Can one channel of an AVR fade some without completely going out? Is this likely to mean it’s going to drop out completely?

Not finding much info on the internet about one channel fading but not just dying completely. A couple of times over the last week I’ve noticed the front soundstage in 2ch stereo was pulling to the right. I swapped speakers and the left channel still seemed week (had to turn it up by 5dB to re-center the front soundstage).

Also, when this happens the depth of the left soundstage retreats back to the speaker even when I adjust the volume. What I mean is that normally with things set up the way they are now I can usually here some sounds coming from the left and right speakers as if they are coming from over either shoulder behind me. However, when this happens the right side continues to sound like this but the left side just sounds like it’s coming from the speaker.

It’s happening with all sources and inputs I use so I don’t think the problem is on that end. Occasionally when I start it up everything shifts back so I have to readjust the volume to normal but then after playing a while I notice the left channel has faded out some again.

Yes, it can. It happened to me twice in my life (including once with my original A1400 that had the bad batch of relays). In one case it never failed per se, but never recovered. In the case of the A1400, the elaborate self-check the unit performs on startup eventually gave up and decided it was unwise to power up the unit (and then Purolator showed up at my door 40 hours later with a replacement!).

Also check your cables and connections just in case.

Cables would be my first guess - call the Deaf Monk, I'm sure he can hook you up. Otherwise, i got Nada on this.

I used to experience this in analog-land. Dirty balance knob pots.

I'm helping! (not)

Well Dean, I think we can answer yes, that one channel can fade, because it's doing it. Now the only question is why. You said that it affected all sources; does that include FM(to eliminate any question about dirty input connections upstream)? You switched speakers to eliminate that question; did you switch speaker wires to check for dirt/corrosion at that point?

If it's something internal to the Denon, all that any of us could do would be to make guesses about various parts that might be fluctuating in function, so I suppose that it would have to be taken in for tests.

Thanks for the responses, I just swapped the speakers wires (14 gauge from Home Labyrinth) and the problem stayed with the left channel. Too bad because that would have been a nice simple fix.

John the one input I’m not using is the tuner. IMHO Phoenix radio stations suck so the only time I listen is in the car to NPR, KJAZ, a classical station and Alice Cooper’s show on KDKB though I think the jerks must have just switched the timeslot on me. If I can find the antenna (still packed from moving) I’ll give it a try.

The inputs I am using are HDMI2 (DVD player), HDMI1 (Xbox, Cable box), Coax (HTPC1), Optical 1 (HTPC2) and Analogue L/R (regular computer). All of these inputs are effected but I really notice it most when listening to music no mater the source.


I’ve been playing Buddhist stuff for 2 days thinking he would show up. And then I realize “doh!” he’s deaf.

Hi grunt,

I'd agree with JohnK and Tom; it's unusual, and something that I associate with vacuum-tube gear back in the '50s and '60s, but it doesn't mean it can't happen with solid-state amplification, whether in a preamp or amp section of a receiver.

If you have an old stereo amp lying around, you might try taking the Denon's preamp output from the left channel and running it through one channel of the stereo amp (use any line-level input, like CD or tape), to see if the fading continues. If so, then the problem would be confined to the preamp section of the Denon. If the fading stops, then the problem would be in the amp board output section for the Denon's left channel.

Regards,
Alan

A few years back I had a somewhat similar problem with a Yamaha receiver I had that culminated in the channel dying altogether.
Perhaps Alan could elaborate but in my case it was a DAC for that particular channel that finally gave up the ghost and had to be replaced. Not cheap either, about $200 bucks!

I thought it was odd since I couldn’t find much about this searching the internet. Seemed the few discussions did find seemed to indicate that if this did happen the whole channel usually went out in short order, which (fingers crossed) doesn’t seem to be happening.

Unfortunately I don’t have an old amp as I’ve only recently gotten into good audio but I might be able to borrow one. I did just try my headphones and the left channel needs bumped up the same amount to balance with the right channel. Not sure if that might help narrow things down since I don’t know anything about the internal workings of an AVR.

Something else I also noticed on the headphones that I though I was hearing from the speakers is that the effect I’m hearing isn’t just pulling the soundstage to the right but seems to be collapsing the depth of the soundstage. This was even more noticeable on the headphones. It almost seems like some frequencies are being effected more than others but it’s hard to tell.

Just to eliminate bad hearing I check the speakers sitting backwards and the left channel stayed the weak one same thing when I just turned the headphones around.



Well I bought this B-Stock 2 1/2 years ago so if it dies I won’t be heartbroken. I just hoped to put off the upgrade purchase until I’m ready to buy a Blu-Ray player and projector/screen. Money is already put aside for the purchases but I’ve been taking my time enjoying my system since I moved from the apartment to house. Just didn’t want to purchase anything until the room is ready which I’m about to start working on. I keep saying that every week…

Dean, the fact that it also affects the headphones doesn't narrow the possibilities. Contrary to some beliefs of headphone enthusiasts that receivers use a "cheap" separate headphone amplifier, most(all?)receivers use the same amplifier as is used for the speakers, but with the output appropriately attenuated to match the phones. This is why the speakers are cut off when the phones are plugged in.

I'm still curious if the problem exists on FM, since that eliminates a lot of the upstream input circuitry that affects other sources.

Receivers have preamps built in,when using headphones it's this preamp which drives them. The main power amp is simple not used / bypast.

lhulls,

No, the preamp section typically does not have enough gain to drive headphones. If you want to test that thesis, try connecting a pair of headphones to the main channel left and right pre-outs of an AV receiver. In most cases, you'll hear only a very weak signal. That is why the amplifier output is used, much attenuated.

Regards,

Ihulls, I believe you are incorrect. It has been many years since I messed around with headphones, but I'm pretty sure they are not getting their gain from the preouts. It is the amplifier within the receiver that drives the headphones as John mentioned.

oooops, I see Alan already commented as well. Looks like the votes are in.

I stand corrected.

Regards

Well I dug up a spare piece of coax and tested the FM. Turns out It’s stopped doing it again on all inputs. Both good and bad since I would like to narrow down what’s going on. Well I’ll probably be buying equipment sooner than later now, as I’m finally getting moving on things.

See Dean, I told ya. Trying the FM fixed everything! Just kidding, of course, these things come and go when some part is weakening.