schaqfu
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2007
- Posts
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF QUESTIONS HEREIN:
1) Is it normal to hear cross-talk between input sources or should I be concerned?
2) Is there potential for channel imbalance when the volume pot is turned all the way down?
3) Should I be concerned that I hear loud buzz when I merely touch the volume pot?
4) Do the different gain settings, compared at identical volumes, change the sound quality/character?
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Just got Ultra Micro Amp today; very impressed so far. But I noticed that if I switch to input #2, which is not connected to anything, and I keep a source (my Benchmark DAC1-USB) playing through input #1, I can hear #1 playing faintly through #2. The volume is affected both by the volume of the source, and by the volume/gain of the Ultra Micro Amp, which suggests to me that the signal paths are crossing/merging. Am I supposed to be hearing that? Aren't the two inputs supposed to be totally isolated?
Thanks.
EDIT: And, as long as I'm airing all my questions (can you tell I'm enjoying using this thing?!!): another quirk I discovered is that whenever I touch the volume pot with my finger, or even get in very close proximity to it, a significant buzz is produced. The buzz is at identical volume levels in both LOW and MEDIUM gain settings, and in HIGH gain mode it is still audible but much less, and it sounds more gurgly/grumbly, whereas in LOW and MEDIUM it's a very smooth, constant hum (but loud). I realize pots are finicky in general, but this one seems very well constructed and doesn't make any noise at just from turning the dial, so I'm surprised it buzzes when I merely touch it.
And one more question on the pot: does it suffer from channel imbalance or other imperfections at very low levels? I feel like the bass is richer on my HD650s when I have it at MEDIUM gain with the volume turned way down, but I can get the same volume on LOW gain with the dial closer to 11 or 12 o'clock. So really I guess that's two questions: is there channel imbalance at low levels, and does the quality/character of the signal change based on gain settings when comparing them at identical volumes?
Thanks.
1) Is it normal to hear cross-talk between input sources or should I be concerned?
2) Is there potential for channel imbalance when the volume pot is turned all the way down?
3) Should I be concerned that I hear loud buzz when I merely touch the volume pot?
4) Do the different gain settings, compared at identical volumes, change the sound quality/character?
----------
Just got Ultra Micro Amp today; very impressed so far. But I noticed that if I switch to input #2, which is not connected to anything, and I keep a source (my Benchmark DAC1-USB) playing through input #1, I can hear #1 playing faintly through #2. The volume is affected both by the volume of the source, and by the volume/gain of the Ultra Micro Amp, which suggests to me that the signal paths are crossing/merging. Am I supposed to be hearing that? Aren't the two inputs supposed to be totally isolated?
Thanks.
EDIT: And, as long as I'm airing all my questions (can you tell I'm enjoying using this thing?!!): another quirk I discovered is that whenever I touch the volume pot with my finger, or even get in very close proximity to it, a significant buzz is produced. The buzz is at identical volume levels in both LOW and MEDIUM gain settings, and in HIGH gain mode it is still audible but much less, and it sounds more gurgly/grumbly, whereas in LOW and MEDIUM it's a very smooth, constant hum (but loud). I realize pots are finicky in general, but this one seems very well constructed and doesn't make any noise at just from turning the dial, so I'm surprised it buzzes when I merely touch it.
And one more question on the pot: does it suffer from channel imbalance or other imperfections at very low levels? I feel like the bass is richer on my HD650s when I have it at MEDIUM gain with the volume turned way down, but I can get the same volume on LOW gain with the dial closer to 11 or 12 o'clock. So really I guess that's two questions: is there channel imbalance at low levels, and does the quality/character of the signal change based on gain settings when comparing them at identical volumes?
Thanks.