|
|
Post by driftlessia on Jan 15, 2019 14:28:20 GMT -5
Hello!
This marks my first post on the forum. I am about to pull the trigger on the TA-100. However, while reading some threads I have learned that people are experiencing a balance issue at low volume with the TA-100 (and A-100). This has me concerned. I am hoping that someone can help elaborate what this issue is, what it is like to experience it and how to best deal with it. My speakers are very efficient 98dB Klipsch KG5.5s, which I fear will reveal this issue even more than a lesser efficient speaker.
Thank you!
|
|
|
|
Post by jason05216 on Jan 15, 2019 15:09:11 GMT -5
I've got a PT-100 and have not noticed any issue with the balance at low volume. My son has the TA-100 and I have not noticed any issue with his setup either.
|
|
|
|
Post by driftlessia on Jan 15, 2019 15:42:56 GMT -5
I've got a PT-100 and have not noticed any issue with the balance at low volume. My mistake-- typo. I have edited my original post above to remove any reference to the PT-100, and I corrected it to the A-100 amplifier (the same amplifier that is found inside the TA-100). I found a few threads where TA-100 and A-100 owners have experienced one channel being louder than the other when playing at lower volumes. Based on your experience with your son's TA-100, it must not be an issue with every TA-100 or A-100. |
|
|
|
Post by garbulky on Jan 15, 2019 19:24:44 GMT -5
Hi I might be able to offer you a different perspective. The bas-x A-100 is a different type of amplifier than the TA-100 and the imbalance and the difference that you hear about is from the A-100.
So the A-100 doesn't actually have a channel imbalance "problem". It's the nature of analog potentiometers.
The A-100's issue comes to its headphone output. The TA-100 doesnt use this special type of output on its headphone jack so it doesn't havce this issue.
In regular stock mode there is no issue. But wheen you use it in direct drive mode (it requires inserting a jumper) it bypasses a dropping resistor and sends all the power of the speaker amp directly in to the headphone jackj. This is desirable for some people due to the type of headphones they use with it. The downside is that this power is really a whole lot of power for headphones. So what happens here - and only in this specific mode is that some people like me find that the range that you can turn the potentiometer (volume knob) is very very little because the amp has so much power. So basically once you get past essentially zero the volume can ramp up very quickly.
So the issue with channel imbalance is that with analog potentiometers at the very lowest end of the volume pot there is greater channel imbalance. you'll find this in most integrated amps/preamps which use analog potentiometers. So one might notice one channel louder than the other side. This issue goes away when you increase it past - say 9 o clock. But if your headphones are pretty efficient, that might already be too loud. So then you may run into the issue where you notice that the headphones are louder on one side than the other.
Like I said this issue is only present in direct drive mode which is one you specifically have to open the case of the amp to engage. And only for headphones - ONLY for the A-100 unit.
Also there are easy work arounds. The most obvious one is to NOT use the direct drive mode and just use the amp the way it came. It works fine with headphones. The other work around is to use an upchannel volume control to reduce the volume before it gets to the A_100 so you can turn the knob higher than the very lowest setting. You can also use 12 db harrison labs passive attenuators on the inputs to reduce the gain to allow you to turn the knob higher than the very lowest setting. I hope that helped.
|
|
|
|
Post by teaman on Jan 15, 2019 19:33:26 GMT -5
Hello! This marks my first post on the forum. I am about to pull the trigger on the TA-100. However, while reading some threads I have learned that people are experiencing a balance issue at low volume with the TA-100 (and A-100). This has me concerned. I am hoping that someone can help elaborate what this issue is, what it is like to experience it and how to best deal with it. My speakers are very efficient 98dB Klipsch KG5.5s, which I fear will reveal this issue even more than a lesser efficient speaker. Thank you! Even though you have very efficient speakers I would advise you to move up the food chain. You have to move two large woofers in the KG-5.5 and to get the most out of your speakers I can tell you from experience with both Klipsch speakers and Emotiva amps. Also, the low volume balance issue is more than likely the way the volume dial is formatted. If it is analog or digital. Only at the bare minimum of gain will you hear one side before the other. Once you hit even low levels your volume controls will even out. Tim |
|
|
|
Post by driftlessia on Jan 16, 2019 0:11:16 GMT -5
[quote author=" teaman" "Even though you have very efficient speakers I would advise you to move up the food chain. You have to move two large woofers in the KG-5.5 and to get the most out of your speakers I can tell you from experience with both Klipsch speakers and Emotiva amps." - teaman. My plan is to only use the TA-100's internal amp for lower volume TV watching, and then use my VTA ST-70 tube amp to power my towers during more serious listening sessions. My experience with my 35w/channel VTA ST-70 and my Klipsch towers has been extremely impressive. I do not need to crank the amp to achieve very loud dBs with impressive bass. That leads me to believe that the TA-100s 50w/channel should be pretty sufficient, too(?) My main concern is the sound quality in the preamp section, as I want it to blend well with my tube amp. |
|
|
|
Post by garbulky on Jan 16, 2019 0:20:37 GMT -5
[quote author=" teaman" "Even though you have very efficient speakers I would advise you to move up the food chain. You have to move two large woofers in the KG-5.5 and to get the most out of your speakers I can tell you from experience with both Klipsch speakers and Emotiva amps." - teaman. My plan is to only use the TA-100's internal amp for lower volume TV watching, and then use my VTA ST-70 tube amp to power my towers during more serious listening sessions. My experience with my 35w/channel VTA ST-70 and my Klipsch towers has been extremely impressive. I do not need to crank the amp to achieve very loud dBs with impressive bass. That leads me to believe that the TA-100s 50w/channel should be pretty sufficient, too(?) My main concern is the sound quality in the preamp section, as I want it to blend well with my tube amp. Did you read my previous post? I have used the PT-100 and the preamp section is pretty good. Its close but not quite the level of the DC-1 in sound quality. (Subjective impressions) |
