Denon DRA-300 - Bad Ballance Control

Gempler
Gempler Posts: 308
edited February 2012 in 2 Channel Audio
I picked up a rough looking Denon DRA-300 from a thrift shop. It is a 30w receiver from 1983. On initial inspection it seemed to work just fine so I cleaned it all up (cosmetically). It now looks great, and sounds surprisingly good. It even remembers stations in the tuner memory! I have been running it for a few hours and when checking all the controls I discovered one problem. The balance control fades from left to right as the knob is turned from one extreme or the other, but when it is turned all the way to one extreme the two channels play as if the knob is at the neutral position. This happens in both directions. For example, if I turn the knob to the right the left channel begins to fade out until the knob is turned to the stopping point, at which time the left channel comes back on, and vice versa. Does this just sound like a dirty pot? Or is the pot shot and needs to be replaced? Or something else? Any tricks to help troubleshoot it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Denon_DRA-300.jpg
Post edited by Gempler on
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Comments

  • Gempler
    Gempler Posts: 308
    edited February 2012
    Cleaning the pot fixed it!
    It was an open pot so understandably got dirty after nearly 30 years.
    Cleaned all the pots while in there... The thing is performing great. A very nice little receiver.
    A pal is going to use it while his receiver is out for repair, then you might see it in the flea market.
    Thanks.
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  • FTGV
    FTGV Posts: 3,649
    edited February 2012
    Congrats on a nice looking 80's vintage find and it works.
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