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Bottlehead Kits => Crack => Topic started by: Nehan on April 20, 2015, 04:03:39 AM

Title: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Nehan on April 20, 2015, 04:03:39 AM
Greetings.

I get 95k in the right RCA (red) and 94.1 in the left (white).
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Grainger49 on April 20, 2015, 04:07:44 AM
You are reading the slight differences in the full range of the stereo pot.  It is inconsequential.  If you had a stepped attenuator using discrete resistors they would probably not be the same but might be a little closer.
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Nehan on April 20, 2015, 04:18:02 AM
So I won't notice a difference in the sound (volume) between both channels?

Thanks you for the quick answer.
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Grainger49 on April 20, 2015, 05:26:26 AM
Right, at that resistance it takes much more to make the center image off to the right or left.

However... there is always exceptions.  I find many recordings off center.  It isn't the system, it is the recordings.
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Nehan on April 20, 2015, 06:41:54 AM
Thanks you very much sir.

In the TRS jack check, the voltage never drops to 0. Instead, it fluctuates between 0.00 and 0.07. Is it ok o it have to be always 0.0?
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Paul Birkeland on April 20, 2015, 07:27:05 AM
Thanks you very much sir.

In the TRS jack check, the voltage never drops to 0. Instead, it fluctuates between 0.00 and 0.07. Is it ok o it have to be always 0.0?
That's certainly close enough to call it 0.
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Nehan on April 20, 2015, 07:30:46 AM
That's certainly close enough to call it 0.
Thanks you for the clarification.
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Nehan on April 21, 2015, 05:34:05 AM
Hi there.

After install the speed ball, the voltage at the TRS check goes up to almost 20v. quickly, and then drop to 0.0v -0 .07v. Are those 20v. a problem or are not that high to be dangerous for the headphones?
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Paul Birkeland on April 21, 2015, 07:05:38 AM
That's normal.

-PB
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Nehan on April 21, 2015, 07:21:02 AM
I should read before asking. I'm sorry. I "fixed" it with this: http://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php?topic=2946.0.

I am very happy to have my amp finished. Thanks everybody for the help!

By the way, a little background noise at music silences is normal in a tube amp, right?
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Paul Birkeland on April 21, 2015, 07:32:45 AM
By the way, a little background noise at music silences is normal in a tube amp, right?
Hmm, tell us about your headphones and audio source?

A poorly soldered 220uF/250V capacitor can lead to an amp with perfect voltages and perfect functionality, but noisy at the same time.

The Crack, with the volume control turned all the way up, will make some noise into most headphones.  Of course, if you played music into the amplifier with the level control up this far, it would be unlistenably loud (which is why the noise is there in the first place).

-PB
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Nehan on April 21, 2015, 07:56:46 AM
The path is PC > ODAC RCA > Crack > Sennheiser HD600.

Is better to have the PC volume at max, and the crack volume low?

I'll try resoldering the 4 caps.
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Doc B. on April 21, 2015, 08:35:36 AM
Yes, you want the source level as high as it can be, as that helps improve the signal to noise ratio of the overall system.
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Nehan on April 21, 2015, 08:56:57 AM
After resolder the caps, I was checking the voltage and something exploded. What I have to do?

Edit: I checked the pin 1 and 2, and the values were better than before (1 = 80v., 2 = 170v.), but in the pin3 something exploded. I don't know if I touched something else.
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Doc B. on April 21, 2015, 09:27:03 AM
When you say exploded do you mean you saw a spark? That would be from touching the probe from a live terminal to another terminal, or ground. If the voltages are OK and it sounds OK no harm was done.
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Nehan on April 21, 2015, 09:51:55 AM
I saw a spark and I heard a sound like a small firecracker.
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Nehan on April 21, 2015, 11:01:28 AM
You are right. Checking the voltages now, everything is ok. The noise is still there though.
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Doc B. on April 21, 2015, 11:31:23 AM
Does the noise go up and down with the volume control? Does it stay the same as the volume control goes up and down? Is it a buzzy sound? Have you checked the other threads about this kind of thing for suggestions for possible solutions?
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Nehan on April 22, 2015, 07:26:13 AM
The noise go up and down with the volume control, and when the volume control is set to 0, there aren't noise.
Indeed I have checked other threads.
I'm not sure if it's a buzzy sound. Is like a pink noise.
I don't think that I have a problem with RF at RCA because there are <50cm long and have a great insulation.
My apartment doesn't have ground and, generally, I have an old and bad electrical installation. Maybe is it?
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: fullheadofnothing on April 22, 2015, 07:39:57 AM
If the noise is altered by the volume control, that means that it is not a problem with the circuit. Either it is insufficient isolation of the wires that go from the jacks to the potentiometer (i.e. poor braiding, or locating the wires too close to the circuit), or it is related to your interconnects or source component.

Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Paul Birkeland on April 23, 2015, 05:48:51 PM
The path is PC > ODAC RCA > Crack > Sennheiser HD600.
Do you get noise with the PC unplugged from the DAC?
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Nehan on April 24, 2015, 04:11:10 AM
Do you get noise with the PC unplugged from the DAC?
Without any connection, I get noise at ~70% volume control.
With the DAC connected, and the PC unpuggled, I get noise at ~20% volume control.
With the PC plugged, I get little noise at ~35% volume control. Less that when the PC is unplugged

When I say volume control, I mean the percentage of the total path of the potentiometer.
Title: Re: Should the R and L RCA center pin have the same resistance?
Post by: Grainger49 on April 24, 2015, 06:03:51 AM
Well, you found the source of your noise.  I'd bet you have even less noise with all digital things like the computer, cell phone, DAC turned off or moved away from the Crack.