Help needed ...what happened to the punch ?

I've had this discussion with a few of you in the last month but ...
I have gone through two Adcom preamps in the last 4 years and decided not to purchase another Adcom product to match up with my Carver TFM-35x amplifier. To stay in suit with my amp - I found a very nice condition Carver CT-26V Preamp/Tuner. When I hooked that up it seemed like I lost alot of bottom end punch from my Klipsch LaScalas. What I did hear was alot of high end tinny / echo sound. I had to turn the treble down quite a bit and turn the bass up to about 3/4 of the knob. Sounded much better - but still not what I remember. Next step was finding an equalizer to tweak in more of what I wanted. Purchased a Kenwood GE1100 equalizer unit and heard a little difference but nothing major. Pulled the Kenwood out today and purchased a very nice ADC Sounshaper 910 computerized EQ/Analyzer. Just got done putting that in the cabinet and it sounds better than the Kenwood did - but still missing that punch in the chest ...What the hell !

Any advice on how to proceed ?
Is it the CT-26V that is causing me the issues ?

If there's a big equalization change from simply inserting a different preamp, then likely it's the problem and it's not right. Dried out electrolytic caps will rolloff the bottom end and cause a complaint about like you stated...being tinny sounding.

Particularly, this isn't the time to use an audio blender (a eq). If somethings wrong, then something needs fixed! It's time to investigate the units shortcomings. Actually, no time is a good time for chopping up and mutilating your audio, but that's a topic for another day. I'd suggest checking out the preamp by swapping it into another system and/or another preamp to allow temporarily pulling the CT-26.

And why a couple of failures previously? Are they too contained and running hot?

Mark

The problem I had with the two Adcom units is that they would turn themselves off and on erratically. Something to do with the power on button or something related to that. They were both situated in an area on my shelving rack that were well ventilated.

This system is in my garage - which is heated in the winter months and never falls below 50 degrees ...for what it's worth.

From what you're telling me, it sounds like it probably isn't a bad idea to get the preamp tested.

Hello Butch, did you happen to switch out any interconnects when you installed the Carver preamplifier? Also, what is the condition of the surrounds on the woofers of each speaker?

So, you've discovered that pre amps sound different. Welcome to the wonderful world of audio. I suggest you find something different than the Carver because obviously, it's not doing the trick.

I can tell you from 1st hand experience that the ct series preamps are very flat/neutral.
my ct27 needed a lot of EQ to get it to sound the way I like.
when I got a c19, I took out the EQ, I did not need it anymore, same with the sunfire tube pre, in fact it made the music sound like crap ,except when I run my sat reciver thru it does help the sound.

Hello Butch, did you happen to switch out any interconnects when you installed the Carver preamplifier? Also, what is the condition of the surrounds on the woofers of each speaker?

Didn't touch anything other than unplugging the cables from the Adcom and plugging into the Carver ...No touching of any interconnects.

The woofers look good ...no deterioration of any sort.

Looks like I have a very nice "looking"Carver preamp and Kenwood EQ for sale !!!

Didn't touch anything other than unplugging the cables from the Adcom and plugging into the Carver ...No touching of any interconnects.

yep that what I did when I made the preamp switch, sound went all to hell till I took out the EQ.
thinking I had done something wrong I redid every thing, in the end it was the CT series preamps that have the issue.
I kinda think these were Carvers 1st attempts at getting into Dolby surround, it did not turn out well