Odd issue with my Classé DR5 pre...

[synsei]

Okay, you promise not to laugh? Promise? Good...

Now, I've owned my DR5 getting on for three years now and I've been very pleased with it and in all that time I have not touched the Balance control, so imagine my surprise today when I operated it for the first time ever and discovered that turning it to the left muted the left hand speaker and t'other way muted the right. Many OMG's later and after plenty of head scratching and checking of leads the status quo remains. Does this mean there is something amiss internally or do Classé do things rather differently to everyone else??

[Macca]

That can't be right. What purpose would it serve?

[synsei]

That can't be right. What purpose would it serve?

I didn't think so either Martin but thought it best to ask rather than make a fool of myself. All the leads throughout the entire system are in their correct places and orientation so I guess there must be something amiss internally then.

[Barry]

Sounds like you have the left and right channels transposed.

[synsei]

Sounds like you have the left and right channels transposed.

Yup, sounds like it Barry. It's definitely nothing to do with the leads though as I've had everything apart today to be certain. I will have to dive into the innards of the DR5 to see what's going on. My guess would be the cables leading to the output sockets are the wrong way around, probably as a result of someone having serviced it in the past and not paying attention when reassembling it as it occurs no matter what source or input is selected. Time will tell I guess. Another job to do... :eyebrows:

[hifi_dave]

Rare to have a balance control any more but when they were popular, some companes did it the Classe way and others the reverse. Nothing wrong, just the way it is.

If the channels are reversed then, surely, you would have noticed by now ?

[synsei]

Too busy enjoying the music to take any notice of where everything ought to be in the mix Dave, I'm ashamed to say. So, you think this is a non-issue then?

[Barry]

Rare to have a balance control any more but when they were popular, some companes did it the Classe way and others the reverse. Nothing wrong, just the way it is.

If the channels are reversed then, surely, you would have noticed by now ?

Not if both the cables from the source and those to the power amplifier were transposed.

Unless one uses a test disc or listens to classical orchestral music (where the violins are arranged to the left), it is not immediately apparent what should be on the left or on the right. This is especially true of studio recordings of non-classical music, where the left-right arrangement is left to the whim of the recording engineer.

[synsei]

Just to reiterate, the cables are fine I checked them all today. When Joan has finished dripping honey in my ear I will pop on something orchestral to check what's what... ;)

[bobbasrah]

Or a test record Dave, or induce hum on known left channel input with your finger...
It is not inconceivable that left is indeed left and a replacement pot has been fitted and miswired.....

[synsei]

Okay, got a bit of DJ Mozart playing now MC'd by the man himself, HV Karajan and the violins are indeed on the left so all is well. That'll teach me to play with disenfranchised knobs in future :)

[hifi_dave]

Too busy enjoying the music to take any notice of where everything ought to be in the mix Dave, I'm ashamed to say. So, you think this is a non-issue then?

I don't think it is a problem as that is the way some were wired - I reckon 50/50 back in the day. Even if it is reversed, does it matter ? You now know which way it works and you only use it once in a blue moon.

[synsei]

Now I know it is not a wiring fault then no Dave, it doesn't matter a jot. I shall leave the damn balance control well alone in future... :D

[The Grand Wazoo]

Dave you use a Quad power amp with a non-Quad pre - do Quads not run out of phase when not used as a pre/power set?

[Barry]

Dave you use a Quad power amp with a non-Quad pre - do Quads not run out of phase when not used as a pre/power set?

Chris, I think you are confusing left/right channel continuity with absolute phase. (For what it's worth, most Quad power amps do invert the phase.)

[synsei]

Dave you use a Quad power amp with a non-Quad pre - do Quads not run out of phase when not used as a pre/power set?

I was advised to reverse the polarity of the speaker cables going into either the amp or the speakers a while ago Chris, I elected to do this on the amp as it is easier to get to. This made a noticeable difference, the DM2's now sound more dynamic. The DM2's and 306 are such a good match and currently this is the best reproduction I have ever heard from my system, it really is first class. I would not be at all ashamed to show the whole shebang off at Scalford if I could only get it there, that's how confident I am that all is well ;)

As for the balance thing, it would seem Classé are just weird. I can live with that, I don't use the balance control anyway... :)

[Barry]

That's interesting Dave. I can't say I have noticed the maintenance of absolute phase to make any difference at all.

[synsei]

That's interesting Dave. I can't say I have noticed the maintenance of absolute phase to make any difference at all.

I was quite skeptical to begin with too Barry. I have switched the cables around a couple of times since to rule out whether the 'improvements' I heard were due perhaps to expectation more than anything else, but each time I returned to normal polarity there was a slight softening to the dynamics so I'm convinced. Keeps me happy anyhoo... ;)

[The Grand Wazoo]

So I am Barry, sorry, its been a long day!