lynnm

Your description leads me to look a little sideways at the filter capacitors in the power supply section. 1.)"Under further investigation I found the fuse blown" 2.)"problem seems to be coming from the right speaker" 3.)"You have to remember that these sparks and fuse blowing only happen when I turn the unit off and on real quick(I had been using the amp for weeks without a problem). A shorted filter cap WILL cause a massive amount of power to flow through the plate of a rectifier and result in overheating of the plate(s)and potentially/almost certainly allow massive amounts of unrectified power to be presented to downstream components. RE: #2 Most PS circuits are designed to recify the incoming AC power in full wave mode. Therefore should ANY filter Cap fail all downstream devices are at risk of being presented with voltages they are not able to deal with. Consider this: A tube circuit is designed to expect that at point A a maximum voltage of 350 volts,(with respect to ground) will be encountered - (The designer really only expects a max of 295 but he's leaving a little wiggle room).Some component,(more than likely a pair of PS Filter Caps take a dump)- (Domino theory #1 craps and the resulting surge kills #2 and both sides of that 295 sine wave head on down the pipe and the circuit designed to handle 350 volts D.C. gets whacked with the full voltage capability of the power tranny - probably something in the order of 450 volts AC. Both channels will likely take a hit but - Whichever of the channels is the more vulnerable in some way will potentially suffer more damage,(This applies whether the downstream is solid state or tube BTW and in fact Solid State devices are more vulnerable to this type of failure simply because an operating voltage variation tolerance of +/-1% in a 3.0 volt circuit results in an acceptble range of 2.97 volts - 3.03 volts. An equivalent tube circuit could absorb many times that variance in voltage based on the same ratio. The reality is that these ratios do not translate directly from solid state designs to tube designs but the principles do apply - If you need/want really accurate technical detail you will need to consult an expert. I am merely trying to explain the understanding/perception of one who is a pro in a related area,(Computers). ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

I like the look. A bit like the early diesel freight engines which looked a bit like the steamers and well errr.....umm something else. The performance of these beasts will determine their worth. If they sound as good as their heritage implies they should attract a lot of well heeled purchasers. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

Sad news indeed. One of the greats has left us! ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

This is one of those "Who has the TRUTH issues ?" I prefer tube amps but recognise that there are many excellent SS amps available. The amps offered by Bottlehead have an excellent reputation. Try a search in the 2 channel audio forum for posts by Mobile Homeless. He is a tube freak and knows his stuff. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

CONGRATULATIONS!! Some Years ago I encountered my bank manager's wife in the bank. She was carrying,(externally)- the latest addition to the family. I said: Hi Cindy which one is this ?? She said: (in a voice that could have been heard all the way to the end of the mall) THE LAST ONE!! I must assume that Darryl either learned to appreciate Birth Control or Celibacy! ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900) This message has been edited by lynnm on 02-09-2002 at 01:30 AM

Hello dere!! Tubes do not have a shelf life per se. In other words if the tubes were good when stored they will still be good 50 years later. Look for EL34,KT88,2A3,45,300b,12au7,12AX7,300B,6V6,6sn7,6SL7etc. As far as tube amps do a search in this forum under tubes - Lots of good information. The good news is that there are a number of quality low priced tube amps available these days. Check on Ebay and at Audiogon websites. There ARE SOME GOOD DEALS TO BE HAD. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

Can anyone provide a working link to Hofy's mounting system? ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

LOL!! - I Got Busted !! I misunderstood what was happening and wrote a "Can't we all just get along??" typpa post. I then reread the thread and realised my head was where most women think most men's are mosta da time and did an edit - hoping that I had not got caught engaging my mouth before my mind was in gear. MH obviously spends too much time online and read my post before I edited it - ( The Bustard probably killed Kenny a coupla times). The quote he refers to is my approximation of something Mark Twain wrote - (note to ye scholarly types - I know this will not be word for fer werd - I'm an oldy workin from memry - so farg off an lemme lone impydent young snotz -tha lotta ya!!) Anyway back to that there Twain feller: "When I was eighteen I was amazed at what an ignoramus my father was. When I was twenty-one I was astounded at how much the old fool had learned in the intervening three years!!" ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

