1504-5

Look familiar? Like Ian says, "HPS-4000 systems and John F Allen no longer mention their Klipsch heritage and associations...........make your own mind up about that."

Anyone with half a brain can see that Klipsch bins were copied and modified. Put wings one, straight sides on another, it's not rocket science. I'm not even sure why I bother with this, Klipsch doesn't care, why should I? Because HPS sucks GovTeet™ and I'm a taxpayer-that's why! And on top of that, their website is just horrible. How could anyone even take that crapsite seriously? I'd actually like to see a fact check done on the site, since Ian already debunked their worldwide Klipsch distributor claim.

Nope. In fact, Claude, the following quote was actually addressed to you back in 2010, from Ian Thacker, a former Klipsch employee: Let's not forget this gem: You may want to revisit this thread, Claude: http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/t/116843.aspx?PageIndex=1

That's great as I don't want to have to spend another $135+. I am currently using onboard audio: ALC662 with Windows 7 OS (that's why I want to add the DAC). The 24 bit HRT Music Streamer II is an excellent choice for your needs, although it may or may not make a noticeable difference over your onboard DAC. If you're leaning towards "audiophile" performance, control the volume after the DAC with a preamp. Again, depending on your system/media, this also may or may not be an improvement compared to your onboard audio. Here are some guides for setting up Win 7 audio. http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/downloads/Windows_7_Optimization_Guide.pdf http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/wiki/index.php/Windows_7_Audio_Playback_-_Setup_Guide

And this why I hate suggesting old electronics to noobs (no offense). I'm sorry you missed my post, but to be fair I did add the part about the MA-500 caps last night, most likely after you made the purchase. Return the amps ASAP! If the owner refuses, talk to a lawyer - the 1st session is free, although you may want to verify this. This is a known defect - research and print online info. Also print the ad and this thread, as it establishes a timeline. Even if the lawyer says the seller did nothing wrong, ask how much it would cost to have the lawyer send the seller a friendly reminder (threat letter). Most people are ignorant/scared to death of the legal system (my neighboors for instance), especially if they know they were less than honest, which seems to be the case here. I would not suggest recapping them yourself unless you are experienced - apparently the circuit boards are cheap and easily damaged. "The Marantz has a crappy circuit board made overseas so extreme care must be taken when working on it. When made the leads are bent over and hard to get out without damaging the foil on the PC board. If you are not capable of doing this I would suggest taking it to a repair facility and having them do it." http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/solid-state/101345-marantz-ma500-only-50hz-output.html#post1202877 -- "Marantz MA-500 cutting out..." http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/solid-state/210988-marantz-ma-500-cutting-out.html -- "Be aware though if they are more than 4 years old they WILL need a capacitor change job..They ALL need a cap job sooner or later." http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=2829191&postcount=3 -- "Yup, seems the accountants forced them to use El Cheapo Wonton Noodle caps that could not take the heat. Rule of thumb here, after 4 years they are on borrowed time. Like I said the amps run warm, the bad caps affected the self protection mode and the amps would shut down with only a few watts output." http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=2829781&postcount=6 -- Buying used gear (other peoples junk) is always a crap shoot.

If you plan to control volume with the pc/HRT Music Streamer II, you won't need the 2226B. What sound chip/card and OS does your pc have now? With the exception of the Ashly, a quick google search reveals the amps in the OP are pretty crappy. Unless something is amiss with your Yamaha htr-6030, the 125w mono blocks probably won't make much of a difference. You might want to consider the cost of recapping especially if you're interested in the MA-500's, as they have known cap failures. When buying used receivers/amps "as is", you should at the very least check DC offset, prior to purchase. http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5634 I myself would take a tone generator and dummy load, too.

2dB http://www.critesspeakers.com/autotransformers.html

Sorry I didn't see this, yes they do thump a little, one almost always and the other on occasion and only in the bass bins and it's not loud at all, not enough for me to worry at all. Anyway I usually leave them on, at less than 15 watts idle it's not a big deal especially when they are working 6-8 hours a day. Thanks about the thumping, I will see how bad mine is after I get it, some comments stated its noticeable, some stated no thump, but I guess you can remedy it with a cap or a time delay switch without too much effort. A relay will protect from on/off thumps/pops. A cap will protect from on/off thumps/pops and block DC - although it may cause phase shift issues.

Page 8 says 250watts@ 8 ohms, but it's not the whole list of specs, but an overview of each xseries. The sales guys must have written all the copy. Just another glaring example of Emotiva incompetence. Other possible scenarios: 1. True and accurate test results were used for the overview. 2. An incredibly inept technician mistook the overview info for the specifications sheet - concluded testing once the XPA-2 met said "specs". This might explain the questionable results in the Audio Precision Spec Test Data pdf - and a few other things.

There is no way to know without proper testing. If you're wondering about 1kHz vs 20Hz-20kHz power ratings, EIA 1kHz ratings are usually 10-20% higher than FTC 20Hz-20kHz ratings.

