Battery Charging and Noise Floor update

abernardi · « **on:** 30 Oct 2011, 02:09 am »

I still haven't been able to pick up my chosen speakers for my new system, so I went to the garage and pulled out some old Tannoy bookshelf monitors and fired up the Sensation. I've always liked these speakers but I never seriously considered them for main speakers. Needless to say, they've never sounded better, very engaging. They're a bit boomy, but I think that's the placement (they're literally in the bookcase and they're rear ported and very close to the back of the shelf). I'll have to play with that.

But that's not the subject of this post. I have the battery plugged in with the Soneil charger. Can I leave it plugged in or will it overcharge the batteries? I've had the system up and running now for about 6 hours and the light on the charger is red, tho it was green when I first plugged it in. What do the colors mean? I haven't been able to find answers searching the forums.

To the noise floor. Well, with the Tannoys, when I first turned on the amp I could detect the noise if I was within 3 feet or so of the speaker. Not as loud as the Avlars, but there. But after an hour or so, it was almost completely gone. Even with my ear right up to the speaker, I only heard a very very slight hiss. Totally acceptable in my judgement, great in fact!

marvda1 · « **Reply #1 on:** 30 Oct 2011, 02:58 am »

which tube are you using? i didn't have the hiss problem on my 87 db usher speakers or 90 db dali speakers. what i did find was with the ushers being 8 ohms and the dalis being 6 ohm the 901 had a little trouble bringing the bass. could be the ushers with a simpli 3 way design whereas the dalis had 2 bass drivers, a midrange driver and a tweeter and super tweeter.

Jason T · « **Reply #2 on:** 30 Oct 2011, 04:26 am »

The red light means it's charging. Green means its idle (not charging)

Rclark · « **Reply #3 on:** 30 Oct 2011, 05:23 am »

I get absolutely no hiss whatsoever, so I think your crossovers or some other piece is suspect, but definitely not the amp.

Even volume cranked with nothing playing, no hiss, ear right against the planar.

I don't have any tubes in my system, however.

abernardi · « **Reply #4 on:** 30 Oct 2011, 07:18 am »

Jason, does that mean I can keep it plugged in?

brother love · « **Reply #5 on:** 30 Oct 2011, 12:29 pm »

Quote from: abernardi on 30 Oct 2011, 02:09 am

But that's not the subject of this post. I have the battery plugged in with the Soneil charger. Can I leave it plugged in or will it overcharge the batteries? I've had the system up and running now for about 6 hours and the light on the charger is red, tho it was green when I first plugged it in. What do the colors mean? I haven't been able to find answers searching the forums.

To the noise floor. Well, with the Tannoys, when I first turned on the amp I could detect the noise if I was within 3 feet or so of the speaker. Not as loud as the Avlars, but there. But after an hour or so, it was almost completely gone. Even with my ear right up to the speaker, I only heard a very very slight hiss. Totally acceptable in my judgement, great in fact!

I have a Sensation tube buffer M-451 w/ Dodd battery. When the amp is in standby, your trickle charger will be red , keeping the battery fully charged. If you turn off the back panel switch of the Sensation, the charger will immediately turn green.

If both the front switch & back switch of the Sensation amp are turned off for awhile & you turn the amp on, you get a noticeable hiss from speaker tweeters for about an hour. If you turn on the amp back panel switch & leave in standby about an hour, you will get no hiss when your turn the front panel switch on.

And there is no problem keeping the trickle charger on all the time. The charger will be warm to the touch though w/ Sensation in standby or operating mode.

Jason T · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 Oct 2011, 12:48 pm »

Quote from: abernardi on 30 Oct 2011, 07:18 am

Jason, does that mean I can keep it plugged in?

Sorry. Yes leave it plugged in our smart charger knows what its doing

Rclark · « **Reply #7 on:** 31 Oct 2011, 09:04 pm »

Btw isn't noise floor about what's in the musical presentation? Speaker hiss is just speaker hiss, has only to do with the "overall" noise.

we need to coin a new term. People think noise floor and hissy gear or mechanical sounds are the same thing and can therefore equate cheap speakers with nice one's by this blended, confused term. I didn't truly understand what "noise floor" really meant until I started building this system. We need to call speaker hiss and other "general" noises something else.

Noise floor should refer to the blackness of the musical presentation only.

Randy · « **Reply #8 on:** 31 Oct 2011, 11:38 pm »

Can I get an explanation of how the Sensation amp operates with batteries? What is the setup like, cost, etc. Any info would be appreciated. Woefully, ignorant here. Thanks.

abernardi · « **Reply #9 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 12:00 am »

Great Jason and brother love, that's what I needed to know.

Rclark, I always used to call it system noise, but i've noticed noise floor being used for both lately.

Randy, check out the Virtue website, they have a battery pack, it's like two small car batteries that's wired to a charger that you plug in the wall. Then from the battery to an adapter to the Sensation. I think it's $249.00. I have to admit I'm a little scared to leave the house with the battery plugged in, I don't have the steel box yet, just the batteries. I guess I'll get a box, it will make me feel safer.

So nobody feels insecure leaving the batteries plugged in in an empty house?

Rclark · « **Reply #10 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 01:33 am »

I haven't bought the case yet for it, but plan to very soon. Meanwhile I leave it all on 24/7. The charger, batteries, etc all very cool to the touch and the batteries top.off very quickly. I was nervous at first, but apparently these batteries are very safe and meant for indoor use.

HiFlight · « **Reply #11 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 02:01 am »

Not to take sales from Virtue, but a surplus ammo box should make a decent container for the batteries and associated wiring.

virtue · « **Reply #12 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 04:11 am »

Whatever works! We just want happy, safe customers.

abernardi · « **Reply #13 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 05:14 am »

Happy with periods of ecstatic!

Rclark · « **Reply #14 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 06:09 am »

Isn't it great?

django11 · « **Reply #15 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 11:15 am »

Quote from: HiFlight on 1 Nov 2011, 02:01 am

Not to take sales from Virtue, but a surplus ammo box should make a decent container for the batteries and associated wiring.

This seems like a good inexpensive DIY idea. What are "we" worried about anyway with batteries. Explosion and fire? Does the box need to be sealed?

Jason T · « **Reply #16 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 10:44 pm »

[quote
So nobody feels insecure leaving the batteries plugged in in an empty house?
[/quote]

nope
I have 2 sets plugged in all of the time and neither are in an enclosure.

Rclark · « **Reply #17 on:** 2 Nov 2011, 12:31 am »

Shoot I am so impressed with my two pieces of battery powered gear I want to eventually have everything running off batteries, right up to my server., just like Trung. It really makes quite a difference.

abernardi · « **Reply #18 on:** 3 Nov 2011, 05:34 am »

OK then!

django11 · « **Reply #19 on:** 12 Feb 2012, 11:00 pm »

Reviving this thread. What does a flashing red light on the charger mean?