Have I blown the right channel of 2 equalizers?

[rocksy]

Hi all.

My current testing setup is as follows:

PC audio
|
V
Nikko Beta 20 Pre Amp
|
V
Nikko EQ 20 Equalizer (connected on the tape loop)
|
V
Nikko Beta 20 Pre Amp (same one)
|
V
Nikko Alpha 230
|
V
Two speakers

After listening for any amount of time, the right channel will all of a sudden go very quiet. So quiet you can barely hear it (tinny sound, crackles in and out with pops).

I have checked the speakers, hot swapped cables when it happens, changed from tape 1 to tape 2 on the pre amp, change from the normal in/out on the eq to using the tape loop in and out. Even turning on the eq bypass on the eq doesn't fix the problem.

Nothing appears to fix this problem from randomly happening. Things are usually fine after I let things sit off for a while, only to happen again when I begin listening to music.

I decided to replace the eq 20 with a Nikko EQ II that I have sitting around, and after less than a couple hours, the same EXACT problem happens in the right channel.

Have I broken two equalizers somehow? What could be causing this? Did the mono price cables I used somehow stretch out the RCA connectors?

 

[E-Stat]

I would begin by taking the equalizers out of the equation - as they may have nothing to do with the situation.

Perhaps it is a channel of either pre or power amp that is the cause.

 

[rocksy]

I would begin by taking the equalizers out of the equation - as they may have nothing to do with the situation.

Perhaps it is a channel of either pre or power amp that is the cause.

Switching to AUX input on the Pre Amp does not exhibit the same issue (this removes the EQ from the chain). I have listened to music on the AUX input for a considerable amount of hours and this right-channel issue has not appeared.

 

[E-Stat]

Hmmm. If you reverse channels with the EQ connected, does the issue migrate to the left channel?

 

[rothwellaudio]

I decided to replace the eq 20 with a Nikko EQ II that I have sitting around, and after less than a couple hours, the same EXACT problem happens in the right channel.

Have I broken two equalizers somehow? What could be causing this? Did the mono price cables I used somehow stretch out the RCA connectors?

This suggests to me that the problem has nothing to do with the EQs. I suspect the problem lies in the tape loop switching. Maybe just cleaning the switches will fix it.

 

[rocksy]

Hmmm. If you reverse channels with the EQ connected, does the issue migrate to the left channel?

The issue then migrates to the other channel (left channel).

This suggests to me that the problem has nothing to do with the EQs. I suspect the problem lies in the tape loop switching. Maybe just cleaning the switches will fix it.

I will look into doing this. I'll try to see if this equalizer issue happens on a different integrated amp's tape loop as well. I will also try directly plugging my PC's AUX into the TAPE input (quickly swap) the next time this happens.

My main concern was that I was somehow passing a signal that was damaging these equalizers.

 

[rothwellaudio]

My main concern was that I was somehow passing a signal that was damaging these equalizers.

That seems extremely unlikely to me.

 

[whoaru99]

Jumper the tape loop without the EQ and see if still happens.

 

[nj pheonix]

Could be a component changing value as it heats up.
I'd try the other tips first.

 

[coonmanx]

You need to rule out the tape loop first. Either jumper the loop and see if it happens again. Or you could plug your source into the EQ and then take the output from the EQ and send it into the AUX input and see if it happens. Either way should tell you if it is indeed the EQ, but I doubt that it is from what I have read here...

 

[gadget73]

only thing I can think of that might be damaging the EQ is if DC voltage was coming out of the tape loop connections. Multimeter across the jack would tell you that. Otherwise more likely the tape loop switch is crusty like @rothwellaudio suggests. Flipping that on and off a few times might bring it back. Bad cables might also do it if you are using the same cables on both EQ.