doctorcilantro

Hi folks, I am posting this here because I know there are a lot of people who could hope; I have been inundating Ryan Inman with emails since he just made my Sherwood S-5000 sound great, which is part of this whole debacle. I would like to add that, as you all you, Mr. Inman is a top notch tech & and a great person. System: Sherwood S-5000 8 Channel DJ mixer PC w/ M-Audio Delta 44 audio card connects via parellel cable to breakout box which has 4in 4out (2 stereo in 2 stereo out) ...all 1/4" jacks (accepts balanced or unbalanced) Overall plan: To have components run to mixer (tape, tube tuner, cd) and output via rca cable to Sherwood via AUX input. HW-19 inputs into the Sherwood via rca cable into PHONO stage. REC out of Sherwood goes to Delta 44 break out box via (2) rca>1/4" Output of sound card runs to mixer via (2) rca>1/4" cables Problem: When nothing but the REC out of the Sherwood is connected to the breakout box inputs 1&2, I get massive feedback hum on the speakers. This is with any stage selected, AND it doesn't occur on inputs 3&4 of the box. When I unplug the box from the computer the hum/feedback stops on channels 1&2. My box is fried, it won't OUTPUT any sound to my mixer. My question: When I get a new box or soundcard, am I going to have the same problem again. Is there any inherent fault in this setup? I was getting the feedback before a feedback loop fried the box so I am inclined to believe the box was at fault from the beginning. You can use software to mute all inputs of the card etc. to avoid any type of signal loop, which I had never had a problem with with my M-Audio 24/96 audio card. The computer is earth grounded. The audio components are not, they all run into a line conditioner which itself is earth grounded. The mixer has three male prongs on itself but the side that plugs into the conditioner is a two prong. Ryan removed the capacitor the grounded the line voltage to the chassis so I would not have a problem. I did have my tube tuner running into the mixer at the start which has not been worked on. Again, I am inclined to believe either the box was faulty or there is some inherent design in it that will make it not compatible with my setup. Thanks for any advice in advance. Jonathan

Hi folks, I am posting this here because I know there are a lot of people who could hope; I have been inundating Ryan Inman with emails since he just made my Sherwood S-5000 sound great, which is part of this whole debacle. I would like to add that, as you all you, Mr. Inman is a top notch tech & and a great person. System: Sherwood S-5000 8 Channel DJ mixer PC w/ M-Audio Delta 44 audio card connects via parellel cable to breakout box which has 4in 4out (2 stereo in 2 stereo out) ...all 1/4" jacks (accepts balanced or unbalanced) Overall plan: To have components run to mixer (tape, tube tuner, cd) and output via rca cable to Sherwood via AUX input. HW-19 inputs into the Sherwood via rca cable into PHONO stage. REC out of Sherwood goes to Delta 44 break out box via (2) rca>1/4" Output of sound card runs to mixer via (2) rca>1/4" cables Problem: When nothing but the REC out of the Sherwood is connected to the breakout box inputs 1&2, I get massive feedback hum on the speakers. This is with any stage selected, AND it doesn't occur on inputs 3&4 of the box. When I unplug the box from the computer the hum/feedback stops on channels 1&2. My box is fried, it won't OUTPUT any sound to my mixer. My question: When I get a new box or soundcard, am I going to have the same problem again. Is there any inherent fault in this setup? I was getting the feedback before a feedback loop fried the box so I am inclined to believe the box was at fault from the beginning. You can use software to mute all inputs of the card etc. to avoid any type of signal loop, which I had never had a problem with with my M-Audio 24/96 audio card. The computer is earth grounded. The audio components are not, they all run into a line conditioner which itself is earth grounded. The mixer has three male prongs on itself but the side that plugs into the conditioner is a two prong. Ryan removed the capacitor the grounded the line voltage to the chassis so I would not have a problem. I did have my tube tuner running into the mixer at the start which has not been worked on. Again, I am inclined to believe either the box was faulty or there is some inherent design in it that will make it not compatible with my setup. Thanks for any advice in advance. Jonathan

Pulled from Audio asylum: "I've owned several "real" Klipsches including Klipschorns, La Scalas and the Heresy. I own the RF-7's now, and the others quite a few years ago. Plus, the quality of electronics I owned when I had the "real" Klipsch were not of the quality of what I own today, so it is difficult to make real, meaningful comparisons. But, in many ways, I think the RF series more than hold their own against the classic designs. I think the RF's present a better soundstage than many of the older designs. The horn seems to be better integrated with the rest of the speaker than the old K-horn. And, while many people complain of the Klipsch's overly bright nature, the RF is much more neutral than any of the old designs, in my opinion. I agree though, that just like every other speaker, the RF's just cant do it all. I like them because I have a very big room, like to listen to loud rock music on occasion, and wanted a speaker that could really project sound. And although I think they are fairly musical at low volumes, they do lose a little bit of dynamics, in my opinion. They are just not a delicate little speaker. I sometimes wish I had a seperate pair of speakers when I listen to classical or at low volumes. I wrote a week ago how I heard the Vienna Beethovens and I was really impressed with them, but they sound like a "delicate" speaker. I don't think the Viennas, or the VS, or the Maggies could do what the RF's do at high volumes. I have always thought the same of Von Schweikert (I have not heard the "4'). It's just what you want your speaker to do, I think. "

