[Danny Richie]

Question to Danny.  Did the amp returned to you make any type of noise.  Transformer hum?

His amp was dead quiet.

Any hiss, hum or other noise from the speakers with just the amp turned on?

Not at all.

Still, that makes no sense to put a clipping indicator on the circuit side that is 99.9% of the time not visible.

Correct. A clipping indictor would need to be on the outside of the amp so that the user would see warning of clipping. The LED lights on the inside of the amp do not indicate clipping.

Previously there was a question about whether the amps were configured for Open Baffle.

His amp was configured for OB use.

Danny, when you say the amps did not clip, by what means are you checking for clipping ?

The amps and woofers are matched so that the amp has enough power to drive the woofers to full output without over driving them. I have a LOT of experience with these using doubles and triples in various rooms up to 56 feet long. I was running your amp on the 14Hz extension and with low damping. I was playing output levels to above 100db peaks from my speakers and the subs. Typically if pushed too far the woofers run out of X-max before the amps run out of juice. This was not the case. The 100+ db levels were hit down low and with ease without over driving the woofers.

Please shoot me an email with your shipping information for the return shipping.

[dallaire1]

Thought this only fair to report. I found the culprit on the AC lines, It was my Keurig coffee Maker, in another room mind you. When I got the amp back the sound doubled and had to go hunting. Almost pulled the trigger on the Emotiva 2 outlet power strip Brian had recommend me trying. What is perplexing to me is out of all the class A/B amps I've tried in this room over the years (3)I have never heard 1 of them, and the Keurig I have had for even longer so that rules that out. Anyway, very pleased the amps ARE in fact dead quite now.

[Tyson]

Hey, glad it all worked out.  Yeah added complexity to a system can reveal gremlins like this.  Ask me how I know that! 

So now that they are quiet, how do they sound with your Spatials?

[dallaire1]

Also I should point out, I was under the impression a dedicated circuit would have prevented this in my previous room as I had installed a 20amp dedicated outlet. To my dismay Brian pointed out this won't do a thing for transformer buzz and he was correct.   

[dallaire1]

I have them hooked up just yesterday. I have to get REW setup and get them dialed in again, as Danny had my amp when I put up all the acoustical treatment, so now that I have two again its time for a re-tweak. I had the one setup using REW and it sounds quick and clean, no pressurization of the room but super fast attack and decay are what you trade in for one note pressurization is the best I can explain it, Kinda like really good "headphone bass". As far as the Red lights go, I have to forget about them and hope the amp holds up for years. I do hope Danny is in fact right, I really do.

[dallaire1]

once I get them dialed in I will post FR shots at the MLP, with spectrogram wavelets before in bare room and after treatment. HUGE difference ! Anyone that thinks the M3's are bright in anyway has not treated their room, I actually listen sometimes with the tweets boosted 1Db.

[Danny Richie]

As far as the Red lights go, I have to forget about them and hope the amp holds up for years. I do hope Danny is in fact right, I really do.

I have been using them and selling them for years with no issues. My amps flicked the internal red lights just like yours. I never see the back side of mine, but from the levels (SPL) that mine and yours were flickering I know for sure that I have had them on many times for years and at levels that would keep them on and not just flickering. You have nothing to worry about regarding the amps.

Be sure when you measure your room response to only do one side at a time and never both speakers together.

Do the left speaker. Then the left sub. Then the two of them summed.

Repeat on the right side.

[dallaire1]

Will do Danny.

[HT1278]

So the problem all along was the Keurig? 

[dallaire1]

Only for the amps buzzing. I was more concerned about the red LEDs. But I think this has all come to a close as I'm going to have faith in what Brian explained to Danny with regards to what his design was "actually doing". Don't no why Brian emailed me something to the contrary but at this point it is all water under the bridge. I've spent hours dialing them in and they sound really really good. Interestingly enough I had to set a high pass filter on the mains at 100 Hertz to get them to really integrate. Never thought that would be the case with the M3 integration.

[HT1278]

Great to know.  Very interesting to read all about the concerns and about potential fixes and solutions.  I want build one or two of the gr research subs.   Is getting an integrated amp, or a Home Theater AVR with base management needed just Incase to really tune in the subs and set crossover points.   I am looking at the Emotiva TA1 fo stereo purposes and a Marantz Cinema 60 for Home Theater Processing and Amplification.   I want to have 2 different setups one for music and one for movies etc. 

[NoahH]

Great to know.  Very interesting to read all about the concerns and about potential fixes and solutions.  I want build one or two of the gr research subs.   Is getting an integrated amp, or a Home Theater AVR with base management needed just Incase to really tune in the subs and set crossover points.   I am looking at the Emotiva TA1 fo stereo purposes and a Marantz Cinema 60 for Home Theater Processing and Amplification.   I want to have 2 different setups one for music and one for movies etc.

I would suggest minimizing the surround sound investment and focusing on the stereo system as much as you can first if you have any budget constraints. Stereo is unforgiving and needs quality, and a quality stereo can handle the mains and virtual center channels. The importance of the surround channels after that is very low.

I say that as someone who sunk a lot in 12.2 channel (13.2 system but virtual center) and get very little out of the part that is not the stereo mains.

Bass management is convenient for integration but you get better results.doing it manually. But it is.a real pain to do it manually.

[Tyson]

I would suggest minimizing the surround sound investment and focusing on the stereo system as much as you can first if you have any budget constraints. Stereo is unforgiving and needs quality, and a quality stereo can handle the mains and virtual center channels. The importance of the surround channels after that is very low.

I say that as someone who sunk a lot in 12.2 channel (13.2 system but virtual center) and get very little out of the part that is not the stereo mains.

Bass management is convenient for integration but you get better results.doing it manually. But it is.a real pain to do it manually.

+1

[HT1278]

For my home theater I have a Marantz NR1403 Dolby Digital.  I have Encore X-LS for the fronts, X-CS for center, and rears are X-on wall, and a Energy Sub from the Energy 5.1 that I am upgrading from and replacing the energy speakers with the GR Research.  When you say a quality stereo can handle the mains and the virtual center, do you mean just get a stereo setup?  I have already built the cabinets for 5 GR Research speakers for 5.1.  The only fully assembled cabinets with crossovers and drivers are the Encore X-LS I am still finishing the other 3.  I was planning on using a completely separate receiver and speakers for stereo, perhaps an Emotiva Basx TA-2 or a Yamaha A-S801. 

[HT1278]

My plan is to replace the Marantz NR1403 with 50 watts per channel with 2 channels driven with a Marantz 60, or a Denon  Home audio  Receivers & amplifiers  Home theater receivers Denon AVR-X3800H 105 watts per channel with 2 channels driven.  I am going to use 5.1 or perhaps 5.2 speakers for home theater.

[HT1278]

I am not sure what the efficiency of the Encore XLS speakers are.  I sit about 15 feet away from my front speakers.   Not sure in a "perfect world" I would send to all 5 speakers.  I could instead get a processor and just use the preamp outs and use separate amps and get a less expensive Home Theater Receiver like a Marantz Cinema 70, 50 watts per channel with 2 channels driven.