Re: [slim] SB and Low Volume on Klipsch Promedia Setup
I just made a static measurement of the satellites, which are a hi and mid range setup. The Klipsch spec sheet show the sats as 4 ohm and the woofer at 6 ohms. There is no pre-amp in either satellite, but there is a crossover in them with a resistor, capacitor, and inductor. I didn't open up the sats but apparently though they look identical on the outside the electronics on the inside have changed substantially. There is a control box in the master satellite that has volume controls for the satellites and sub. That very well could be a pre-amp of sorts (they too often fry due to cheap caps. The sub design has changed too - the new model apparently has a chip amp inside to get around the overheating that has wiped out so many amps and driven folks mad. I can't explain the results with the Sony AVR. Boy it didn't like trying to drive this system. Just to check I hooked the amp into a system in another room and it worked fine, so the amp is solid - but hook it to the Klipsch speakers directly and it just sounds awful. Then again, this might be due to the weak signal from the SB. I've long read that the SB classic isn't big on output. The original SB manual said it was okay to plug it directly in to a powered speaker setup. I did zero research when I hooked it up to the Klipsch Promedia setup years ago and simply lucked out in finding a good match. When I say "low" I mean below what I would consider a moderate listening level - and that with volume set to max which is not something any system should be running. The Lepai has a 2.1 to .1 switch. When I disconnect the sats and drive just the sub it appears clean with very little energy. I have a 12" Klipsch sub in another system and will connect the SB - Lepai - Klipsch sub and see what I get. As you said, my mistake might be not taking into account that the Klipsch Promedia design does have an in-line pre-amp and by not keeping this in the system I'm dealing with too weak a signal from the SB alone. If so, that problem would be solved simply by adding a DAC with volume control. traderyoda's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=30878 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=113854 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] SB and Low Volume on Klipsch Promedia Setup
Here's what I've done so far. I'm using the following hookups. Signal is Analog RCA from the SB Classic to the Lepai. Klipsch satellites are RCA connected to the Lepai using its volume control. The SB is set to 100%. The Klipsch sub is 5.7 ohm and the each satellite is showing around 4.3 ohm. This is what I did so far: - Switched out the Lepai - no difference; both Lepai amps perform the same. - Hooked up another dc power supply (not my hacked laptop charger) rated at 19vdc and 3.9amps - no difference - Hooked up a digital DC power supply fixed at 22vdc (the max rated voltage for the Lepai) with floating current so the amp could draw what it needed - no difference - Took the SB out of the system and replaced it with a Yamaha radio for the source - music was louder but still not much more so - maxed out it about a background comfortable level. - Hooked the Klipsch satellites to a Sony AVR along with the subwoofer (using the mono sub output to one sub RCA input - tried both right and left) with input from the SB to the CD in channel - I can crank up the volume but the sounds is simply awful (muffled and distorted and the woofer just chuffs along incoherently. Here's what I think I've learned. - No issue with my SB Classic - it seems to be working fine. - No issue with my hacked laptop charger - it's putting out precisely 19vdc and will ramp up current when demanded (I hooked it to a light strip to check). - I can't test anything with the Sony AVR since it wants at least 8 ohms and can't do anything with these low ohm speakers. - The Lepai needs more gain to work with - when the setup was connected to my digital power supply it never pulled more than .4 amps. When you turn the Lepai's volume knob from zero it will amplify about half way up the dial and beyond that there's no increase in sound. Here's where I think this is headed - two options: 1 - Buy a good DAC with a pre-amp stage to boost the gain. 2 - Pitch the whole Klipsch system and replace it with 8 ohm satellites and a real sub. 3 - Just buy another K. Promedia setup and stop getting fancy. By the way, the reason I went through all of this is because I made the fundamental mistake of wiring the Klipsch system into my walls. That was a great strategy until it failed. It's in a small reading/listening room which is a great place to chill but doesn't need a lot of punch. I just didn't want to tear everything out and was looking for a quick fix I could pull off with the existing wiring. Lesson learned. The SB is a fantastic device - anyone with a Classic or Touch that has a nice, small-area solution I'm all ears. traderyoda's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=30878 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=113854 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] SB and Low Volume on Klipsch Promedia Setup
Heuer wrote: > Here is the capacitor repair thread: > https://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?103213-Squeezebox-3-common-faults-over-time > > if you don't want to mess with the caps then you can use the digital > output via a DAC to the amp. I use a Topping E30 but others have used > the Behringer DAC > https://www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-UCA202-U-Control-low-latency-Interface/dp/B000KW2YEI/ref=psdc_407821031_t1_B0023BYDHK Great tips. I actually have two Lepai unit. I'll try hooking my DC power supply up first set at 22vdc and let the amp draw whatever amps it needs - that should eliminate my hacked power supply as the culprit. If power isn't the issue I'll swap out the Lepai with another and see if it's a cap or other discrete component issue on the amp. It's possible that this little plate amp needs more gain to work with - is should have plenty of power to crank the Promedia equipment to at least comfortable levels. My bet is power supply - converting a charger to a DC power supply is an iffy business as I have no clue how the control circuitry does and what happens when you isolate the sense wire. Will report back! traderyoda's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=30878 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=113854 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/discuss
[slim] SB and Low Volume on Klipsch Promedia Setup
I have a SB Classic hooked to a Klipsch Promedia 2.1 setup. This has provided good quality sound for a long time but the amp in the subwoofer burned up. This is typical failure mode for the Promedia system. Rather that replace/repair the Klipsch amp I thought to replace it with a Lepai LP210PA 2x30W + 60W 2.1 plate amp. To power the Lepai I used a 20vdc HP laptop charger which should provide plenty of power. I converted the charger (3 wire cord) to a dc power supply (2 wire cord). The power plug on the charger has red (+), black (-), and blue (sense) the blue wire is meant to send the laptops battery state back to the charger. I isolated the blue wire and just connected the remain + and wires to a new power plug that fits the Lepai. The switchover to the Lepai was quick and easy. When I turned it on the sound quality was excellent but with very little volume. The SB is set to 100% output. Im confused because this Lepai conversion has been done by others and it should have plenty of juice to produce more volume than this. Not sure though if others were feeding a signal from a SB Classic. Is there any way to up the gain on the SB? I do have a spare Sony receiver I could try and a DC power supply to see my 20vdc hacked power brick is just not delivering enough power. Thoughts? traderyoda's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=30878 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=113854 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/discuss
