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Remote Balance Control: on Tube Integrated Amp?

Anyone know of a Tube Integrated Amp with remote balance?

Safe/Easy/External Bias control would be nice.

I find some individual tracks can benefit a great deal from minor balance adjustments. Especially compilations with many different engineers involved. Remote balance from listening position is the goal.

I now use my Chase Remote Line Controller remote volume and remote balance from listening position, as intermediary stage between a few components. Other sources direct to amp, no remote balance. It would be nice to have remote balance for sources that go directly to the integrated amp.

tubes, +/- 30 wpc is plenty for my very efficient horns. Using Cayin A88T 45wpc now (6550, KT88) Love it, except no remote balance. Used 35/30wpc mono blocks for many years (EL37, EL34, 5881), also plenty power.

Thanks in advance for suggestions,

Elliott
elliottbnewcombjr
elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,378 posts
 
this shows McIntosh remote control, no balance controls obvious

file:///C:/Users/ellio/Downloads/hr072-update-codes-01%20(1).pdf

Off to the unit's manual
elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,378 posts
 
manual shows how, but it is not a separate balance control, menu alternates to get there.
elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,378 posts
 
I guess it was 1958.

http://www.fisherconsoles.com/President%20II.html

I inherited it from my uncle. I have all the components, use the console for firewood. Originally the woofers shot out the bottom, unit was on 8" bronze legs. TT and tape deck in the 2 drawers.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 

No one is going to motorize a conventional balance control.

You need to find a unit with two volume controls, for left and right channels.  Rather like what Sonic Frontiers did with their preamps.

But does this exist in a tube integrated??

elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,378 posts
 
comments from others


"I think channel balance control is an essential feature. It would be almost a miracle if a system is truly perfectly balanced absent a control (perfect electrical balance, perfectly symmetrical room, perfect speaker placement, etc). When I used a Levinson No. 32 preamp, a change in channel balance of .2 db was clearly audible even though an absolute volume change of a 1.0 db was not audible when playing music. It is SO much easier to hear a channel balance difference than a change in volume. A balance change is particularly audible when you can make immediate comparisons (remote control, another essential feature, to me)."

" Even really expensive cartridges have specifications suggesting that channel balance would be within 2 db. If two channels are off by that much, that is a VERY audible difference. I like the feature on some linestages that allow for an input by input change in channel balance so that each source can be custom tailored for balance. This would make life easy when switching between phono and other sources.".

" One way the balance control is needed with digital is with the many CDs (and streams, and downloads) of vintage material in which (for whatever reason) the balance was either off to begin with or has shifted due to deterioration of source tapes. I have many stereo CDs from the sixties in which the vocalist is just enough right or left of center to be disconcerting. The balance knob comes in handy.".

.......................................
btw, 

One of the features I love about McIntosh preamps is the Mode Dial, stereo/stereo reverse/mono/l to r/r to l/l+r to l/l+r to r. ...

I use this to get my speakers matched. They have presence and brilliance controls, and need to be carefully and properly adjusted. Cassandra Wilson; Richard Burton; No More Tears Duet with Barbra Streisand and Donna Summers help. I find test records are best for TT refinement of Anti-Skating l/r balance.

Above done, if the balance is off a speck, it's the source, and a small tweak can be a magic improvement, not just a 'fix'.
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