Left / Right Dominance

[jordanr]

Do/Should most amps favor the left channel over the right? Especially at low volumes, I'm noticing that my PocketAmp seems to recreate music with a noticeable left-leaning tendency. Is this normal?

 

[taylor]

What affects it is the potentiometer. Most of the less expensive dual pots (Dual means it's 2 pots with one knob, the kind used for audio gear, since you only need one knob for both channels) are not perfectly matched. At medium volumes it's not really noticeable, but at low ones, the imbalance is most apparent. The best solution is to turn it a little louder until it goes away.

 

[jordanr]

Thanks. That sums it up then. By "pots," I assume you're referring to the transistors within? (I am *not* tech. savvy)

I also assume that this is not a problem with higher-end amps?

Edit: I'm avoiding the turning-it-up-solution at the moment because I'm doing A LOT of listening while I study, and I don't want to expose the ears to too much trauma.

 

[Tim D]

Tangent did a small study on pots on his website basically confirming what many hear, that mismatches are common at the extremes, especially lower extreme. From then on it wavers but typically middle to middle high portion of the pot is the best area of tracking.

Some amps have appropriate gain to implement the full range of a pot (and thus minimize these issues), but most don't. This is because it is common noobie amp reviewing behavior to psychologically associate amps with higher volume and thumb twitch volume changes to be 'more powerful' or dynamic than an amp with actually good volume tracking, or the amp that can power a 20 year old phone to deafening values is the better one..

 

[Earwax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jordanr Thanks. That sums it up then. By "pots," I assume you're referring to the transistors within? (I am *not* tech. savvy) I also assume that this is not a problem with higher-end amps?

The pot is the variable resistance volume control. The thing behind the knob, basicaly.

Higher end menufacturers will do more quality control and either buy better pots in the first place or test and reject the badly balanced pots. (It's hard to find really good quality in very small pots for portables. )

 

[jordanr]

So Tim, what you're saying is that my behavior is an atypical "noobie" response to amp operation, and that's the reason I've noticed the uneven reproduction? Damn me for straying from the norm, eh?

Still, I must say, for my first amp, I'm quite pleased with the PocketAmp. I recognize (only because of my now obsessive reading of this forum), that it's not the top-of-the-line, but it has significantly improved the range, clarity, and bass response of both my phones. I suppose I can only move up in quality from here.

 

[Tim D]

No I'm just saying some manufacturers cater towards those that are both loud and like it loud than vice versa. For whatever reason, low-level mismatch is something everyone shrugs off and tells you just to turn it up louder, but if an amp doesn't get loud enough (i.e. actually forces people to use most of the pot...*beyond* 12'o clock for sheer insanity), it gets slammed for being underpowered, which is far more negative press than having mismatched lower volumes. Really the average sensitivity phone with average line output and the average listener should really hit dead center of the range of a given volume pot which is 12'o clock, but it is not uncommon that 12' o clock is extremely loud to be the max, and everything behind it is beyond max?