Aloha,
Today was one of those Hi Fi days that are too uncommon.
About 18 months ago, I developed a "capacitor" smear in my right tweeter/mid panels on my speakers.
Did all the permutations of changing things, and even when I switched amps, the smear stayed on the right. I didn't think to switch channels because I changed amps (same model, same age), so how could the problem be the amp if both did it?
Big Mike put nice new caps in both my speakers, and voila! The problem stayed.
Being the Alfred Einsteins that we are, we finally discovered that both amps had lost their capacitors simultaneously, which is about the only "simultaneous" experience Ive had since the kids were born.
Anyway, got them both updated and set up the system and...new 90 Hz hum that was unremovable.
I put leads to the third prong in the electrical socket, I grounded to everything, no luck.
I finally said "screw it" and listened upstairs for almost the last year.
Well, we took parts out for CES and while there, I picked up a cool Ground Control unit. Big Mike waited until I was out of town and hooked it up to everything, and found that the hum was gone, but the smear returned!
He did a full system switch and listen, and it was one of the amps again, so I took it in and got it re-repaired.
Got everything hooked back up and plugged the turntable back into the system. Turned on the turntable and got a new hum!
Re-grounded everything, it persisted, but I thought it was coming from behind the table...
Turned of the whole system except the turntable, and it hummed on its own!
Turns out I had the vaccuum pump in a resonant chamber that opened to the back of the equipment rack and I was hearing the pump interact with its base.
New base, no hum!
New trouble...
Turned on the table...the belt kept slipping off the platter!
A talc dusting saved the day.
Before trying some tasty vinyl, thought I'd shake things down with some CD's...the PS Audio Lambda II could no longer be coaxed into tracking discs.
PS Audio no longer supports that model.
Said "screw it" and broke down and bought an all in one player, and it's breaking in nicley, but I didn't have the courage to sit and really listen.
A week goes by of avoiding listening.
Today, Big Mike says, "You gotta go down there sometime." So we went.
Cued up an LP, it works!
Had my first relaxed listening session down there in ages. Just basking in listening to music and not having to problem solve.
As Ice Cube would say, "Today was a good day."
I had forgotten the pure, unadulterated joy of just tossing on a disc and not worrying that something would go wrong.
I find problems run in spurts, followed by periods of trouble free play. Before that first smear, I had not had a problem with a system since a girlfriend's cat clawed my AR woofers in the late 80's!
Looking forward to another extended streak.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Wishing you all only good listening days.
Aloha,
Today was one of those Hi Fi days that are too uncommon.
About 18 months ago, I developed a "capacitor" smear in my right tweeter/mid panels on my speakers.
Did all the permutations of changing things, and even when I switched amps, the smear stayed on the right. I didn't think to switch channels because I changed amps (same model, same age), so how could the problem be the amp if both did it?
Big Mike put nice new caps in both my speakers, and voila! The problem stayed.
Being the Alfred Einsteins that we are, we finally discovered that both amps had lost their capacitors simultaneously, which is about the only "simultaneous" experience Ive had since the kids were born.
Anyway, got them both updated and set up the system and...new 90 Hz hum that was unremovable.
I put leads to the third prong in the electrical socket, I grounded to everything, no luck.
I finally said "screw it" and listened upstairs for almost the last year.
Well, we took parts out for CES and while there, I picked up a cool Ground Control unit. Big Mike waited until I was out of town and hooked it up to everything, and found that the hum was gone, but the smear returned!
He did a full system switch and listen, and it was one of the amps again, so I took it in and got it re-repaired.
Got everything hooked back up and plugged the turntable back into the system. Turned on the turntable and got a new hum!
Re-grounded everything, it persisted, but I thought it was coming from behind the table...
Turned of the whole system except the turntable, and it hummed on its own!
Turns out I had the vaccuum pump in a resonant chamber that opened to the back of the equipment rack and I was hearing the pump interact with its base.
New base, no hum!
New trouble...
Turned on the table...the belt kept slipping off the platter!
A talc dusting saved the day.
Before trying some tasty vinyl, thought I'd shake things down with some CD's...the PS Audio Lambda II could no longer be coaxed into tracking discs.
PS Audio no longer supports that model.
Said "screw it" and broke down and bought an all in one player, and it's breaking in nicley, but I didn't have the courage to sit and really listen.
A week goes by of avoiding listening.
Today, Big Mike says, "You gotta go down there sometime." So we went.
Cued up an LP, it works!
Had my first relaxed listening session down there in ages. Just basking in listening to music and not having to problem solve.
As Ice Cube would say, "Today was a good day."
I had forgotten the pure, unadulterated joy of just tossing on a disc and not worrying that something would go wrong.
I find problems run in spurts, followed by periods of trouble free play. Before that first smear, I had not had a problem with a system since a girlfriend's cat clawed my AR woofers in the late 80's!
Looking forward to another extended streak.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Wishing you all only good listening days.