I am not dead set on the Heritage line or sound. I can go up north to Greg's sometime and check out some vintage but as for the reference and synnergy, Best Buy and maybe one place may have RF-35's which would fit the bill as well I think. Just saw a pair for 700$ shipped, new. DC:thumb:

going for quite a bit... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4001536563&category=43690 gotta keep my eyes OPEN this spring for some good music! Thanks for the recommend... DC

Hey folks, I have been very interested in a set of Lascala's lately. Slowly saving my money. The problem is I am married to a wonderful woman who digs audio but doesn't dig Lascalas...yes ....they are just too fugly for her. We do everything together, we share everything, and we're madly in love so.....she's got some input on this no matter how ridiculous I may feel her stance is. Now, I of course, I think they have stunning appearance and that 104 dB looks so pretty on paper and would be a nice match for my Sherwood S-5000. I may be able to talk her into the LaScalas, who knows....but what are some opinions on the Klipsch Reference series or the Synnergy series. I was eyeing the RF-25 & 35 specs, and also listened to the Synnergy at Best Buy the other day. I am still looking around for a place that has the RF series so I can hear it; maybe New England Hi-Fi? Aesthetically bound, DC

Those devices look very nice but overated ....1600$!!!!! For what...the specs are lacking "cold rolled steel" LOL Have you ever used this device? DAC's on all sound cards are shielded first of all. I like tubes but that is ridiculous, just get small tube pre or integrated for a lot less cash. I mean seriously for 1600$ I would expect a lot more info and indepth specs on that site....really, I mean, are you joking? Who is this Sutherland model geared/marketed for??? Find an Antique Sound labs line or phono pre or even get a vintage integrated with and have brought up to spec. And...at least with PC's, the new Nforce chipsets do not like USB, there are workarounds, but headaches abound. For something realistic and really, great sound, a turtle beach card for 50$ is gonna blow this guy away. My 24/96 had rca's and the Delta has 1/4", the sound quality is excellent. Now would I hook up some 10K$ piece of gear to it...no, I might upgrade to better M-audio product, but for 99% of pc audio playback and MOST recording or archival needs there are many great cards. DC

Terratec & M-Audio make great cards. I have owned the M-Audio 24/96 & the Delta 44. If you are looking for a good economic card...the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz or their newer model are both great cards. The Revolution is supposed to be great for audio playback. For gaming (some say dvd too) many recommend the Audigy etc. for EAX but the Revo is a great card. I was under the impression ASIO was more for low latency and thus monitoring recording and that the Revolution can accept up to 192kHz (w/o resampling) with or without the ASIO driver. "In order to create a more direct path to the hardware, and also make the hardware more responsive to the softwares needs, Steinberg of Germany (developer of the popular Cubase digital sequencer and Nuendo digital audio workstation) developed Audio Stream In/Out (ASIO) technology. ASIO has made its mark as the driver standard for delivering low-latency transfer of digital audio. This means that hardware supporting an ASIO driver is able to deliver low-latency recording and monitoring to hard disk." DC

Hey Ryan, can you email me? I lost your email, and searched the forum with no luck. Anyone? Thanks Jonathan

Thanks for all the replies (Greg....I wish I wish...poor man's blues). I have two mixers. One is an 8 channel with 1/4" XLR etc mixer for PA etc. I also have an 8 Channel (4 at one time) DJ mixer. I am all set with Soundcraft mixer; my question arose becuase the DJ mixer has XLR outputs but now I realize they areprobably amplified outs. There are three different pre-outs but all RCA: REC, ZONE, REMOTE. I am planning on using the mixer to output components to my Sherwood integrated, and then to my soundcard for when I want to record a mix or the radio, etc. Also, I have my TT which will archive vinyl; this runs direct into Sherwood phono stage then out to the 1/4" input of my M-audio Delta 44. My question to him was can I get a balanced cable, terminated with 1/4" and rca and have it balanced somehow, these cables are VERY well shielded to begin with but I was just hoping to achieve the best quality possible in this archiving situation....the XLR is not a possablility anymore but what is he saying here, that what I am asking may be possible ...I wonder LOL. "The short story is that you will have a balanced connection at one end, and depending on the equipment, you will either return the cold or 'return' pin at the RCA end, or leave it open (if the balanced equipment cannot handle a short circuit). The cold pin is normally pin 2 of the XLR or the middle ring of the 1/4". So it will be a balanced to unbalanced connector. For the opposite run, you will have to ground the cold pin. There is not an option, as a balanced input can only reference to the cold pin, not to ground. This will in no way harm any of the equipment in question. So you can feed the input of your balanced D44 with an unbalanced output from your TT."