|
|
|
Post by teaman on Jan 16, 2019 0:54:28 GMT -5
[quote author=" teaman" "Even though you have very efficient speakers I would advise you to move up the food chain. You have to move two large woofers in the KG-5.5 and to get the most out of your speakers I can tell you from experience with both Klipsch speakers and Emotiva amps." - teaman. My plan is to only use the TA-100's internal amp for lower volume TV watching, and then use my VTA ST-70 tube amp to power my towers during more serious listening sessions. My experience with my 35w/channel VTA ST-70 and my Klipsch towers has been extremely impressive. I do not need to crank the amp to achieve very loud dBs with impressive bass. That leads me to believe that the TA-100s 50w/channel should be pretty sufficient, too(?) My main concern is the sound quality in the preamp section, as I want it to blend well with my tube amp. I don't believe all watts are created equal. I was using a Technics SU-V10X 120 wpc Integrated and when I went to the UPA-2 which had more power the Technics was more powerful but not as clean...or so it seemed. People can get by with the flea powered amps and they do the job but you still have to move two big woofers. When I was running Infinity SM150 with my Technics and wanted to go to separates I spoke with one of the techs at Emotiva and they advised me to go with the XPA-2 over the XPA-200. That was their rationale. After hearing it for myself I have to say I agree. Of course your listening habits, position, spl, etc will dictate what you like. Myself I like loud at times and critical at others. Listening to Avenged Sevenfold Hail to the King at 105db in my living room last week just seemed right. Listening to Amaranthe on my bedroom set up at 70db also seemed right. Only you can answer that! |
|
|
|
Post by MaisterK on Jan 31, 2019 15:16:46 GMT -5
hi, I would like to know Peter Tribeman from Outlaw Audio email address, please.
|
|
|
|
Post by Boomzilla on Feb 1, 2019 8:26:38 GMT -5
hi, I would like to know Peter Tribeman from Outlaw Audio email address, please. And I'd like to know the winning lottery numbers for this weekend, but I don't go about asking for them on unrelated threads. I appreciate the fact that you're trying to be polite (after all, you did say "please"), but you totally missed the courtesy of not posting on unrelated topics. And as an aside, no, sorry - I don't know Peter Tribeman's email. Boomzilla |
|
e2m
Seeker Of Truth
Posts: 5
|
Post by e2m on Dec 1, 2020 13:08:24 GMT -5
In regular stock mode there is no issue. Like I said this issue is only present in direct drive mode which is one you specifically have to open the case of the amp to engage. And only for headphones - ONLY for the A-100 unit. Sorry to dig up an old thread.
I notice this issue in my new A100, and it is happening in stock mode (not direct drive), and with speakers, not headphones. Granted, this channel imbalance is only at very low volume - roughly between 7 and 8 o'clock. The left channel is louder. Alas, I was hoping to use this amp at my desktop (sitting very close to the speakers), where often times I listen at such low volume just to get some 'filler' music in the background while I'm working.
Your recommendation to reduce source signal level before it gets to the A100 is a good one though as it forces you to turn the A100's volume knob higher, thus getting past that imbalance point of the potentiometer.
|
|
|
|
Post by garbulky on Dec 1, 2020 14:13:42 GMT -5
In regular stock mode there is no issue. Like I said this issue is only present in direct drive mode which is one you specifically have to open the case of the amp to engage. And only for headphones - ONLY for the A-100 unit. Sorry to dig up an old thread. I notice this issue in my new A100, and it is happening in stock mode (not direct drive), and with speakers, not headphones. Granted, this channel imbalance is only at very low volume - roughly between 7 and 8 o'clock. The left channel is louder. Alas, I was hoping to use this amp at my desktop (sitting very close to the speakers), where often times I listen at such low volume just to get some 'filler' music in the background while I'm working. Your recommendation to reduce source signal level before it gets to the A100 is a good one though as it forces you to turn the A100's volume knob higher, thus getting past that imbalance point of the potentiometer. Yeah when I said it only happens in direct drive mode, I assumed nobody would be playing it that low otherwise. But yeah it really happens simply because the potentiometer volume is set very low. How I roll with it is that I have a preamp upstream of the A-100 like my Emotiva DC-1 dac. I increase the dac volume to a little below maximum (say -10 or -15 down from 0). Then I increase the A-100 till it gets past the imbalance notch till it's as loud as I would ever need it. If you still can't get it past the notch, I reduce the upstream dac volume control till I can. Then I leave it set right there and don't touch it. From there, I simply control the volume from the Emotiva DC-1 dac using the remote. That way the A-100 is simply acting like a power amp. |
|
e2m
Seeker Of Truth
Posts: 5
|
Post by e2m on Dec 1, 2020 14:24:23 GMT -5
From there, I simply control the volume from the Emotiva DC-1 dac using the remote. That way the A-100 is simply acting like a power amp. Yeah, for me, unfortunately, the main reason I bought the A100 in the first place was because it has a volume knob. The intent was for it to be my primary means of volume control, so this is a bit inconvenient. My source is my PC, and I was hoping to leave the PC volume at 100%. My DAC does not have a pre-amp/volume knob.
Alas, I've ran out of other options in this price range. I needed a small/narrow form factor amp, and I didn't want to buy one of those cheap Class D amps, so I am where I am.
I suppose a passive volume knob/preamp like this would solve the problem, but it's yet another thing I was hoping not to have to buy. 
|
|
