View Single Post
  #1  
Old 01-05-2023, 01:35 AM
G8YU's Avatar
G8YU G8YU is offline
Senior Member

 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: U.S.A.
Posts: 227
Default Channel loss and cable design

I have a PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell and M700 monoblocks.

Everything was great until I turned it on recently and noticed the right channel was at whisper level and would not increase. I could hear a soft thump in the right channel with each increment of the volume knob. I checked the channel balance; and found it was set to the middle, and altering it didn't help.

I tried muting and unmuting, unplugging everything; but nothing brought the right channel back. I began checking all connections and inspecting cables. I then discovered the XLR cables between the SGC and M700 monos were mismatched as seen in the photo.



The cable with hollow pins is for the right channel amp. I got these from Ivan. He had them sent direct from the manufacturer.

I took the SGC over to a different system for testing. I discovered that a digital coax input will activate the left and right XLR or RCA outputs. A XLR input, as the only source, will activate the left and right XLR outputs; but I'm not certain they sounded equal in volume. If a RCA input is added, the right channel is only at whisper level. In my system I use all the analog inputs and some of the digital inputs.

I installed an Arcam integrated amp for use as a preamplifier in place of the SGC; and both channels are working well from any input source.

Has anyone had experience with an RCA input failure like this? Could the one unconventional XLR cable have caused electrical damage?

The Stellar Gain Cell will be four years old in April; so whether it was damaged or just failed, it's past the warranty length.
Reply With Quote