[stasaki90]

I have no problems with mine

 

[hunterxhunter]

HI, stasaki90
Are you also using HDVA600?
I tried to connect my cd to HDVA600 and also got the same result. Im wondering if only this HDVA600 has this problem.

 

[stasaki90]

My apologies I have the 800 version

 

[TheManko]

On my HDVD 800 there's a tiny bit of channel imbalance at the lowest levels of volume, but it's only at the very bottom of the scale. If I turn the knob up just a little bit the channels become balanced like they should, and I can only hear the imbalance if I'm using headphones with high sensitivity like the Kef M500. It might be that there's inconsistent quality on the potentiometers and that you happened to get a knob with more imbalance than it should have.

 

[hunterxhunter]

On my HDVD 800 there's a tiny bit of channel imbalance at the lowest levels of volume, but it's only at the very bottom of the scale. If I turn the knob up just a little bit the channels become balanced like they should, and I can only hear the imbalance if I'm using headphones with high sensitivity like the Kef M500. It might be that there's inconsistent quality on the potentiometers and that you happened to get a knob with more imbalance than it should have.

Hi,TheManko
Thanks for your reply. Maybe it's the amp's problem since your 800 also got this problem.

 

[TheManko]

Maybe it's the amp's problem since your 800 also got this problem.

Even calling it a "problem" in my case feels like an exaggeration. More like a fact of life for the majority of these types of volume controls. To demonstrate the extent of volume imbalance I have, here's a couple images. First is where I hear imbalance, second is how much I have to raise the volume for the channels to be completely balanced.

 

[palmfish]

Are you talking about the spot where one channel is audible while the other isnt? And then, at some point, the other channel becomes audible and the levels even out?

 

[hunterxhunter]

To TheManko
Thanks for your pictures. Comparing your two pictures with my 600, my case is very similar to yours. Sorry to call this as a problem but it's my first amp that over 1k, and I dont expect to have this fact.
It's a very nice amp and if this is a common fact, I wont return it. If that is just my case, I will...

To palmfish
Yes, that's what we talking about.

 

[TheManko]

From what I understand (feel free to correct me!) you will always have a point near the bottom of the volume scale on analogue "infinite resolution" knobs like this where there's a bit of imbalance. To alleviate this issue the gain on the amp should be done in such a way that the user won't have any reason to use the range where this would be noticeable. I assume Sennheiser tweaked the gain specifically for the HD 800 as you'd struggle to hear that point even in a dead silent room when using the HD 800. In my experience the amount of gain works well with every headphone I've tried, even though you can hear that little bit of imbalance with the more sensitive types. The only way to avoid this with analogue volume control is to use stepped attenuators, which in turn have their own problems as you're adjusting the volume in fixed steps and don't have the same precise control over volume as with the other kind. Another way to get around it is to use digital volume control, but that almost seems like heresy for a audiophile product.

 

[palmfish]

I just checked all of my amps for this phenomenon..

My Bottlehead Crack has a bit of imbalance at the bottom of the volume knob travel, but this is a well known issue and I compensate by turning down my DAC output so I use a higher volume setting on the amp.

My Asus Essence One and my Pioneer VSX-1122 receiver both have no imbalance whatsoever. I mean if I turn the volume all the way down and then creep it up minutely until i can just bately hear sound, both channels are completely even.

Personally, I dont think its a huge issue, but considering the price of the amp and how much engineering effort Sennheiser specifically put into the design of the volume stage, I would not expect any imbalance. That's just me though - its a common enough issue so if it doesnt bother you, then you shouldnt worry about it.

 

[palmfish]

From what I understand (feel free to correct me!) you will always have a point near the bottom of the volume scale on analogue "infinite resolution" knobs like this where there's a bit of imbalance. To alleviate this issue the gain on the amp should be done in such a way that the user won't have any reason to use the range where this would be noticeable. I assume Sennheiser tweaked the gain specifically for the HD 800 as you'd struggle to hear that point even in a dead silent room when using the HD 800. In my experience the amount of gain works well with every headphone I've tried, even though you can hear that little bit of imbalance with the more sensitive types. The only way to avoid this with analogue volume control is to use stepped attenuators, which in turn have their own problems as you're adjusting the volume in fixed steps and don't have the same precise control over volume as with the other kind. Another way to get around it is to use digital volume control, but that almost seems like heresy for a audiophile product.

Very good point about gain Manko. I have not listened to the HDVD600/800 so I cannot comment on the volume travel of the amp. If you are correct that the HDVD was engineered primarily for the HD 800, then I assume the volume control is optimized so that most listening is done well into the pots travel to avoid the very bottom.

 

[hunterxhunter]

Great to hear that is a common fact. This amp really has the sound i like.

 

[cszdcr]

Does anyone bought a HD800 original balalced cable and used it on HDVD800? How is that cable counds?

 

[lovethatsound]

Does anyone bought a HD800 original balalced cable and used it on HDVD800? How is that cable counds?

every thing sounds better using the balanced cable,some people will say it just sounds louder,but it's not ture,it just sounds better in every way,it needs burning in like the original cable did.ask 2 demo it first if u can,u will hear the difference straight away.

 

[palmfish]

it needs burning in like the original cable did.

 
I take my cables to a Rabbi who blesses them before I use them. It cuts the burn in time in half by loosening the crystal matrix enough so the first electrical signals can time align the molecules more accurately. The cables sound noticeably smoother immediately.
 
As most audiophiles agree, cables need to be re-cooked every few months to maintain the proper crystaline matrix salignment. But since I refuse to disconnect my system and haul all of my cables to synagogue, I simply invite the Rabbi over for Passover every year. We cook the cables right along with the brisket at 350 degrees, and then he blesses my entire audio chain after the Seder.
 
I get rousing compliments on my audio system and brisket from my guests every year!