[i.poet]

Nicholas,

Please respond to my requests for support.  I don't think that's unreasonable given these are supposed to be the best amps that you could possibly make.  What are the correct placements for the tubes?  With seven per channel, it's too tough for me to guess - I've tried and failed.  What sort of tube was the very small one?  When are the TVC bottom copper plates and the power cords being sent?

Also, I hear something when I tilt the amps that sounds like small stainless steel ball bearings in the OPT casing, as if there was ballast in there.  Is there something that could have gotten loose?

Thank you,

Stephen

Thank you,

Stephen

[SlushPuppy]

He hasn't been on this board for a long time.

PromitheusAudio
Site Sponsor

Last Active:
23 Dec 2009, 08:10 PM

[lonewolfny42]

He hasn't been on this board for a long time.

PromitheusAudio
Site Sponsor

Last Active:
23 Dec 2009, 08:10 PM

"* It has not been used for the previous 30 days, or the Facilitator has not posted in the previous 60 days. This rule ensures that all areas of the site remain relevant to site members. This is referred to as the "30-day inactivity rule."

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=37790.0

[i.poet]

Thanks gents.  I'm going to take my amps to Roger Hebert of Wyetech Labs to help sort this out.  His gear has been quite favourably reviewed at 6moons.com - he's a superb audio designer/engineer.

[JohnR]

"* It has not been used for the previous 30 days, or the Facilitator has not posted in the previous 60 days. This rule ensures that all areas of the site remain relevant to site members. This is referred to as the "30-day inactivity rule."

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=37790.0

I know, but... if I close it then members will be disadvantaged... or not? You guys tell me what you want to do.

[Oscillate]

JohnR

If at your discretion, you choose to close this circle ...then PLEASE post a
'sticky thread' declaring your intentions to do so and clearly state a closing
date.

This will give all those who own Promitheus Audio products and/or are interested
in the accumulated information contained in this circle ample opportunity to read
through and/or download and save it for purposes of future reference.

Thank you in advance for your understanding on this point.


Sincerely
Oscillate

[JohnR]

It would still be readable. I'm just responding to the issue raised by lonewolf.

[Say]

Hello John R

I would suggest keeping it open for a bit longer (let's say a month more) so that interested members can know beforehand that this circle may become closed eventually. It is a shame that Nicholas doesn't show enough interest in this Circle nor have the maturity to respond to concerned members. That is his (and our) loss. Maybe within this brief time frame we will have an update from Nic himself. If not then by all means you have my full support (you have it anyway).

[i.poet]

Roger Hebert of Wyetech Labs was able to get my amps sorted out.  Nicholas responded to his email to confirm tube placements, and the placements definitely did not agree with the earlier photos that I had revceived of the amp.  I have to replace two pairs of tubes as the are reading poorly - the OB3s and D3As -, but neither of these are especially expensive.  Also two power supply capacitors had come separated from the chassis in shipping.

Roger had my amps in his system when I went to pick them up, so I got to hear them with his new prototype Ruby preamp and his rare type of Tannoy concentric full range single drive speakers.  I've read online somewhere that Wyetech's preamps are the reference for more than one serious audio reviewer.  Simply, my amps sounded quite good in Roger's superb system.  Roger pointed out that my amps are low gain (how much?), so that with my TVCs I'd need very sensitive speakers, which I have at 97db/w/m with Audio Nirvana full range drivers.

Other than one pop (not severe) per channel about perhaps 10 or 15 seconds into power up, the amps are fine.  They apparently have sand or something in the OPT housing, which may be to dampen vibrations.  Not too sure about this one.

However, my system is unlistenable, and I have now isolated the problem to my Promitheus Signature TVCs.  I have to do more specific trouble shooting, but I have had a terrible AC power hum using the TVCs.  It's worse on the left channel.  It only seems to be a problem on the final five or so volume settings.  It's there when the source is not powered up, but gets much worse when the source is playing.  I only have two sources at present, but it was there with three.

My TVcs were damaged en route - the bottom copper plates were deformed, as I don't think they were structurally strong enough to withstand the transformer's mass in shipment.  I now wonder if there wasn't internal damage too.  My TVCs have four RCA inputs and two RCA outputs, as I was thinking of eventually getting Bastanis 16 ohm Atlas or Mandala open baffles with self-powered sub woofers.

Roger doesn't do transformer repairs for TVCs, so I'll have to find someone else to help with this, and I am open to suggestions.  I might try Bent Audio.  There is the grounding tabs at the back of the TVCs, but where would I run a grounding wire to, and what sort of wire would I use?

Sigh.  I'll have a system I can listen to some day.

Cheers,

Stephen

[rollo]

Stephen,
               John chapman at bent is a gentlemn who may be able to help. another is dave slagle in LI NY.
   I had my TVCs modded by Mapleshsde. It appeared the original grounding scheme was incorrect. A star ground was added with a uniuque trannie support system of Ebony and brass. My concept their application. Output and input wiring was changed to Mapleshade copper wire.  The improvement was worth the effort.
  Ron Bauman did a personal favor for me maybe he would work on yours or recco someone who can.



charles

[i.poet]

Charles,

  Thank you for information.  I'll contact Mapleshade first (before Bent) and see if they can perform the same modifications to my Signature TVCs (I'm assuming you have the Signature / "big momma" double c-core TVCs).  I've been wondering if it was a grounding issue.

  Since my CD player has a volume control, I'll just run that direct into my amps until the TVCs are modded.

  Once I get the TVCs sorted out, I should have have the foundation upon which to build a decent system.  I'll get there some day.

  Cheers,

Stephen

[i.poet]

Well, this just seems to keep getting more complicated.  I took my TVCs out of the system and ran my CD player direct to the amps.  My memory must be getting fuzzy in middle age, as there was no volume control on my MHZS CD 88 - I must have been having a flashback to my old Alchemist Nexus.  Any how, without the TVCs there was a serious a/c hum/buzz, again worse on the left channel.  Completely unlistenable to, assuming that "unlistenable" is even a word.

Let's see.  TVCs in the loop mitigate or attenuate the hum until the higher volume levels.  It gets worser without the TVCs in the system.  I know the amps are fine, as I heard them perform admirably in Roger Hebert's high end system.

So what left?  Perhaps I have miswired my DIY commonsenseaudio.com / Audio Nirvana full range 2.8 Ambience speakers.  Or there might be a problem using Speltz Anti-Cable interconnects and speaker cable.  Possible a ground loop somewhere, so I might try replacing the CD source with my Sansui TU-9900 tuner to see what happens.

What a pain.

Stephen