If you saw my post before I edited it ... DOH... I gotta learn about dat context ting! This message has been edited by lynnm on 02-02-2002 at 07:35 PM

Re: Volume Control settings- My rule of thumb is to never run any amplifier beyond 3/4 on the level control as you run the risk of driving the amp into clipping which results in abnormally high voltages being sent to the tweeters,(also sounds like Hello when clipping is severe). Do not assume that clipping is not ocurring when you cannot hear it - even inaudible clipping can eat a tweeter. The apparent diference in volume level change from one setting to another has to do with the design of the level control. Our ears do not respond in a linear manner to changes in volume and the controls are designed to compensate for that. In other words an amp that is being run with the volume control at the 12:00 position is not necessarily delivering 50% of its maximum rated output - It could be delivering more or less depending on the design. In addition the level control may be configured by its designer to allow more increase in gain between the 0 and 9:00 setting than in the range between 9:00 and 12:00 etc. Re: Biwiring I agree that so long as you are careful to avoid short circuits,(2x as many opportunities for Murphy to get an oar in), there is no reason to be concerned with your amp. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

Re: The amps take a look at Antique Sound lab,Jolida and Anthem. Whichever you choose that is going to be one sweet system. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

Sounds like true love! ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

The tonearm on that Dual is also likely costing you a lot of performance as well. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

I am a computer technician and my advice is that if the computers are a Compaq Presario or an HP Pavillion Choose Neither ! . If on the other hand they are not a Pavillion or a Presario go with unit # 1. Both Compaq and HP make solid business oriented machines. Unfortunately their home user machines are garbage. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

Your RC's can handle all of the CLEAN power your Kenwood can deliver and more .....but note the adjective above "CLEAN" As a rule of thumb one may assume that the manufacturer's power rating for an amp will be specified under conditions that produce the best looking numbers. The problem is that real music content always strays beyond the confines of what are considered IDEAL parameters for amplifier output/speaker power handling specification. Virtually every amplifier I have ever heard about can be driven beyond its ability to produce unclipped output. When this happens the output signal "clips" and the resulting harmonics can eat the tweeters of the speakers in question. Someone more technically savvy than I will have to explain clipping to you. Suffice it to say that a poorly designed 5w/ch amplifier with severe clipping will blow your speakers faster than almost any kilowatt/ch. amp All of the above aside a well designed 3 watt/ch amplifier will drive a pair of Khorns to SPL's that are physically dangerous to your ears without clipping. The point of this admittedly repetitious rant is that it is not the sheer amount of power that is presented to a speaker but the quality of that signal which will determine whether your speakers will survive. I currently use a 35w./ch tube amp with my KLF-30's which are the immediate predecessor of your RC7's but had earlier used an amp that is rated at 400w/channel and my KLF's were happy campers with both amps. The key point is that neither amp was ever driven into clipping. The short answer to question about the Kenwood ...(or any other amp for that matter)... never turn the amp's volume control beyond about 3/4 and you will be unlikely to damage your speakers .... Given the sensitivity of the Klipsch speaker line that level is likely capable of causing real damage to your ears.. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

This is probably going to sound like a dumb ? but... can I hook the O/P of my CD Player,my tuner and (preamped) phono into the Xover or must I have a separate preamp the O/P of which is fed to the Xover and then divided between the amps? ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900) This message has been edited by lynnm on 01-08-2002 at 11:38 PM

While it is true that any tube will eventually need replacement, tubes used in properly designed equipment can be expected to last a very long time. There was a time when replacement tubes were difficult and expensive to obtain but with the resurgence of interest in tubes the costs have come back into line because of increased sales volumes and the resulting competition,although certain models are very expensive. The capacitors and resistors commonly in use in modern equipment are generally at least as durable as those used in older equipment.A few years ago I ran a second hand store and frequently bought and sold radios that had all,(or most)of their original tubes and components and generally the parts that I most commonly needed to replace were rectifier tubes and electrolytic capacitors in the power supply stage. Generally the rectifier was a happy camper until the filter capacitor went for a poo and caused the plates on the rectifier to turn a rather lovely cherry red before suffering the electronic equivalent of an anurysm. The record in my experience was a Majestic produced ca. 1930 which had All of its original components and was still working perfectly other than a noisy volume control in about 1995 when I sold it. I am not saying that tube equipment is bullet proof but I do suggest that - It isn't nearly as delicate as some people think. Drop a EL34 on a tile floor and it is done - Yes - And run a Hummer into a brick wall at 70 mph and you and it are done too. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900) This message has been edited by lynnm on 01-08-2002 at 11:47 PM

