Topic: ADI 2 Dac fs left/right channels problems

Hallo, i have a problem with my DAC. With several audio CDs the left channel is a lot more strong than the right one. The dac is plugged with a dvd reader and sometimes with a cd player (Copland) by coax plug. Strangely with some cds the balance is ok. When the problematic CDs are read by other devices or computer all is ok. I wrote to RME assistance and waiting for an answer, in the meanwhile i would know if any of you had a similar problem.
Thanks.

2 (edited by terrys999 2021-01-12 14:49:04)

Re: ADI 2 Dac fs left/right channels problems

Hi
Yes I found that out last night.
My left channel is louder than right.
I tested xlr and rca both are the same.

I changed speaker balance from left to right .
Same thing. Right channel weaker.

Then I changed to mono,  now mono should push out same to each speaker.  Right channel still weaker.

I checked all my settings on the adi 2 dac fs and all are correct.

Cables are fine,
Looks like we have the same problem.

Oh I just noticed that you said. Problem on some cds!

Try this   Change stereo to mono on the dac. Try the problematic cds see if volume is restored.

Just found out that earlier recordings seem to favour one speaker ect...

Quote..  Depends on how it's mixed, some are wider and more concentrated in one channel than the other. Early Stereo tends to be widely separated and have a dominant channel than 1970's Stereo mixes do.

I hope this is the case,  it not. We both have a problem with the adi..

3 (edited by KaiS 2021-01-12 15:03:44)

Re: ADI 2 Dac fs left/right channels problems

terrys999 wrote:

...My left channel is louder than right.
I tested xlr and rca both are the same.

I changed speaker balance from left to right .
Same thing. Right channel weaker.

Then I changed to mono,  now mono should push out same to each speaker.  Right channel still weaker.

I checked all my settings on the adi 2 dac fs and all are correct.

Cables are fine, ...

• Did you check the “Balance“ control under “VOL” -button?


• Did you check that you didn’t accidentally activated M/S-Processing under:
I/O / $output$ / Settings / ... ?

Re: ADI 2 Dac fs left/right channels problems

Hi kais.
Yes checked balance. And m/s processing. That was off.

Just played a speaker test setup album.  I didn’t know I had...    it’s a collection. On cd chosen for the dynamics ect ect,
Both speakers sound fine.   I am thinking that it’s the recordings that are at fault Not the dac.

Last night I played some classical  living stereo sacds. It’s when I noticed right channel was weaker.

These recordings are analogue to dsd. 50s 60s .
I thinks it’s just the way they were recorded.  Played some modern cds and all seems ok.

Will keep checking.

5 (edited by achillepr1956 2021-01-13 08:12:13)

Re: ADI 2 Dac fs left/right channels problems

I also think it is a record problem. Probably some recordings appear to be mono for the ADI. Other cd players don't have this problem. With Soundforge I have seen that the spectrum of non-working tracks shows perfectly symmetrical left / right channels.
One of this record is the 1957's Warm Woods by Phil Woods reissued on CD in 1988, but there others with same problems recordered in 80's.
For now i listen in mono.
The ADI setup menu is so complicated, i wish to see a MS Windows app to setup the device.

6 (edited by KaiS 2021-01-13 12:15:18)

Re: ADI 2 Dac fs left/right channels problems

achillepr1956 wrote:

I also think it is a record problem. Probably some recordings appear to be mono for the ADI. Other cd players don't have this problem. With Soundforge I have seen that the spectrum of non-working tracks shows perfectly symmetrical left / right channels.
One of this record is the 1957's Warm Woods by Phil Woods reissued on CD in 1988, but there others with same problems recordered in 80's.
For now i listen in mono.

I checked the Phil Woods recording as stream from Tidal, listened directly out of the iPhones headphones output.
Both available Tidal-versions are pure mono, probably the format they where recorded in 1957.

So far I don’t see anything wrong if the ADI-2 DAC plays them in mono too.


Step by step :

• If setting ADI-2 to mono fixes the problem a non-centered balance setting in the player (software) is a likely cause.

• Do ADI-2 DAC’s meters show the same for L/R with the above mono recording?
Then ADI-2 setup and player setup is correct.

• If yes, next step I’d suggest to reverse the connection of the line out cables directly at the ADI-2 outputs.

• Is it now the other speaker that is lower?
Then ADI-2 is broken.

• If the same speaker stays lower, the problem locates outside ADI-2.



If you like I can check some more recordings for you.

Re: ADI 2 Dac fs left/right channels problems

Thanks to all for the answers.
My audio system is all ok, now i hear problematic cds putting the ADI on mono.
However, I think the interface should detect and play a mono disc by distributing the sound on the left and right channels equally, as all other players do. In fact, MONO doesn't just mean sound on the left channel only but that the left and the right have the same signal.
In addition, the same problem also gives me with more recent CDs that are certainly not mono. I think the RME needs to study this situation and remedy it.
Thanks again everyone

8

Re: ADI 2 Dac fs left/right channels problems

If you prefer to ignore serious and useful advice (looks like you did not work through KaiS small but efficient checklist)  then nobody here will be in the mood to help further. BTW, the ADI has more than one mono option. Just turn the knob a bit more...

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: ADI 2 Dac fs left/right channels problems

achillepr1956 wrote:

Thanks to all for the answers.
My audio system is all ok, now i hear problematic cds putting the ADI on mono.
However, I think the interface should detect and play a mono disc by distributing the sound on the left and right channels equally, as all other players do. In fact, MONO doesn't just mean sound on the left channel only but that the left and the right have the same signal.
In addition, the same problem also gives me with more recent CDs that are certainly not mono. I think the RME needs to study this situation and remedy it.
Thanks again everyone

achillepr1956's  You should take kais and mc advice.

I just checked mine by using kais advice. Mine seems to be fine.

some stereo is biased to left or right speaker.

Re: ADI 2 Dac fs left/right channels problems

Sorry men but i'm not a child, i'm a 64 years old man and it' a long long time i'm in hifi world. i've tryied everything, my stereo devices have no problems, it's all ok with my copland 823 cd player, the Adi interface has problem with some cd that i solved using it in mono, but the problem remains, it with some cds sees the left channel, to make an example, at 100 db and the right at 10. Thank you for your aytention.

11 (edited by KaiS 2021-01-14 17:40:47)

Re: ADI 2 Dac fs left/right channels problems

achillepr1956 wrote:

... the problem remains, it with some cds sees the left channel, to make an example, at 100 db and the right at 10. Thank you for your aytention.

For my personal peace of mind smile could you please positively double-check one thing:


• That you don’t have M/S-Processing activated under:
I/O [Button] / Line Output / Settings / M/S-Proc = OFF (should be).

Easy to miss, the setting is output-specific, make sure you check all three: Line Output, Headphone and IEM.


It’s just that the result you get, 100 dB / 10 dB, would exactly happen if a mono recording goes through M/S processing:

Left: shows the mono-content, a full blown signal.

Right: shows the channel difference, which is very low to zero with a mono recording, depending on how it was transferred.

Re: ADI 2 Dac fs left/right channels problems

Thanks very much. Now it works. The fact that is not easy to setup the device remains. Bye to all helped me.