Hi all, I have a Sherwood S-5000 (thanks Ryan! for impecable service) and I have been reading about balanced RCA cable. My sound card has balanced inputs but my S-5000 does not have a balanced output driver etc. Apparently, a balanced RCA cable is not truly balanced. So my question is: Would I gain any benefit at all using a so-called "balanced" 1/4">RCAcable in this situation rather than an unbalanced RCA>1/4". I also have an 8ch mixer that has XLR outputs so I am curious about the same in regards to running the a balanced XLR>RCA from the mixer to the Sherwood. Am I wasting my time...and money here? thanks folks! Jonathan

Hi, Try Heartland Cable or also search audiogon because someone makes his special 89259 & ? mixed together which is supposed to be better. Jon

-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The most exciting phrase in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" ("I found it!") but rather "Hmmm... that's funny...." - Isaac Asimov

I know a great one in Florida, but curious if there is someone up here who could tune up, diagnose, overhaul, etc. my Sherwood S-5000? Thanks, Jonathan

I should be able to use a pre-out or tape output though, and your right actually, the headphones jack on my vintage amp would work better because it has a gain control whereas the pre-out does not. Thanks, Jon

I was wondering if I can use a Promedia system with an integrated amp or reciever. Would using the appropriate connections be the only thing holding one back? Or are there other considerations to be accounted for other than popping an adapter on the 1/8' male jack the goes to the head control unit of the Promedia. My brother has the 4.1, not me, so I am working from memory here. I guess I'm asking if a pre or TAPE out of an amp would be okay to use as a source. found this: "Hold on just a second. Running the "speaker out" from your receiver into the ProMedia (any input) is NOT cool. Whether into the connector from the sound card to the ProMedia or into the auxillary input on the ProMedia (it has an extra 6 dB of gain) you are sending an amplified signal into the amplifier of the ProMedia. This will cause lots of input overload distortion. The signal to the ProMedia must be a low level (unamplified) signal. Run your CD player Directly into the ProMedia headphone input. You can get a cable at Radio Shack or any place that sells audio cables to connect the Left and Right RCA type connector into the stereo mini-plug input on the side of the control pod. If your receiver has something called "preamp output" you can use that signal to drive the ProMedia system and leave the CD player or any other source connected to the receiver. Then the input selector and the volume and tone controls on the receiver will control the signal being sent to the ProMedia." Thanks DC

Hmmmm....I get a tinny sound when I have another channel 'open' or on, on my M-audio card. It causes a feedback loop that sounds tinny and has a serious nasty tone. Check to make sure your other inputs are muted or turned down. DC

I aquired a Sherwood S-5000 recently. I am trying to find a manual, and i thought some of the folks here had some experience or owned on of these integrateds. Also a little bit of FM reception when using the Phono stage; friend said I need an RF filter, otherwise it sounds HOT~! Jon

Geez...did I say that out loud? : ) I have a strong feeling once I hear Klipsch there will be no turning back. Honestly, the Pro-media system Klipsch came up with stunned me for what those things usually sound like, so I really can't wait. A trip north is scheduled soon I hope. have a good week all, Jon

Thanks Greg. I know you mentioned that Klipsch still makes great speakers. I will have mon through thursday of this week off, but unfortunatley have to work through the weekend. The Lascala is full horn loaded and quite a bit wider than the RF-35. I have to figure out if that really factors into my decision, I don't want it to but it may. My room isn't that big. I get the feeling folkks here would pick a heritage series speaker like cornwalls or lascalas over something newer. What are the major differences in the two? I had been considering checking out the Athena As-F2 speakers at.......best buy. Someone told me they are actually excellent speakers. Jon

My ceiling is around 600$ (maybe more though : ) I could always start liquidating my property and saving cash to get something really nice! I just purchased a Sherwood S-5000 (25-30 watts) and I keep seeing Forte's & Heresy's in this price rangeon the used market. My friend told me if I ended up with Cornwall's or Lascala's they would probably be the last speaker I ever own. I listen to cd/tape/vinyl.....lots of rock n roll, jazz, blues, plenty of Jamaaican music like ska rocksteady and roots reggae. Unfortunately, there may exist a stipulation that they are black....I'm getting married and black speakers are apparently a must, but if the right deal cam e along.....I'm sure she'd understand, especially once the music is turned on. thanks jon ps anyone know about the Mcintosh MA5100? I may be able to get one for 100$ shipped in great condition.

About those Tangent 50's....I am waiting to hear back from the seller. I purchased a sherwood S-5000 so I need to find the speakers now. You think 150 would be a steal ? Your right about the tubes....not NOS, my bad, gotta get them to a tester or buy one. I have three Lowrey's and the nice one has a Leslie, to obad we never brought it up on a variac, cause now it hums and clips bad when powered up. Need to read up and replace the capacitors I think is what my friend said. JC

Looking the Heresy's now on ebay.......the most I am looking to spend is 600$ on speakers, the lower the price the better of course. JC

I just purchased a Sherwood S-5000 witha 3 month warranty for 100$. JC

I am starting to gather I can't go to wrong with some of my considerations for a vintage tubed amp. Sherwood S-5000 Scott 299A or B Fisher 500B Heath AA100 I was leaning towards the Scott but the Sherwood may be easier to come by at a lower cost and a few people havementioned it's a real sleeper. I am seeking to get the best sound and the best possible phono stage is very important to me as I will be listening and archiving my vinyl records. Thank you for your time & input, Jonathan Catuccio