Crown XLS- for the rest of us!

OzarkTom · « **Reply #1020 on:** 13 Jan 2015, 09:56 am »

The drum moongel pads works the best. My buddy Rex and I have tried everything including several brands of sorbothane feet and stillpoints.

dlaloum · « **Reply #1021 on:** 13 Jan 2015, 10:30 am »

Apparently Crown/Harman just launched a new DCi series at CES, these are the same Drivecore circuitry available in digital versions (with dsp) and analog versions (no dsp and no digital conversion involved)...

Price is however not the huge bargain that the XLS series is.....

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #1022 on:** 13 Jan 2015, 07:09 pm »

Quote from: OzarkTom on 13 Jan 2015, 09:56 am

The drum moongel pads works the best. My buddy Rex and I have tried everything including several brands of sorbothane feet and stillpoints.

I might be worth noting that moongels had, at least for the application I tried them in, a finite life. I had 4 under each of my stand mounted, slightly heavy (14 kg) speakers. When I went to change to a different set of speakers after about a year in place, the moongels were a gooey mess. Luckily neither the stands nor the speakers were damaged - but neither was made of wood or was otherwise porous. I would be concerned if wood was one of the surfaces.

Flyin_V · « **Reply #1023 on:** 13 Jan 2015, 08:38 pm »

Could someone let me know what type and size of driver is needed to remove the cover? I see torx elsewhere, but the ones actually holding the top on are different. Maybe the previous owner screwed them up with the wrong drive?

Thanks.

Folsom · « **Reply #1024 on:** 13 Jan 2015, 08:59 pm »

I bought this to work on the amp with. It has every Torx size needed. It's got a good selection of everything, very handy.

OzarkTom · « **Reply #1025 on:** 13 Jan 2015, 11:46 pm »

Quote from: Russell Dawkins on 13 Jan 2015, 07:09 pm

I might be worth noting that moongels had, at least for the application I tried them in, a finite life. I had 4 under each of my stand mounted, slightly heavy (14 kg) speakers. When I went to change to a different set of speakers after about a year in place, the moongels were a gooey mess. Luckily neither the stands nor the speakers were damaged - but neither was made of wood or was otherwise porous. I would be concerned if wood was one of the surfaces.

That is a little too hefty for the moongel pads, 15 pounds or less is probably the limit. I had thought about emailing the company and see if they could make some 1-2 inch thick pads for heavier components.

This video is what these pads do for drums. So it makes since that they will also help our audio components from unwanted resonances.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztYGCiq3o5E

munosmario · « **Reply #1026 on:** 14 Jan 2015, 04:11 pm »

Quote from: OzarkTom on 13 Jan 2015, 11:46 pm

That is a little too hefty for the moongel pads, 15 pounds or less is probably the limit. I had thought about emailing the company and see if they could make some 1-2 inch thick pads for heavier components.

This video is what these pads do for drums. So it makes since that they will also help our audio components from unwanted resonances.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztYGCiq3o5E

Tom, link appears to clearly illustrate that moongel pads are designed to be used by attaching them freely on vibrating surfaces, not to support the weight of vibrating objects...do you have any links to manufacturer mentioning/recommending use of moongel pads to damp vibrating objects by actually supporting their weight?

roscoeiii · « **Reply #1027 on:** 14 Jan 2015, 04:38 pm »

Quote from: munosmario on 14 Jan 2015, 04:11 pm

Tom, link appears to clearly illustrate that moongel pads are designed to be used by attaching them freely on vibrating surfaces, not to support the weight of vibrating objects...do you have any links to manufacturer mentioning/recommending use of moongel pads to damp vibrating objects by actually supporting their weight?

Why would we need this from the manufacturer?

rollo · « **Reply #1028 on:** 14 Jan 2015, 04:47 pm »

Herbies anyone ????

charles

munosmario · « **Reply #1029 on:** 14 Jan 2015, 04:50 pm »

Quote from: roscoeiii on 14 Jan 2015, 04:38 pm

Why would we need this from the manufacturer?

Well, aren't Russell and Tom discussing about product failure due to amount of weight placed on pads... and Tom contemplating asking manufacturer to "make" 1 to 2 inch thick pads for weight bearing application??

Tomy2Tone · « **Reply #1030 on:** 14 Jan 2015, 05:08 pm »

Quote from: rollo on 14 Jan 2015, 04:47 pm

Herbies anyone ????

charles

Yep, supersonic hardballs is what i use. Went back and forth with the tenderfeet but i like the presentation that the hardballs give.

