New to valves & this forum.

[Arckivio]

Originally Posted by M Gregg

NB,

If you are new to valves /tubes..Please read the working with High voltage thread(Sticky at the top of the forum)..The voltages on tube gear are leathal and can hold charge after power off for some time...I'm not joking either...please take care!

I doubt if you damaged anything, however if you plug a MC into it your gain will probably be to low...so if you test it with a friends TT remember they may have a MC..

Regards
M. Gregg

Thanks for the warning. I have to admit I only joined because there was some info on my amps but I'm glad I did as I read the bit about high voltages already & that helped me before I even posted a message!

I've also had a look through the gallery & I'm amazed at what you guys can do. I love a bit of DIY but mine is more mechanical, woodturning, built a bandsaw & build my own aquariums & gear but now I wish I was more electronically minded.

One thing though, thanks to this forum & reading through some threads, I am learning more about what goes into a valve amp & what it does so that can't be bad.

I work in a metalwork so the cabinet would be dead easy, all I need to learn is the fiddly bits.

[kstagger]

Welcome aboard. Personally I find chassis work the most difficult part of DIYing tube gear. Once you get wiring & soldering down - along with safe practices - it should be easy enough to start making your own amps.

[Mooly]

I posted at the start that there could be several reasons... but one thing is for sure. A phono preamp should blow your socks off with any line input.

With the volume turned really low and with the phono input selected, (that was one of the things I wondered if you had missed ) and if you connect just phono leads to the input and lightly touch the centre signal pin the hum and noise should be massive. If it isn't then something needs looking at.

[Arckivio]

Originally Posted by Mooly

I posted at the start that there could be several reasons... but one thing is for sure. A phono preamp should blow your socks off with any line input.

With the volume turned really low and with the phono input selected, (that was one of the things I wondered if you had missed ) and if you connect just phono leads to the input and lightly touch the centre signal pin the hum and noise should be massive. If it isn't then something needs looking at.

That was exactly what I was thinking from the start, it should have been louder but now you've got me wondering if I ever selected the phono input!! The low volume could have been due to the sound just leaking through the inputs, I know there's a name for that but I can't remember now.

Looks like I need to turn everything down & try this again.

[M Gregg]

Originally Posted by Arckivio

The low volume could have been due to the sound just leaking through the inputs, I know there's a name for that but I can't remember now.

Looks like I need to turn everything down & try this again.

Sounds like it to me..used to be called crosstalk..or pick up..

If you do try it..phone at lowest volume..main amp volume at lowest setting and turn up slowly..I still don't think you damaged anything...unless there was already a fault on the unit.

Regards
M. Gregg

[Arckivio]

Originally Posted by M Gregg

Sounds like it to me..used to be called crosstalk..or pick up..

If you do try it..phone at lowest volume..main amp volume at lowest setting and turn up slowly..I still don't think you damaged anything...unless there was already a fault on the unit.

Regards
M. Gregg

Crosstalk! That's the word I was looking for. I will try it with everything at 0. Thanks for all your help & I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[Mooly]

Give it a try
You won't damage anything in the preamp, just remember to keep the volume really low.

[Original Burnedfingers]

Originally Posted by Arckivio

The input is definitely only MM, what I'm trying to determine is if there's something wrong with it because it played at such a low volume with a line level source plugged into it.

It was a mistake & I wasn't going to listen to the phono input with a line level source. The problem I have now is that I bought these but didn't plan on buying a turntable for another few months.

You need to learn that a phono input is configured as a low level input and not as a line level input. Lets plug your phone into a line level input and see if the preamp is working correctly. If it is not working correctly then lets turn everything off and take the tubes out one at a time and reset them. Sometimes a tube can make an intermittent contact and not work correctly.
Next lets ohm out the interconnect cables and look for an open which can happen in any cable or simply try another pair of interconnects.

What do you have for mono block amps? Do they have an input control? If so is it turned up to a normal level?

Have you checked your speaker cables and speakers? Are the speakers fused?

These are just a few things to check before you rip into the preamp.

I do wish they were available here in the states as I haven't ever seen one here. Definately a good price at roughly $1K.

[Arckivio]

Originally Posted by Original Burnedfingers

You need to learn that a phono input is configured as a low level input and not as a line level input. Lets plug your phone into a line level input and see if the preamp is working correctly. If it is not working correctly then lets turn everything off and take the tubes out one at a time and reset them. Sometimes a tube can make an intermittent contact and not work correctly.
Next lets ohm out the interconnect cables and look for an open which can happen in any cable or simply try another pair of interconnects.

What do you have for mono block amps? Do they have an input control? If so is it turned up to a normal level?

Have you checked your speaker cables and speakers? Are the speakers fused?

These are just a few things to check before you rip into the preamp.

I do wish they were available here in the states as I haven't ever seen one here. Definately a good price at roughly $1K.

All the above was checked & yes the line level inputs did work, I think the answer is going to be that I didn't actually switch the pre to phono & I was listening to crosstalk.

I thought Dared was available in the U.S. I've seen lots of threads about them & there's a Dared Italia too. Granted, most of the threads were invaded by the neurotic, maniacal Chinese haters. The only reason I bought mine now from Italy, the only place I could get them from, was because all ebay & normal shop sites were running out of stock. New stock due..........October 2013!!! I know this company make fatmans too but I'm not sure if even that would keep them busy that long.

To be honest this is a bit of a strange brand, there's a company name that doesn't even have a website. I can buy Ming Da, Shanling, Yaqin, Yarland & some others in China & in other countries but Dared is only available in countries where there's a distributor, & I think thats only Italy & the U.S but not in China & because I really wanted them, I had to order earlier than I wanted to. By the way, Yarlands look remarkably like music angels to me, are they?

[Original Burnedfingers]

My suggestion from now on is do not use a line source in a phono preamp input.