I was a big fan of Paul and PS audio since I was was newer to the hobby 5 years ago. I had some decent older gear but bot really audiophile class. So after coming int an inheritance I but new to me gear. One being the Stellar Gain Cell DAC, the first version. I know it’s out of warranty but I had it less than 6 months and the right channel is gone. Keep in mind that this unit was in excellent condition. Now I am stuck with a repair and of course shipping costs. After reading up on this unit it turns out to be
common problem. I am very disappointed after putting my trust in a company that makes products with know issues and does nothing about it. Sadly you have just lost a customer for. Even after I defended Paul and his integrity in other forums. Frankly I feel quite betrayed.
Man, that is a true disappointment for sure. You could still contact PS Audio Service and ask what the usual fix is for that and how much it costs. It’s worth a try IMO. BTW, I did a search on this forum and found multiple references to:
“It’s interesting that channel imbalance appears to be a more common problem than I expected.”
Did you see those references or something more specific to a channel completely dropping out?
Not sure how common a problem it is, I came across 1 mention of it for sure, and perhaps a 2nd one. Where did you purchase it? Have you contacted PSA Service?
And what tests of your own have you tried? unplugging/replugging all cables; switching cables, amps and speakers from left to right, for instance?
If you haven’t thought of trying this particular troubleshooting method, I highly recommend it first (apologies if you are already way ahead of this troubleshooting tip): switch places of the left and right cables connected to the outputs on the SGCD and see if the dead channel follows the cable or follows the SGCD output jack. This would determine the source of the outage: SGCD, cables, amp, or speakers.
I had a problem similar to yours with a different brand, and this helped me locate a faulty connection in my amp.
Hello Pkeep, If I were you I would be really unhappy. I have multiple PS Audio components and no problems. Sometimes it is the “UNluck-of-the-draw.” 3 things: 1. Once I had a problem with my FM tuner a month after installing new cables. Turns out it wasn’t the tuner or the cable. The cable was stiff and shifted very slightly later, after I pushed the tuner back into my rack. 2. Reverse cables, as suggested above by Tomhail. 3. Call PS Service. I have found them to be really helpful in talking me patiently through issues unrelated to PS equipment. They are also known to fix out-of-warranty equipment at little or no charge as a courtesy. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. We care.
This is really unfortunate and I would like to make sure you get this handled and taken care of without a lot of expense and pain. Can you email me directly? paul@psaudio.com and let me know the details so we can get you sorted. And, please accept my apologies. That’s not the way we want to treat folks.
A small piece of advice, give a company a chance to help you before you attack them. Stuff brakes in the real world. The measure of a company or person is how they respond when something goes wrong. It’s awfully mature and nice of Paul to take the approach he has taken after you blasted his company before they even had a chance to help you.
This is so true and typical of how Paul and PS Audio work! And, unfortunately the OP didn’t appear to consider reaching out to PS Audio first. I always recommend to troubleshoot first (don’t just assume one particular piece of gear is the problem), then reach out to the company, follow up with the company, then if nothing happens turn to the community and lastly complain in public.
It’s tempting to lash out to vent frustrations (as sometimes I do), but ends up being counter productive.
Sorry @pkeep that you’re having these issues with the SGCD. I owned one for a brief 9 months before trading up to the DirectStream DAC Sr. (MK1). I loved that preamp and the DAC was really nice. I couldn’t take advantage of I2S input at the time.
Mine had to go back under warranty for just an issue with the Headphone Amp. Since then. I sent two out of warranty PS Audio products (the same DAC and its matching Perfectwave Transport) to get “freshened up”. Basically new displays were installed (this was my repurchased DAC - not the one I traded up for) in both units and the HDMI jacks were all replaced. Wear and Tear items really.
As @Paul mentioned. Don’t lose faith in PS Audio. While I can’t afford the PMG stuff (but God knows I wish I could). I’m happy as a Pig in with the repaired items. The repairs were reasonably priced too !
I’ve also owned 3x M700, an M300 at one time along with a Stellar Phono Preamp. Never had any issues when they were in my rig.
…check operation from digital & analog sources.
Confirm right channel output absent from analog sources.
Trace fault & contact PS Audio USA.
2 Hardware Wideband VCA (incl shipping) $82.50
Replace pre VCA IC’s as pair…
with the repaired items. The repairs were reasonably priced too !