Quote:
Originally Posted by taso89 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Amp. I believe it has something to do with the tubes and them needing resistance (headphones) in order to function properly. I don't know, I've quickly swapped headphones with amp on without any problems.
|
I think this explanation would apply more to hifi tube amps, or perhaps guitar tube amps - I know that if you run them without a load, they can burn out the output transformer. With the LD's relatively low impedance loads and solid state output section, I guess it doesn't affect it, but JamesL's above response probably holds true.
Quote:
I've had the sensation of slight (~8%) channel imbalance towards the right channel with this amp. It's a great amp otherwise but it does bother me from time to time. Sine waves led me to about a ~8% decrease in the right channel. Now everything sounds fine. |
I've been playing around with it for a while now, and I've come to a point where I think it might be something other than (or more than just) a volume difference - David from Little Tube asked me to retry my tests connected directly to the source (and to make sure the source was at line level). With the help of my friend's multimeter, I got my soundcard's headphone output to .3V playing back a generated sinewave @ 0dB, 440Hz. That corresponds to approximately 60% on the master volume, although I don't know how much this matters. He remarked that the potentiometer was most balanced at the halfway mark, and I confirmed this while monitoring the levels. Unfortunately, the strange sound persists, and having heard it some more, I would say it sounds as if the channels are partially out of phase with each other, and that there could be an uneven frequency response across the two channels.
In case anybody's curious as to what I hear, here's a sample of what's happening to a signal. This is a short clip of the monophonic version of the Beach Boys song
Don't Talk, off the album Pet Sounds.
Original mono clip
Through I+
Despite the real or perceived problems I have, I have nothing but good things to say about Little Tube's customer service so far. Every email I sent is answered in less than a day, and it's clear that they make their customers' satisfaction a top priority.