Houston, we have a problem, or, H-E-L-P!

SamA · « **on:** 23 Feb 2006, 11:10 pm »

After nearly five weeks, the Etesian and Khartago units are here! I skipped a business trip to Lake Placid in order to greet them on their arrival at the front door this afternoon.

Problem is, they're DOA. No sound. Nothing.

I've checked and re-checked the connections. The rocker switches on the back of both units are lit red. I've tried all audio inputs. Nothing.

Ideas? Anyone? Anywhere?

mgalusha · « **Reply #1 on:** 23 Feb 2006, 11:19 pm »

Do you have any other preamps or amps you could try? This would allow you to isolate which unit is having problems.

There are fuses in the Khartgo but it would be best to figure out for sure if it's the problem before going for the internal fuses. As I'm sure others will suggest, call Klaus, he's all about making his customers happy.

SamA · « **Reply #2 on:** 23 Feb 2006, 11:23 pm »

Klaus is in Germany until March 1, according to his phone message from last week. There is no answer at Odyssey - it's after 6 p.m. (E).

Sonny · « **Reply #3 on:** 23 Feb 2006, 11:24 pm »

Try the fuse of the K...its should be in the back where the ac plugs into the amp.

SamA · « **Reply #4 on:** 23 Feb 2006, 11:35 pm »

I checked the Khartago fuse. OK

I checked the Etesian fuse. OK.

I just tried plugging iPod and CD player outputs directly into the Khartago. We have sound!!!!

It would seem that the Etesian is failing me. What next? Ideas?

pm314 · « **Reply #5 on:** 23 Feb 2006, 11:42 pm »

When I received my Khartago and Etesian I had the same problem. After narrowing it down to the Etesian (as you have) I thought about sending it back......screw it.....opened it up and saw that the cable from the source selector had disconnected. I put it back on and it worked great. I do have to warn you, though, that it did come loose again a few months later. I'm sure Klaus would have made everything right if I had told him....I just didnt want to wait another day.

SamA · « **Reply #6 on:** 23 Feb 2006, 11:46 pm »

Ah, great idea.

OK, folks. We're going in. I've waited years for this moment. Another glass of wine and we're doing surgery!

Sonny · « **Reply #7 on:** 23 Feb 2006, 11:46 pm »

Quote from: pm314

When I received my Khartago and Etesian I had the same problem. After narrowing it down to the Etesian (as you have) I thought about sending it back......screw it.....opened it up and saw that the cable from the source selector had disconnected. I put it back on and it worked great.

Yes...that's it, I bet.
When I got my Tempest, a few years back, the remote control didn't work, after sending the remote back to Klaus and getting a new one, it still didn't work. I then opened it up, the Tempest, and noted that the connector for the remote in the Tempest was not connected, I connected it, and viola! we have remote.

I bet that's the problem...Try to open the Estesian up and fix it like PM314 said,

Good luck!

Sonny · « **Reply #8 on:** 23 Feb 2006, 11:47 pm »

Quote from: pm314

When I received my Khartago and Etesian I had the same problem. After narrowing it down to the Etesian (as you have) I thought about sending it back......screw it.....opened it up and saw that the cable from the source selector had disconnected. I put it back on and it worked great.

Yes...that's it, I bet.
When I got my Tempest, a few years back, the remote control didn't work, after sending the remote back to Klaus and getting a new one, it still didn't work. I then opened it up, the Tempest, and noted that the connector for the remote in the Tempest was not connected, I connected it, and viola! we have remote.

I bet that's the problem...Try to open the Estesian up and fix it like PM314 said,

Good luck!

pm314 · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 Feb 2006, 11:49 pm »

Before jumping in (have another glass!) and you may want to try to connect your source to each of the inputs. Sorry I didnt remember that, but I think that one of them worked. It was a few years ago...and maybe I had a few drinks also....

F-100 · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 Feb 2006, 11:56 pm »

Be carefull!! One too many glasses of wine can lead to dangerous results, especially with audio gears.

Cheers!!!

pm314 · « **Reply #11 on:** 24 Feb 2006, 12:01 am »

Quote from: F-100

Be carefull!! One too many glasses of wine can lead to dangerous results, especially with audio gears.

Cheers!!!

Come to think of it, that may be why it came loose a few months later

SamA · « **Reply #12 on:** 24 Feb 2006, 12:13 am »

The patient is not well.

Opened it up and found solid connections between the source selector and circuit board.

Put it all back together and tried different source points and ... zip, zero, zilch!