Odal3 · « **Reply #1031 on:** 14 Jan 2015, 05:13 pm »

Thanks to all the recommendations on this thread I have used the moongel and cedar rings for a few months. Didn't believe it until I tried it but it works either under or on the side. Just be careful to put them on nice wood cabinets since they leave a bit of oily residue. Some people make their own by using the sticky hands (or animals or balls) that you can buy in the toy section. Haven't tried that so don't know if it works as well. Completely eliminated a hum issue I had from shipping damage on an external power supply.
Btw: here's a link discussing the benefits of these and other tweaks posted already in 2001.Need to try the golf tee trick - would be nice if they come in cedar

http://www.stereophile.com/finetunes/306/index.html

OzarkTom · « **Reply #1032 on:** 14 Jan 2015, 05:26 pm »

Quote from: rollo on 14 Jan 2015, 04:47 pm

Herbies anyone ????

charles

Yes, Rex also has a set of those.

Flyin_V · « **Reply #1033 on:** 14 Jan 2015, 09:16 pm »

Quote from: Salis Audio on 13 Jan 2015, 08:59 pm

I bought this to work on the amp with. It has every Torx size needed. It's got a good selection of everything, very handy.

It worked perfectly...thanks!

jk@home · « **Reply #1034 on:** 15 Jan 2015, 01:38 am »

Just an FYI for anyone out there thinking about trying this amp. It's been only a little over 50 hours playing time on my two new 1500s now, and I can definitely hear a break-in improvement, so it's real. Working great on the KEF LS50s. Ended up using 4' long Mogami 2534 balanced cables (diyed from a single 10' cable + 2 more XLR connectors) and 6' lengths of Canare 4S11 speaker cable for the final setup. Had to move the amps back into view for this, but adding electrical tape over the display goes a long way in making things more discrete looking. Plan on hitting the power buttons with a dap of black paint, to dim the blue down a bit more. Thanks to who ever posted this tip.

Attempted to install the Neutrik NL4FC Speakon connectors I had bought for the amps on the Canare cables, but they won't accept two 14 AWG wires per terminal. So just went back to hard wiring the cables onto the Crown's binding posts. I would say this is the best way to use the stock posts, they will accept up to 11 stranded AWG, and with the help of a flat, thin bladed tool such as a gasket scraper, one can use the silts in the outer nuts to get a good 1/2 more turn on the posts, which then will really torque them down. Maybe later when I get more out of the warranty period, I will look at upgrading the posts.

Played around with mass loading the top of the chassis with some sand in bags I had on hand, jury's still out on that one. I read that Absolute Sound had an article (last Dec?) on a BBs in a box tweak for this, has anyone here tried that?

OzarkTom · « **Reply #1035 on:** 15 Jan 2015, 02:13 am »

Quote from: jk@home on 15 Jan 2015, 01:38 am

Played around with mass loading the top of the chassis with some sand in bags I had on hand, jury's still out on that one. I read that Absolute Sound had an article (last Dec?) on a BBs in a box tweak for this, has anyone here tried that?

The cryoman first tried sand on the 1500, but found 7.5 pounds of lead shot to sound much better.

jk@home · « **Reply #1036 on:** 15 Jan 2015, 02:16 am »

Yeah guess I need to go down to the sporting goods store and see what they have.

Folsom · « **Reply #1037 on:** 15 Jan 2015, 03:14 am »

Does anyone wonder what adding a wood top would do? The top is loose, bottom has stiffening from the screws. Why not just make the vibrations favorable, if anything. Even gluing a strip of wood for "structure" ( | not - ) across it on the inside may do good.

Occam · « **Reply #1038 on:** 15 Jan 2015, 03:57 am »

Quote from: jk@home on 15 Jan 2015, 01:38 am

....
Attempted to install the Neutrik Speakon connectors I had bought for the amps on the Canare cables, but they won't accept two 14 AWG wires per terminal. So just went back to hard wiring the cables onto the Crown's binding posts. I would say this is the best way to use the stock posts,
.....

Two 14 gauge wires combine to 11 gauge.The newer SPX cable connectors, NL4FX & NL4FRX will accept up to 12 gauge, but if you remove the grub screw(s), you can get a 10 gauge in and solder (per Neutrik). The new metal bodied, solder only, STX connector, NT4FX-BAG will also accommodate 10 gauge.
http://www.neutrik.com/en/speakon/speakon-loudspeaker-connectors/speakon-cable-connectors/

Subjectively, IMO, there is NO good way to use Crown's provided binding posts.

At best, they can described as craptastic.

Regards,
Paul

steve f · « **Reply #1039 on:** 15 Jan 2015, 04:44 am »

Lead shot is not all that safe. Steel BBs are supposed to have the same properties without being hazardous. This is anecdotal reporting. I've never tried either.

Anybody remember magic bricks?

Steve