VTA PH16X help!

Just completed my PH16X kit rechecked everything twice. Hooked directly to my VTA ST-120 with stepped attenuator, at first only the right speaker had sound. Rechecked, I forgot to adjust the dip switches, all were off. Now all dip switches off except S1-B, now both speakers work, BUT, have to have the volume at maximum to hear anything.

My cartridge is a Nagaoka MP-110 which calls for 47K ohms and 150-200pf.

ST-120 hooked directly to CD player performs perfectly.

Any help would be appreciated.

I emailed Roy, I am sure I screwed up somewhere!

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have you checked all supply voltages?
One thing I am noticing with your build, even though you have twisted all the wires, are you running the AC supply wires to the transformers together with the DC wires?
If yes, I strongly recommend that you separate them. I would run the AC wires along the outside of the power switch to the transformers. You may need to install a new set of AC wires if the current ones are not long enough to route them on the outside of the power switch and away from the pcb's.
This has nothing to do with your current issue, but it is really important to keep AC wiring as far away from DC wiring as possible, even though they are all twisted!

erhard-audio wrote:have you checked all supply voltages?
One thing I am noticing with your build, even though you have twisted all the wires, are you running the AC supply wires to the transformers together with the DC wires?
If yes, I strongly recommend that you separate them. I would run the AC wires along the outside of the power switch to the transformers. You may need to install a new set of AC wires if the current ones are not long enough to route them on the outside of the power switch and away from the pcb's.
This has nothing to do with your current issue, but it is really important to keep AC wiring as far away from DC wiring as possible, even though they are all twisted!

Yes, all voltages checked and within tolerances. Thank you for the advice on the AC/DC wiring, I will fix that.

EDIT:

Just heard from Roy, he recommended I check all connections. Will report back after I do that.

I am sure he is correct as whenever I take the top off to check something and reinstall it does something different. Now it is playing through only one channel, the left channel out of the right speaker!

If you haven't seen them already, check out these links to a couple of pictorial PH16X builds? They should be good to double-check your wiring against.

http://tubes4hifi.com/PH16X-2016.htm

http://tubes4hifi.com/PH16X-2018.htm

I built one of these and had the same issue when installing an SUT. I realized I had applied too much solder to the center rca on one channel and it overflowed onto the ground of the rca terminal. Check the side that is bad and make sure you didn’t apply too much solder or any of the leads are too long and touching metal.

Roy was right, it was a bad connection, too much heat on the right channel signal in connection on the PCB caused the insulation to melt away and allow the wires to touch. Fixed it and the PH16X works perfectly!