To a great extent hi-fidelity comes down to a matter of personal taste and perception. I was at a client's home recently and remarked how nice his speakers sounded to me. He said they are an old pair of Tannoy Dual Concentrics and as much as he liked them he felt they were not up to modern standards. He really was considering something newer. I went home and listened to some music similar by the same artists and it was true that my KLF30's were more revealing but those Tannoys had such a sweet sound that if I were in the market for a new setup I would have had had to do some serious listening. I am sure that in the end I would have bought the KLF's but nonetheless the mellow sound of those old Tannoys is such that I would tell anyone who asks that -"If you like the sound and can get them at a reasonable price -Buy them!!' ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

Which active Xover are you using? I have an ASL AQ1003 driving a pair of KLF30's and I also have a Hitachi SR2004 receiver whose power amp section "Haban mas grande cojones" - rated at 400w/ch before clipping - ( I had it tested some years ago and clipping did not appear until something over 600 watts/RMS/channel). I have fantasised about biamping with these bad boys but I honestly have no idea who does or does not sell a decent reasonably priced active Xover and how do I deal with the (probable) difference in gain between the two amps. The receiver does have preamp in/out jumpers so the output of the Hitachi could be adjusted/controlled by the Xover - assuming that these things are set up to allow that adjustment. If this setup is improbable or plain impossible I'll not be upset as the present setup is VERY nice as it stands. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

So!!! that was you -you sob!! i was diying a seismic recorder and something flipped the recording drum off the spindle!! gonna getya boyo! ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

A minor exception to what MH has said. Hitachi did produce a receiver (and a companion integrated amplifier), that were highly regarded in audio circles. The SR 2004(1978) featured a DynaHarmony output stage,(referred to as class G amplification).The main power out stage was rated for 200 watts/channel. When the amp was driven to more than 200 watts a second power amplification stage kicked in which was rated at 400 w/channel. I recall reading reviews that compared this unit favourably with some of the more esoteric audio toys of the time. I once had my SR 2004 tested on a MacAdam Analyser and the tech stated that my unit showed no significant evidence of clipping until it reached about 600 w/ch. The FM section is excellent and on a par with some of the more popular high end tuners available at that time.The A.M. section is typical of mass market receivers (It Stinks!), I now use my SR 2004 for the tuning and phono sections as my ASL 1003DT does not have a phono stage. What MH says about the general run of Hitachi stereo equipment is,however,very true. I think that Hitachi produced the SR 2004 for the same reason that some automotive manufacturers produce low production exotic machines such as the Dodge Viper and the Plymouth Prowler. These machines are in no way reflective of the quality and performance of their overall product line but generally the entire lineup benefits by the prestige of these specials. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900) This message has been edited by lynnm on 01-03-2002 at 06:18 PM

I'm about 35 miles South of Calgary and would welcome the opportunity to listen to some good Klipsch systems and If any of you would like to hear mine just send me an Email -(check my profile). ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca. 1304 BCE)

Thanks for the explanation! I do remember hearing that slogan many years ago. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca. 1304 BCE)

My wife is typing this for me because I cranked up my 30watt/channel tube amp to full volume whilst playing "Rule Brittania" and just at the point that the Tympani kicked in I realised that my KLF 30's had never sounded so so real and so powerful and also I had gone blind. Hopefully the surgeons will be able to reverse some of the damage. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca. 1304 BCE)

Quest ce se Le "VOT"? -- (had been away from the hobby/obsession for a while -- which may help explain why I finally own my house!) ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca. 1304 BCE) This message has been edited by lynnm on 12-27-2001 at 11:46 PM