(yet another) Stratos break-in comments

firestic · « **on:** 15 Sep 2004, 03:32 pm »

I would like to share my break-in experience AND get some input as to what I have been experiencing so far. Within the first day a fuse blew! hmmm? Talked to Klaus and he gave me the fix. However, I was now disenchanted, not because of the sonics but because after less than a day the amp stopped dead in it's tracks (at least the left channel did anyway).

Alright....a couple days of just letting it play not paying too much attention to the rascal I decide to pull the speakers out into position and send some juice through the blue light special. Not bad

Upper mid needed some work and the bottom was a little loose but nothing terrible. The transparency was very much improved over my Sumo Polaris.

Now after about ten days things got weird

I mean really weird. The Stratos started to hum loudly enough to be heard for 20' and I was p***ed! It did this for roughly 24 hours and I didn't know what to think of it. Now for the weird part. After the hum mysteriously vanished I pulled up a chair for another critical session and holy cow! this baby took a leap into the clouds!

I was very pleased with what seemed to be completely different recordings. The female vocals, flutes, keyboard patches all seemed much more refined than two days ago as well as the bottom improving a bit.

Over the next week it swung all over the map. One day the bass was slammin' the next day there was uncontrolled sublevel flap! Then back to bassBliss. Whoa, I was wondering about the whole system symmetry thing now.

Well two days ago the hum came back! and of course I was ticked off (shouldn't I be?) Dang. I decided to pay careful attention this time to what I was hearing. The entire midrange section was loosing defenition, the sounstage was slightly off from a couple days ago, but the bottom was kickin' in nicely.

So the hum goes bye-bye again yesterday morning (whatever!!!)

I come home last night and spin some cd's not knowing what to expect. I've had this amp now aprox. 3 weeks and last night I became a believer! The Stratos is alive! What the heck just happened? I cannot describe accurately enough how open this thing now sounds. What will happen in another 3 weeks? that's what I want to know.

Now for some input about the hum. Can anyone tell me what's going on with that and why it may come and go as it does? will this happen all the time? does it need some attention by it's daddy?

I love what I'm hearing for the first time since I got the amp so I'm convinced it's a keeper but are all break-ins this freakin dramatic?

I'm all ears

Equipment= Forte model 2 pre, Adcom gcd700, Clements RT-7's. IC's I think are monsters and the cables are generic 10ga copper bare at both ends.

F-100 · « **Reply #1 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 04:10 pm »

Quote from: firestic

Now for some input about the hum. Can anyone tell me what's going on with that and why it may come and go as it does? will this happen all the time? does it need some attention by it's daddy?

Sound like you have ground loop problem. I'm experiencing the same problem too and it's not easy to solve this problem. Other people had suggested using a cheater plug, but that doesn't solve my problem either.
Please keep me update if you ever get your problem resolved.

Good Luck

firestic · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 04:19 pm »

I did think of that because the fortes' external power supply occasionaly hums for a few days, but it's only done it 5-6 times over the last 12 years.
I'm considering a power conditioner. Truthfully, if the system sounds great I can live with a quiet hum once in a while (as I have w/the Forte) but not weekly and not as loud as the stratos put out. Funny about the vast improvements after the hum subsided.

Stratos break-in is a REAL phenomenon.

Eduardo AAVM · « **Reply #3 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 04:28 pm »

If voltage goes up or down the transformer hums.

My weirdest hum was when a DVD I was using as CD player and connected to the pre was causing a high pitch sound, when I unplugged the video output from DVD to TV the hum stopped.

Check for lamps, microwave ovens, etc.

MaxCast · « **Reply #4 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 04:29 pm »

The wierd thing is that it comes and goes and the sounds snaps into place when not there. Almost like something is leaking into the Stratos. Have you tried changing receipticles or moving the pre's PS?

firestic · « **Reply #5 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 05:02 pm »

Good ideas so far, thanks. Does a power conditioner keep the voltage steady?

Eduardo AAVM · « **Reply #6 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 06:30 pm »

Nope, not the ones I know but they clean and sometimes help with ground problems.

Better when the situation arises, try to unplug all other equipment or connect the amp to another outlet and even check if neighbor is doing something, check for patterns.

