Audio-GD Panther power amp anyone?
Jun 17, 2009 at 3:30 PM Post #136 of 187
Finally the Panther is arrived this morning. Had only like half an hour to play before had to go to work unfortunately. No damage, all wrapped hundred times as usual.
Got problem, there is humming noise I think coming from pre-amp, because when Compass is off the Panther is dead silent. Need investigate more before I start panic lol, I remember something about this issue and ground loop in old compass tread and need check all my cables one more time. Second problem – I hate place were I live now. Small shoe box room and I have to put speaker on wall brackets, very small distance from speakers to the couch were I listen, all sound mash up, need move to bigger space.
 
Jun 17, 2009 at 3:50 PM Post #137 of 187
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricochet /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Finally the Panther is arrived this morning. Had only like half an hour to play before had to go to work unfortunately. No damage, all wrapped hundred times as usual.
Got problem, there is humming noise I think coming from pre-amp, because when Compass is off the Panther is dead silent. Need investigate more before I start panic lol, I remember something about this issue and ground loop in old compass tread and need check all my cables one more time. Second problem – I hate place were I live now. Small shoe box room and I have to put speaker on wall brackets, very small distance from speakers to the couch were I listen, all sound mash up, need move to bigger space.


There is a known HUM issue with the Compass as a Pre-amp. Kind of Ironic when you consider the Panther is advertised with the Compass feeding it on the website. Ask Kingwa what the fix is, should be interesting.

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Jun 17, 2009 at 4:26 PM Post #138 of 187
Quote:

Originally Posted by les_garten /img/forum/go_quote.gif
There is a known HUM issue with the Compass as a Pre-amp.

.


Ohh nooo. I had an impression that was only couple ppl who had probs with pre amp.
frown.gif
 
Jun 17, 2009 at 4:59 PM Post #139 of 187
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricochet /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Ohh nooo. I had an impression that was only couple ppl who had probs with pre amp.
frown.gif



I had the same problem with my previous power amp. I guess I'll have it again once I receive the Panther.
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I emailed Kingwa and this is what he told me to do: Quote:

Do you have iron and can you solder some simple things?
If you can ,you can see the pix, cut the two earth wirs of preamp output sockets. Connect the two preamp output sockets earth together.
Re-connect a new earth wires like the pix, (from HP board to preamp output sockets.


I sent him another email and this is what he replyed when I told him I had no soldering skills and equipment:
Quote:

The earth wires of Compass, there are two state.
1, If users connect DAC output and preamp output to same extra power amp, the default is better.
2, If users only connect preamp output to extra power amp, the new project ( I send you last email) is better. So it depend on you how to choice


Anyhow, I don't understand why Kingwa hasn't thought this through before shipping the Compass. The Panther is being advertized as compatible and a good match for the Compass.
eek.gif

 
Jun 17, 2009 at 10:25 PM Post #140 of 187
Sad to see it die so early. I was really curious about one of these just because of the same form factor of my Compass!
 
Jun 17, 2009 at 11:17 PM Post #142 of 187
Quote:

Originally Posted by insyte /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Didn't know about the humming problem with the compass as preamp. I think this should have been QCed by Kingwa.


Wasn't really a QC issue, more a design issue. Originally it was not a pre-amp, it was added along the way. I haven't paid much attention to this along the way(because I have no need of it to be a pre), but I think the rewire to fix the Hum trades off something else. So you have to pick the function that is most important to you. I think the trade is minor though. I worked thru this with someone else a few weeks ago.

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Jun 18, 2009 at 5:38 AM Post #143 of 187
Do you know if this problem with the Compass as a pre has been fixed on the newly manufactured Compass ?
Or is it still needed to modify the wiring on all series?

I'am about bying a power amp, may be not a good idea...
 
Jun 18, 2009 at 6:27 AM Post #144 of 187
I emailed Kingwa to ask him. The problem was, he was seeing some people connect both the DAC and pre-amp of the Compass to another amp, and so wired things accordingly. Unfortunately this is the reverse of normal, as one shouldn't be connecting a device twice to any other, and resulted in the hum from the pre-amp out. He's now reversed this decision.
 
Jun 18, 2009 at 10:32 AM Post #146 of 187
He originally set up the grounding so that people who were plugging the Compass into an amp both using the DAC and pre-amp outputs wouldn't have hum issues. Unfortunately this was a mistake (by his own admission) causing people just using the pre-amp connection to experience hum when it was connected to a power amp. He's now fixed this.
 
Jun 18, 2009 at 12:47 PM Post #147 of 187
Quote:

Originally Posted by les_garten /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Wasn't really a QC issue, more a design issue. Originally it was not a pre-amp, it was added along the way. I haven't paid much attention to this along the way(because I have no need of it to be a pre), but I think the rewire to fix the Hum trades off something else. So you have to pick the function that is most important to you. I think the trade is minor though. I worked thru this with someone else a few weeks ago.

.


Could you please tell more about trade off pre/something else and what kind of loss.
Don’t want to do re-wire and then reverse it back. Also is any one performed this re-wire and with what result?
 
Jun 18, 2009 at 12:52 PM Post #148 of 187
Ricochet: Can you tell us how the Panther sound slike?
 
Jun 18, 2009 at 1:19 PM Post #149 of 187
Uhh ohh, hehe. As I said before I’m total noob and this my first stereo system, so don’t expect a lot please. I don’t even know how to describe correctly some of my listening experiences. To my ears Panther is very detailed, clear sounding not a lot of bass. Atm I use earth HDAM and soft 1 setting in Compass, speakers B&W 601s3 (which I bough from fellow headfier, many thanks), may be this is why system is bass shy. My room is small and speakers in awkward position on wall brackets above head level and too close to me when I sit on couch. So the imaging and sound stage is almost not existent because of that. Volume is about 9 -10 o’clock, if I turn it up more, sound almost piercing to my ears and too loud.
On week end I’m planning re-wire Compass and will try Moon and Sun.

P.S. But whatever I possibly missing I still enjoy a lot listening compass/panther combo. It much better my Logitech z5500
icon10.gif

Atm it’s more exiting then just compass and HD600.
 
Jun 18, 2009 at 1:46 PM Post #150 of 187
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricochet /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Could you please tell more about trade off pre/something else and what kind of loss.
Don’t want to do re-wire and then reverse it back. Also is any one performed this re-wire and with what result?


Curra just explained it above. I think you lose the option of doing something goofy. Since I don't use it as preamp, I didn't pay much attention to the detals.

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