pmsummer Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I run my Klipschorns with a McIntosh MA 6100. After almost 40 years of faithful service, it needed some attention, so I took it in for a full restoration. When I got it back a last month, the new volume pot from Mac was kinda wonky, so I took it back to be replaced (McIntosh admits that a high percentage of the new not-quite-OEM pots are faulty). In the interim, a friend loaned me his McIntosh C26 pre, which I used with my old H/K Citation 12 amp. Neither has been restored, and were used only occasionally over the last few years. The time came to make the 500 mile round trip to pick up the 6100. As my tech friend and I were talking, I noticed he was running a Citation 12 amp just like mine. He told me a horror story about how it went into complete fail, dumping enough DC into his speakers to fry the voice coils. I hate those kind of stories. Got home in time for dinner. Too tired to hook up the 6100. Dinner was hamburger steak cooked inside. We (wife and aged in-laws) were listening to the Ks through my friend's C26 and the Citation 12 at low volume as we prepared to sit down for dinner, when what sounded like the LOUDEST MILITARY/INDUSTRIAL smoke alarm I've ever heard went off. My wife got her parents outside while I ran around looking for something that might have set it off. Screaming so loud I can barely think. I can FEEL the sound in my chest as I move upstairs, where the sound lessens. No smoke. No smell of smoke. Check the attic. No smoke. Run back downstairs and into the garage. No smoke. I start hitting the circuit breaker looking for the alarm (thinking the dinner smoke must have set it off). The last breaker kills the smoke alarm. TWO MINUTES? FIVE MINUTES? I don't know how long it went on, but it seemed like an eternity.Get everyone back in, check on the condition of the elders, and they're OK. Go over to the amp to make sure there's no smoke smell there. None. But I turn it off anyway, even though it's killed on the same switched-off circuit that the alarm is on (or so I think). Again I check every room. No smoke smells, no fires, no signs of trouble.After dinner, I have everyone cover their ears and I turn the alarm breaker back on(I think... it's not marked on the panel... the switch that killed the "alarm" says kitchen vent). All quiet. I come back in, try to relax. Decide some jazz will help. I turn on the amp (the Citation is controlled from the C26). EAR-SPLITTING, CHEST-PUNCHING NOISE FROM THE K-HORNS!!!! ARKANSAS BANSHEES FROM HELL!!!! Quickly, I turn off the amp. Arrrggghhhhh!It never was the smoke alarm. It was the Klipschorns screaming for their lives! The dam* Citation had died, just like the one my tech/friend and I had talked about that very day. The Big Ks seemed to have survived (somehow). Un-frigging-believable. That was the loudest thing I have ever heard (sustained). How the K's (and Bob Crites' CT-125s with his revised XO) survived that, I can't imagine.As a test, and for ease and safety, I hooked up my $25 T-amp (5 WPC) through the C26. Everything seems OK. All drivers work and sound good. My ears are still ringing, though (in addition to my normal tinnitus). The MA 6100 is back in-system today. Sounds great. The Citation will be carted off for new outputs (although my first thought was to throw the dam* thing into the lake). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 all I can say is NICE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptnBob Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I once inadvertently dumped the full output - pegged meters and all - of a McIntosh 2300 into my Cornwalls during the start of "Honky Tonk Women." No damage, except to my self esteem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I once inadvertently dumped the full output - pegged meters and all - of a McIntosh 2300 into my Cornwalls during the start of "Honky Tonk Women." No damage, except to my self esteem. Nice! It does say on the album cover to play it LOUD... [:#]Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted August 2, 2011 Moderators Share Posted August 2, 2011 It's amazing something didn't fry, after 40 years I guess that's round two of breaking them in, they can do anything now. [:#] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 "The time came to make the 500 mile round trip to pick up the 6100. As my tech friend and I were talking, I noticed he was running a Citation 12 amp just like mine. He told me a horror story about how it went into complete fail, dumping enough DC into his speakers to fry the voice coils. I hate those kind of stories." Makes a good case to go with tubes- with many designs there's no concern about any DC getting into the speakers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runninshine Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I can't even imagine the sound from the horns. Glad you kept your cool and didn't throw the Citation in the lake.......save that aggression for the fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Wow! Glad they survived; and hoping your ears did not suffer anything long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted August 2, 2011 Moderators Share Posted August 2, 2011 Almost forgot, cool looking room ! [H] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Thanks for sharing your story PM.... I'm glad all worked out well in the end... Also, great looking room (with a beautiful rug). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmsummer Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 Thanks for sharing your story PM.... I'm glad all worked out well in the end... Also, great looking room (with a beautiful rug). Went by Autozone today and got two in-line fuse holders and some AGC-3RB fuses. Lesson learned. No unprotected aural sets anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmsummer Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 ...and thanks to dtel and Boxx for the compliments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Thanks for sharing your story PM.... I'm glad all worked out well in the end... Also, great looking room (with a beautiful rug). Went by Autozone today and got two in-line fuse holders and some AGC-3RB fuses. Lesson learned. No unprotected aural sets anymore. That may be something several of us should check in to.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 A tribute to their ability to take just about anything. I agree on the 2A or 3A fast blow fuses. I put 2A's (don't play stuff very loud, so 2's are fine for me) in-line with all of my speakers and have never looked back. Had one "incident" couple years ago when an old vintage 115 wpc amp "let go", and the man cave K-horns made a really loud bass "thud", but that was it. The fuses took the load. [H] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT FAN Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Glad to hear there was no permanent damage to your "Pride & Joy", (a smart-a$$ Texas musician reference), and that your K-Horns are reunited with your McIntosh equipment. I guess those Maximum Power Handling Ratings posted by Klipsch come in handy on occasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmsummer Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 (a smart-a$$ Texas musician reference), Is there another kind? ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnatnoop Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 That's quite a break in routine you have there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrinkles Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 No [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmsummer Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 From someone in the know... Sounds like a 4k or so rail-to-rail oscillation. Ouch. A classic Quasi-Complimentary output failure mode. A frequency that high went thru the mid horn, which is a blessing. Hate to have the woofs take that kind of energy. Edification moment: As a quick guesstimate as to what the Khorns took, look at the Citation schemo, see that the rails are ±41.5 VDC, so that’s (83 VDC * 0.707)/2 = 29.3VAC possible, call it 28VAC, so putting 28V across an 8? load makes (784/8) = 98 Watts, it was prolly a bit less than that because it wasn’t sinusoidal, call it 95 Wrms, and the Khorns are rated at 100 Watts continuous. And all the energy was shunted by the crossover to the midhorns. Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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