MaxCast · « **Reply #7 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 07:05 pm »

Quote from: firestic

Good ideas so far, thanks. Does a power conditioner keep the voltage steady?

There are voltage stabilizers and filters, maybe even combo units.

Marbles · « **Reply #8 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 07:44 pm »

Quote from: firestic

Good ideas so far, thanks. Does a power conditioner keep the voltage steady?

My PS Audio PP600 is a power regenerator. It worked fine for my Stereo Stratos plus all front end gear.

firestic · « **Reply #9 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 07:48 pm »

So you're encouraging neighborly espionage

I didn't realize this amp would bring me to peeping

Hey maxcast- where in Michigan if your don't mind me asking? I'm in Romeo, MI

MaxCast · « **Reply #10 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 08:02 pm »

Southwest corner, Benton Harbor, MI

firestic · « **Reply #11 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 08:04 pm »

Thanks Max, just curious. Sorry to get off topic.

rosconey · « **Reply #12 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 08:29 pm »

do you have cable tv hooked up -
cable can cause random loop type problems

firestic · « **Reply #13 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 08:37 pm »

No TV's in my house at all. I've heard that cable can cause strange phenomenon like this.

Is it just me or has no one even hinted at the fact the Stratos could actually have an issue? My 12 year old Sumo didn't hum and my Forte pre has only done it 5-6 times (max) in the last 12 years.

I don't want to believe it is the amp but is it possible?

Eric · « **Reply #14 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 08:46 pm »

Is the hum coming out of the same channel that had the blown fuse

rosconey · « **Reply #15 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 08:54 pm »

my Forte pre has only done it 5-6 times (max) in the last 12 years.

hmmmmmmmm , could the pre be going bad and cause this

or the thugs at ups smaked a part loose.

if it is the amp klaus will take care of you

btw- one of my extreme monos blew a fuse the first day, you think you got pissed

- well the dam thing hasnt blown one since(2yrs). i opened it up and all the fuses were good, called klaus and he told me about the one at the plug. till i talked with klaus i was the least happy camper you ever saw-lol

firestic · « **Reply #16 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 09:41 pm »

I do have another pre I could swap out for awhile. Does anybody know how to get in touch w/ Jon Soderberg(sp?) the threshold /forte guy? OR anyone who could go through my Forte Model 2 and "spruce it up"?

I'm going to do some more experimenting w/ wall outlets, cables and such. The Stratos still has 3 or more weeks to shuffle itself into shape anyway.

Speaking of shipping, for a 50+lb amp I was not impressed at all with the packaging Klaus uses and I did pass it on to him on the phone. The masonite he uses to protect the backplate was smashed up pretty good. I'm not going to gripe much though because these things help keep the cost down. If I ever have to send it back to Klaus in the future I will build a fortress around it! UPS will not prevail

firestic · « **Reply #17 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 09:44 pm »

The hum is coming from the power supply (as far as I can tell) not from a channel in particular.

wolverine1120 · « **Reply #18 on:** 15 Sep 2004, 11:47 pm »

Next time your speakers are humming .... not in the good way ...try this. Turn off the amp, disconnect the IC from the AMP...Not the Pre. then turn the amp back on again. Leave the system like that for a few minutes and listen for the humm. After a few minutes turn off the amp again reconnect the IC and turn the amp back on again and listen for the humm.

If you lose the humm after the IC is disconnected but regain it after the IC is reconnected the problem is almost certainly not the amp...at least this time.

If you hear the humm with the IC disconnected then the problemn is almost certainly the amp or the wall power the amp is plugged into.

If you lose the humm with the IC disconnected and the humm does not return after the IC is reconnected, there may be a capacitance issue with either your IC or Amp.

Let me know what the results are.
Hope this helps.

I do have an excel file on how to find the problem relatively quickly but I dont know how to post it.

firestic · « **Reply #19 on:** 16 Sep 2004, 12:10 am »

The speakers don't hum, it's the amp only. But that's a good idea I will employ in the event it does re-occur.

I have relocated the pre PS about 5 feet away from the stratos and done some housekeeping of all cableing.