It appears the belated 50th birthday bash will have to wait until I can call Odyssey tomorrow (Friday).

Sonny · « **Reply #13 on:** 24 Feb 2006, 04:04 pm »

Hey, I hope Klaus gives you insight so you can have music this weekend!!!

Good Luck!!!

avahifi · « **Reply #14 on:** 24 Feb 2006, 04:21 pm »

Regarding the opening statement of this thread, "Houston we have a problem", I actually met one of the astronouts on that mission years later and asked him a question about the trip that nobody else had ever asked.

That was, "since the big heavy module was now junk after the oxigen generator exploded, why did you not jettison it much sooner? it would have been much less mass for you to carry around and have given you much more manuver ability not having to push that mass around on the trip home?" His answer was that since it was between the landing capsule and its heat shield, they kept it attached to protect the heat shield. They had no previous experience with the heat shield material being directly exposed to raw space and were concerned that exposure for days instead of a few hours could damage it. So the junk huge accessory and supply module was kept attached and dumped only just before reentry. Nice to finally get a good answer.

The press seems never to ask good questions.

Frank Van Alstine

SamA · « **Reply #15 on:** 24 Feb 2006, 05:52 pm »

Alas, it makes its return trip to Odyssey Monday for a look-see.

Boo-hoo-hoo.

Doug_B · « **Reply #16 on:** 24 Feb 2006, 06:48 pm »

Quote from: SamA

Alas, it makes its return trip to Odyssey Monday for a look-see.

Boo-hoo-hoo.

Fear not. I had a Tempest problem on first arrival that required me to send it back (apparently shipping damage to internals), and Klaus handled it in typical Klausian fashion.

Doug

SamA · « **Reply #17 on:** 6 Mar 2006, 10:59 pm »

My Etesian was shipped back to Odyssey ground UPS on Monday and I had it back Friday the same week. Klaus and company determined the problem was a soldered connection and I appreiciate their quick turnaround.

After a solid weekend of listening, I am most impressed with the overall Etesian, Khartago, Nightingale system.

Sgt. Pepper never sounded so luscious. Mark Knopfler's Rag Picker's Dream was just startling. The Gordon Brisker Quintet's My Son John was unbelievable. All CDs.

I then connected an XM Satellite Radio. Yikes and how cow! For compressed sound, it was amazing. XM Classics was playing a 1975-ish Horowitz concert from Carnegie Hall and I closed my eyes and I wanted to shout, "I can see the piano!"

Alas, I was disappointed when I cranked up the turntable. The sound lacked body and oomph. BUT ... I tried some CDs I had transferred from vinyl and they sounded especially good. I wonder in the Rolls VP29 pre-amp that I feed into my PC soundcard serves that role fine and, maybe, for the Etesian I need to upgrade.

The Nightingales in light cheery are bee-ute-tiful. My wife of many years (27 to be exact) didn't raise an iota of objection. But here's the thing with the Nightingales. They require attention/focus. They don't seem to radiate the same fullness that my tired Boston Acoustic A-150s did. The BAs seemed to fill the house. The Nightingales don't fill the house the same way. BUT ... dear Lord, sit in that special sweet spot and they take your soul away. Sound never grabbed me like that before.

My eight-foot Groneberg speaker cables proved a bit short for the toe-in final placement and I had no choice but to resport to a pair of the longer MIT Terminator2 cables I had in the closet. I was stunned at how different the MITs sounded. I'm keeping 'em, I think.

And, folks, that's it for a weekend audio adventure. More, perhaps, as things settle in and I get a little more time with the system. Won't be soon, though. NCAA is around the corner and I get to go with the team this year. If I end up in Indianapolis for the Final Four, I have to stop by and see Klaus!

F-100 · « **Reply #18 on:** 7 Mar 2006, 06:34 pm »

Quote from: SamA

Alas, I was disappointed when I cranked up the turntable. The sound lacked body and oomph.

The Etesian is a linestage preamp (no phono stage). You need the Tempest preamp if you want to use your turntable.

TjMV3 · « **Reply #19 on:** 7 Mar 2006, 07:10 pm »

SamA,

I have found that the Nightingales project into and fill a room much better, if you spread them out by at least eight and a half feet (between the two Nightingales).

Ideally, they really do great with nine to ten feet between them. Then a very slight toe-in. I mean very slight.

You'll find that the the soundfield expands so very wide, much deeper and becomes almost three-D.

As for distance off the back wall, I have found that anywhere between 18-30 inches works very well. Depending on your room, you may see similar results......or slightly different results.

But the main thing here is, spread those speakers apart.