
It is not uncommon (almost common) for cheaper pots to develop "dead" spots, where one channel will drop out. It has nothing to do with volume matching - just where dust settles and screws things up. 

 

[Tetromino]

OK I think I will just go with the recable and see what happens; as you say the driver is unlikely to be damaged as it does function well most of the time. I'm not really a fan of the Grado cable anyway. I'm praying the issue is not with the solder interface between the cable end and the driver! Time to visit the SR 60 mod thread..

 

[Tetromino]

Quote:

You can check wire continuity without opening anything. Just bust out the ohm meter (multimeter) and hook it up to the headphone plug. The SR-60 have a 1/8" connector so you can even use alligator clips and really go to town when you jiggle the wires. 
 
It is not uncommon (almost common) for cheaper pots to develop "dead" spots, where one channel will drop out. It has nothing to do with volume matching - just where dust settles and screws things up. 

 
With the channel not working I am getting a difference of resistances between the channels. Left channel (faulty) to ground is 88 ohms while good channel to ground is at 66. Interestingly, when I measured right and left channels the voltage applied by the multimeter made the drivers crackle and brought the left back online!

 

[duncan1]

From your first post in "turning the volume up and down the fault disappears" can only be 2 things 1- [as Nikongod says] the track of the volume control for that channel is WORN/OR the brass/copper/steel brush that moves over the carbon track is NOT making 100% contact due to rough handling-Or 2- if it was the cable the resistance would be much higher than 88 ohms-a "high resistance" connection would read 1000s of ohms. If [as Nikongod says]  you connect crocodile clips with the measured resistance of 88 ohms  and move the cord about and it DOESN'T CHANGE then its not the actual cord  . It is an outside chance that the soldered connection on that channel in the headphones is faulty --but that is a "long shot"-although I have seen it  happen -twice-.

 

[Tetromino]

Just measured channel resistance again and faulty channel has changed to 76 ohms while good channel staying still at 66

 

[duncan1]

Well if that's caused by moving the cord then its the cord OR the soldered connections at each end."hanging on by the skin of their teeth"- IE- wires frayed at soldered point bar a few strands.Stax cords if mistreated usually go "high" Resistance/or disconnection where they are clamped at the headphone end-   by back and forward movement and sharp tugs.although I have come across other places.