2. amps-preamps
  3. 119371-3515

Unique problem - one channel silent under different variables

Bought a mint (looking) Cary slp 98 on eBay, connected to two reconditioned Hatachi HMA 7500 mosfet amps, work perfectly for years since reconditioning - biamping NHT 4 towers, bought new. 
When the preamp is turned on, a series of pops through the speakers, then Only the right channel plays. Switched tubes, didn't solve issue. Changed inputs from preamp to left and right amp and immediately both channels worked. Switched off, waited 5 minutes and still both channels working. Came back a few hours later, switched on again (having reversed the inputs to normal) and again same sequence: left channel silent and after switching inputs, both work and remain working until I switch off and come back when the units are cold.
I can understand that that there may be a resistor/capacitor that need to be hot before working, but why would switching input cables from left out to right input of amp and vice versa immediately fix it!
so every time I want to hear music I have to go thro this rigmarole! Why does switching cables fix the problem????
any solution will be greatly appreciated! I'm sure it will end up back at Cary but I wondered  if anyone (Almarg???) has an answer?  Does the popping on switching on, both channels pop, provide a clue?

springbok10
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Cary gear is noted for not being dependable good luck.

jond's avatar
jond
5,807 posts
 
springbok10 regardless of the problem ALWAYS turn your preamp on and then your amps! Turn on sequence........sources>preamp>amp and turn off sequence is in reverse for the safety of your gear and peace of mind!
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Hi Denis,

As you’ve surmised, it sounds like the preamp has a problem that needs to be sorted out via professional troubleshooting. The symptoms you’ve described don’t point to any specific cause, as far as I can tell.

But as Jond indicated it sounds like you are not following the proper turn-on and turn-off sequences (with the power amps being turned on last and off first). Also, it sounds like you are disconnecting and reconnecting the RCA cables that connect the preamp to the amps while everything is powered up, which is definitely bad practice and could conceivably damage your speakers.

That said, I wonder if disconnecting the RCA cables and then re-connecting them WITHOUT switching the channels would have the same effect as what you have observed when you disconnected and re-connected them with the channels reversed. It could be that the channel reversal was not what restored normal operation, but rather a transient of some sort caused by the disconnection and reconnection itself, that might have temporarily zapped the defective preamp circuit back into normal operation.

Or if the problem is temporarily fixed only if the channels are reversed when the cables are disconnected and reconnected, that may just be due to the happenstance of the resulting transient being different when the reconnection for the problematic channel is made to a different amp than previously.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al
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