How do I know if my ribbon is stretched?

jon_010101 · « **on:** 16 Feb 2006, 02:49 am »

I have a pair of Diluceos but I swear one sounds "snappier"/more articulate than the other. i.e., it seems like the leading-edge transients are clearer on one, and the other might be a tad tizzy. I first thought it was my ears (one is better than the other), then wondered if it was an amp. I am now thinking its actually the one speaker, since the "snappiness" seems to follow one speaker if I swap them side-to-side and leave everything else the same.

Does this sound like the symptoms of a stretched G2 ribbon? What else might cause this? Am I simply crazy?

Danny Richie · « **Reply #1 on:** 16 Feb 2006, 05:46 pm »

It could be stretched. How does it look compared to the other one?

Is it centered in the gap or does it curve through it like a loose noddle?

jon_010101 · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 Feb 2006, 06:09 pm »

Hmmmm ... doesn't look much different

Maybe I am overlooking some other variable... its hard to trust my ears since my room (and hearing) is asymmetrical. I'll try swapping to a different pair of amps.

Thanks!

jon_010101 · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 Feb 2006, 06:28 pm »

OH, I figured it out... I have to turn my amps off to swap the speakers ... and when cold the left channel sounds *very slightly* better, and when warm the right channel sounds *very slightly* better! Guess I need to re-bias them and check my tubes this afternoon

edit -- Problem fixed. I measured a few mA imbalance between tubes on the left channel, but it takes 10 minutes of warmup for that to occur. So when I swapped my speakers after the amps were warmed up (where right channel sounded best), letting the amps cool down in the process, the left channel would suddenly appear to sound better than it had before. How embarrassing, my amps hate DC imbalance.

Thanks Danny, glad I have the Diluceos to tell me when my amps are messed up.