RockCity

Hi Mr. Gilmore, I assume the power transformer is the big round doughnut? It is fastened very tightly and it is sitting on circular rubbers top and bottom. Is there any way I can make sure it is in its proper position? Spritzer, I am not sure about the capacitor since I have no way to check. Will a bad capacitor start to whine like in certain TVs and monitors? So far, the machine is dead quiet. The humming is much louder without plugging in a source than connected. Flipping between XLR and RCA worsens the noise. On XLR, it is very loud compared to RCA. Again, I want to clarify that I am complaining about the floor noise in both channels and not the machine noise for those reading this post first.

Hi spritzer, the LED wires are clear. The ground or green wires appear to be in place although I cannot see underneath the boards. The amp has no distortion. The issue is the unusually high floor noise. The sound is a constant humming and does change or go away with warm-up. http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020521.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020520.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020519.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020518.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020517.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020516.jpg

The lights are lit on both boards. http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020514.jpg This is the exact same KGSS that attended Denver, NC meet 02/20/11. The previous owner said he did not notice this issue before shipment. Justin, is there anyway I can send it in for repairs? The seller offered to take it back but I'd much rather have an operational unit. Regards.

Hi Justin. I can pick up one but which points would I be measuring? To clarify, the humming is identical to the sound of a power supply; not transformer. In some amps, the power supply has a soft humming noise heard outside the chassis. However, this amp is physically dead silent but both channels emit a constant floor noise.

I'm hoping Justin, Mr. Gilmore or Spritzer will see this thread and hopefully tell me what's wrong with this KGSS. This unit is over 7 years old and features Alps volume controls as opposed to the newer DACT controls. The serial no. written in red pen on the circuit is #1000. The issue with the amp is a noisy humming emitting from both channels past 0 position. The humming sound is distinctive to the transformer and is very audible at modest volume. I've isolated the issue without plugging in a source. I've made sure my SR-007 is working properly on the SRM-007t and SRM-717. The problem persists on both RCA and XLR. I've taken several pictures. I have not touched the inside or done any cleaning. Please help http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020513.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020512.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020511.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020509.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020508.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020507.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020505.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020504.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020502.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020500.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020499.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020498.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020497.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020495.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020493.jpg http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/staxspeakers/P1020492.jpg

Beagle, did Uncle Erik perma ban you? That thread was a complete ban bait.

PS3 for multimedia dashboard. Xbox 360 for online. Wii for homebrew.

^ Kay, I'll post back hopefully with pictures. I have all 580/600/650(x2) so it's obvious what I'll be using. Maybe not, since their nuances can be a bit tricky. How long is Craig going to keep up the ZD? If it's going the same road as the PS-1, then it's a good investment. I seriously think there's only 50 or less out there.

Well, I paid for it. Just have to wait to hear from Craig then. I'm not worried about low impedance cans since that's what the Melos is for. Speaking of which, the Melos never sounded poor with anything other than Beyers.

Alright, I'll most likely pay him tomorrow. Ryan, he's giving me the Tung-Sol black glass 6SU7GTY, any experience with this tube? The other tubes were provided by Craig. I should also mention it's stopping by Craig's place first for check-up, since all three of us are in CA.

No, it should be northshore's who claims to be the original owner. Unless Blutarskys himself can come here and verify.

E-mailed Craig. "The 6DM4, and 6D22s rectifiers are both damper diodes with similar spec's. The change was made because the 6D22S is a current production tube, easy, and inexpensive to find. The current production ZD has a high frequency ground, and an extra filter cap. #18 would have been in the second run of ZD's, about two years ago. There would be no sonic difference between #18, and 09' production playing the HD 600, 650's, or even the new 800's." The more you know :star:

Thanks for the reply. I took a look at your review, Ryan. It's identical to yours, including the former rectifiers. Can you tell me how many orders Craig take for the each run? What was the price then ($1900?) compared to the $2200 now? Did he include any tubes at all?

I just have some perfunctory questions before I plunge for this purchase. Did Craig make any official statements regarding the differences between the new '09 models and the earlier ones? (I'm getting the earlier model # 18.) Similarly are there any revisions between serial numbers? Secondly, is the ZD specially tailored for Senn HD6XX? It seems that most OTL amps are. It's a short list, but any tips right now would really help me submit my final decision. Thx.

Hey Mercuttio, keep an eye on Audiogon because the crowd there isn't too keen on vintage Grados. The last pair ended two days ago via auction for $998. A better price than the more Grado-aware areas.

Well, considering Sony also used these "biocellulose" diaphragms, the whole thing will practically recycle itself given enough time- wood and all. I think the key to every company is to create a perishable product with planned obsolescence. amirite?

Honestly, I didn't want to start this thread because it'll become another cable strangulation match. But there's more than snake oil here. At least somebody must be interested in software as much as hardware here? This guy is completely off of HF and HC radar, but he has been discussed around AA and diyAudio.

I don't really care if the dude wants money. However, his player really does something different than foobar. I want the reason why. There shouldn't be any difference if they're both transporting the same packets, but there's something that he does that makes the difference light and day. Try the damn demo. I want to hear some opinions.

Try comparing this to Foobar. There's definitely a difference and I'm not just talking about volume. Could it be a DSP effect? The demo's easy to find but the unlocked software costs 72 euros. I need some opinions because this thing sounds good, but why?

As for most of the residue, you can try using using some solvent to wipe them off. Zippo lighter fluid usually works great. If the melted foam dripped inside the driver, then you're probably fucked six ways til sunday. By the way, I want a tag.

NO F'in way. You're taking this really well, props to your character. But did you notice the sound was wrong before loaning it out? Or is it still the same performance-wise?

^When he reaches through to slap with his right hand, why does it show his left?

I just got the HD650 over the weekend and I was wondering about replacing the cable. I'm not particularly fond of the elastic stock cable. If any DIYer have a spare cable then I'll be interested in buying it-or, I can pay you if you have time to build one. I don't believe in cable magic, but I like strong workmanship from places such as Blue Jeans. Help appreciated.

This is where I'm at. That's why I will crack it open once I get back to SoCal. You can't trust Mikhail to promise the upgrades and workmanship you paid for anymore.

Hey Kevin, can you answer this question please? Your expertise is appreciated.