I know this thread is old, but here are a few posts from Ian Thacker on the KP600 system history. A little Ian background 1st: Link to thread: http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/t/101593.aspx?PageIndex=1

Pg 32 http://emotiva.com/resources/manuals/xseries_amp_manual.pdf

Please provide a link to the manual. http://shop.emotiva.com/collections/amplifiers/products/xpa2 A few years ago, you’d have to pay thousands for power and finesse like this. Consider the massive toroidal power supply, 24 high-current output devices, and an elegant and sophisticated power amp design that delivers 300W into 8 ohms, and 500W into 4 ohms with both channels driven. The XPA-2 provides serious headroom, the kind that really wakes up your speakers. Enjoy the tight, controlled bass and effortlessly detailed highs. Specifications * Number of channels: 2 * Topology: fully discrete, dual differential, high current, short signal path Class A/B * Power output (all channels driven): 500 watts RMS @ 4 ohm (0.1% THD) 300 watts RMS @ 8 ohm (0.1% THD) * Rated power bandwidth: 20 Hz to 20 kHz with less than .05 dB deviation at rated power * Output devices: 12 per channel * Broadband frequency response: (-3 dB): 5Hz to 150kHz

You must read everything! Emotiva rated the output to 0.1% THD, but the test data is lower at 0.02% (plus or minus a little per channel), so the output power it lower on the test. Bruce The question is, why did they stop at 266.8/264.1 watts? Did Ch 1 oscillate at 267? Did Ch 2 clip at 265? Did it burst into flames prior to test completion? Again, this was at 1kHz, the power output should have been higher than the advertised 300wpc 20Hz-20kHz rating. Read it: Signal Path 1: Level and Gain at rated power output

Then why make statements like this: When the obvious answer is this: I'm not trolling. I'm holding your feet to the fire. If you don't like it... If you'd like to contribute to the discussion, you could contact Emotiva, and find out why the XPA-2 Audio Precision Spec Test Data is so jacked. The 1kHz power output is just sad - 265wpc @ 8ohms is ballpark 212-238wpc 20Hz-20kHz. That's from an advertised 300wpc amp. Also, why don't they advertise IM distortion, damping factor, and input sensitivity? And what's up with the warranty page on the website? Thanks.

No, this part: Why are they being discussed, again? Because the OP already has them, that's why. That is not a testament to their value, at all. Are you by chance associated with Emotiva, in any way?

I would think that since the center is for dialogue, time alignment would be very important. Since we're so accustomed to hearing the human voice, any distortion, time smearing, etc is easily identified. In fact, I will go so far as to say that the center channel is the most important for accurate audio reproduction in a HT setting. IMO

I'm actually very disappointed with Emotiva after my research. I would never recommend them to anyone. Their specs are questionable and the website is shoddy. Click on the warranty link and see what happens. I think you're missing the point about their value to this discussion completely. On paper, they are completely worthless for use with an active system. And from what Mark says, this has been verified with actual use. That said, they might work OK with a passive bi-amped system. http://www.emotiva.com/legal/warranty

I suggest Emotiva be dumped for strong technical reasons based on his desire to build an active crossed system. The amps have no gain controls. I'm not going any further there. That's fundamental number 1. You can't have a properly balanced system if you can't adjust your amps. You canot use the processor to adjust the volume and gain of your system. You need to use the amp gains. The other issue with Emotiva is they produce high gain amps. Not what you want. You like Emotiva? Buy it all day long if that's what sounds good to you. I'm just stating some facts concerning this thread. I understand the "why", I meant "what" should the Emotivas be replaced with. What brand amps do you suggest? We need names. OK, just so we're on the same page, those statements were made after comparing the PLX2 1104 and 1804, and only the PLX2 1104 and 1804 to your Macs? What other pro amps have you used?

Yeah, that was just me debunking the Emotiva "value leader" myth. I still stand by my statement that pro amps give more bang per buck. So you suggest that he dump the Emo's for what, exactly? What other pro amps and crossovers have you used?

Found this info about the D-75a. I stopped reading at this point: This is bad news, especially in an active system. If you decide to use the Thumper-75a, you might want to look at the suggestions in the thread. http://community.klipsch.com/forums/p/76910/758898.aspx

Those little guys are pricey! The EV 7100 is rated at 75 wpc, 8 ohms, 20Hz-20kHz is in the same price range. I've never used one though, so I can't recommend it.

Edited my Mon, Apr 2 2012 12:40 AM post to read: "40 watts rated @ 1kHz may be as low as 32 watts from 20Hz-20kHz."

Does it put out enough power for the intended purpose? 40 watts rated @ 1kHz may be as low as 32 watts from 20Hz-20kHz. What speakers are you driving?

I agree, although not the ugliest, there nothing to look at, unless you like blinky lights. If so between the Crowns and the EV there are plenty lights moving when you give it a little volume. Your 1U units look OK. It's the newer silver faced crap I don't like. Btw, I cover annoying, bright LED's with Coax Seal. It looks like tar but it's more like thick silly putty - w/o the oily residue. If it's an important indicator light, I leave a pinhole.