sound from 1 speaker only doing my nut in

[lostlamb]

Hello boys(&girls)I have reinstated my old turntable set up.

I've got a gemini xl500 mk 2 turntable, nad pp2 preamp (off ebay) nad c325bee amp (off ebay) monitor s2 speakers with qed cables (biwired) -also 2nd hand off ebay. Also bought some new van-damn instrument cables (yep - off ebay - new though)

Problem is; I only get sound from one speaker, through the aux on the nad amp.

I've plugged in a CD player and that works on CD setting on the nad amp. Both speakers playing music.

I've plugged in a tape deck - again, both speakers are fine and playing music.

I've even bought another ampoff ebay cheap kenwood one and that plays through both speakers, but only when I fiddled with the speaker cable in the port.

I've tried everything to get the music coming through on both speakers via the nad phono stage through to the nad 325amp but I only ever get it coming through one speaker?

I'm freakin lost for words?

My last resort was to buy a new headshell/cart and stylus - a good ortofon pro s one and see if that works when it arrives.

I am lost, do I need new turntable? Or is it just new cable? Or more worringly...could it be the nad preamp pp2 that is causing me all this grief?

Does anyone know how I can check the preamp phono stage? Or does anyone have any advice for a somewhat naive newbie to the technical side of things with regards to audio equipment problem solving?

Please help me...you're my only hope. (whimper)

 

[lostlamb]

update; I've just changed the speaker wire on the speaker that isn't working and surprise surprise - it's still not working.

(Both speakers do work on the cd port and the tape port just not on the aux port on the nad amp, I'm confused as to wether it's probably the preamp phono stage or the nad amplifier or the headshell)

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[Al ears]

Thats a lot of connections that need checking particularly as you have an amp that requires a seperate phono preamp.

Do you perchance know anyone who owns a turntable that works, that you could borrow or get them to bring around?

Plugging this into your preamp would cut down on the list of possible causes quite a bit.

 

[MajorFubar]

Work through it methodically and find out exactly what isn't working. Try the phono stage in different inputs in your amp, for example. Swap the L&R leads from the turntable into the phono stage and see if the problem swaps channels. If it does, it's at the TT end. If it doesn't, it's a problem between the phono stage and the amp. Diagnosing a fault like this isn't rocket science. You've made a start already by trying different sources into your amp, and they work fine through both speakers, so straight away you can rule out everything between the amp and speakers. So why you then changed the speaker cable and expected it to make a difference is a mystery.

 

[Al ears]

MajorFubar is quite correct in the methodical approach bit. Knowing your original set-up worked proved the problem was not speaker side of the amp and the swapping of the interconnects preamp to amp as suggested would indeed check out the preamp itself.

I was working from source in rather than amp out, if you catch my drift. This would have removed cartridge wiring and interconnect from turntable to phono amp from the equation thus leaving only your preamp and its connecting cables to check out.

 

[lostlamb]

thank you chaps, majorfubar, you're right, it's a complete freakin mystery to me too, but with your clarification I'm going to do what you said,

reverse the leads in turntable that lead to pre-amp see what occurs.

So far - bacause of this problem this is what I've bought extra:

1) New headshell/needle etc (cool ortofon pro-s) - prob still exists

2) New cables, cheapo ones but reasonable

3) New cheap 2nd hand Kenwood amp - worked on both channels - amp has built in phono stage.

4) CD Player and tape deck came with amp - both speakers worked.

5) New cheapo phono stage £14.99 one off amazon - arriving today at some point.

It's all looking ominous isn't it?

I read in some earlier post that pre-amps rarely - if ever, go wrong due to the simplicity of there construction and the tiny signal they give out - very little goes worng with them, this is why I regretfully have left the piggin phono-preamp until last to be checked?!!!! Argggghh! (angry at myself)

In my panicked - un-educated hi-fi separates mind I would not have thought in the organised way you did majorfubar, this wasn't my area (until now) thanks to you guys (al ears & fubar) I'm learning v fast. will update the post later.

 

[The_Lhc]

I notice nobody has suggested plugging the CD player into the AUX input, that should still work and will tell you whether or not there's a problem with the aux input or not. If there is then all the fiddling with the TT and phono amp in the world won't help you.

 

[lostlamb]

Thank you boys, I know it was all sounding somewhat obvious from what I was saying about replacing everything so far apart from the turntable and phono pre-amp - but today the cheapo £14.99 pre amp (Electrovision Pre-amp) from amazon arived today and it flippin well works - brilliantly I might add.

So much for the £50 second hand nad pp2. (which I bought off ebay through paypal so no worries about getting my money back there - hopefully).

I've been piggin going out of my mind - & all because of the one bit of equipment I had the most confidence in that I thought wouldn't be the problem. "WWHY I OUGHTA!!!!" *dash1*

Thank you once again, was about to buy a 2nd hand turntable off gumtree as the absolute last resort but now all sorted and it sounds mighty fine.

Cheers to you boys.*biggrin*

 

[Al ears]

Glad you got it sorted. Problems like these can lead to a bit of head-scratching but if you work through them logically you can normally resolve them pretty quickly. Enjoy!

 

[MajorFubar]

Glad you got it softed, well done.