[brunk]

  Speaking of dead quiet, here's my (necessary for listening without hiss) TBI Audio resistor network:
 

 
@FlySweep - What's inside your magic box?  I'll be waiting for my custom balanced cables for the HD600 for serveral days, but I'm wondering if your resistor network (that Jan built for the HD800 and which you have enjoyed with the HD600) differs significantly.  
 
Thanks!
 
Mike

Mike, I love the way you present your stuff. What program do you use? I too am looking forward to Flysweep's magic box innards, as I really want to try my speaker amps with the HD800. I just don't want to go through several different resistors myself when the work is already done by Klaus himself 

 

 

[Gary in MD]

  It does actually also hum itself (the amp) I realise now, when putting my ear close to it. Seems kind of similar to what I hear in the headphones. 

And again, it’s the same with or without input, different volume setting and in a couple of different wall outlets. Also tried another power cord. No luck.

When you switch the amp on, it sometimes makes this boing/spring/buzzy sound, fading almost away with a few seconds, but not completely. Almost like an old cathode monitor. Left is still this humming low noise.
 
Is your Cyclops dead quiet (like when turned off) both in headphones and in itself?

When you switch it on, it draws LOTS of power, and the momentary drop in voltage causes the huge-mongeous (~5.5 inches/14-15 cm) transformer to make the boing/spring/buzzy souind, just like it did when I had too many things plugged into the same AC box.  Annoying but not a big deal.  I just leave mine on, since if you turn it off the caps discharge, and then take hours (or even days) to recharge.  So just leave it powered on, except for momentary periods when connecting or unconnecting inputs and outputs (it takes about 1/2 hour for the caps to discharge, so quick power-downs are okay).

 

[Duckman]

Straight out of the box, my unit has the hum too. Very noticeable when the LCD3s are plugged straight in; and still there but very quiet when I have Jan's resistor box in the loop.
 
It's also there with my Studio 20s hooked up; just noticeable enough to be annoying. Perhaps less efficient speakers would be a better match, but I love my Studio 20s! 
 
Might just be our batch, Henrik; but I'm hoping we'll be able to sort it out.

 

[Chris J]

 
When you switch it on, it draws LOTS of power, and the momentary drop in voltage causes the huge-mongeous (~5.5 inches/14-15 cm) transformer to make the boing/spring/buzzy souind, just like it did when I had too many things plugged into the same AC box.  Annoying but not a big deal.  I just leave mine on, since if you turn it off the caps discharge, and then take hours (or even days) to recharge.  So just leave it powered on, except for momentary periods when connecting or unconnecting inputs and outputs (it takes about 1/2 hour for the caps to discharge, so quick power-downs are okay).

 
"Sometimes you don't make no sense, Donnie". 

   Lefty to Donnie
        from the movie "Donnie Brasco"
 
The caps recharge in a split second.
That's one of the two reasons why there is a big drop in AC line voltage for a split second when you hit the ON switch.
The other reason is the transformer draws a very large initial magnetizing current.

 

[Gary in MD]

Per the Odyssey manual:
 
Even after the initial break-in period, the internal components lose their charge each time the unit is turned off. The full re-charging can take hours (and sometimes days!).  Therefore, the best sonic performance is achieved when the components are kept fully charged at all times.  This essentially means leaving your equipment on at all times--if you are comfortable with that arrangement.  If not, at least be aware that it will take some time for your unit to warm up and fully charge each time you power up.  These charged-based performance issues are applicable to most electronic equipment, and are especially critical in high-end solid-state gear such as Odyssey amplifiers and preamplifiers.
 
Hey, I don't make this stuff up...the man tells me to leave my amp on to keep it charged, so I leave my amp on to keep it charged...

 

 

[Gary in MD]

Duckman and Henrik:
 
I think you must either have a grounding issue or bad transformers... or maybe Klaus didn't bias your amps to the proper setting for your AC power input. Or maybe the inter-stellar medium is interacting with the internal components of your amps, and what you are actually hearing is a message from an advanced alien civilization, or perhaps you're receiving their sitcoms broadcast 1000 years ago (do you hear something that might be a laugh track?).  Or not. 
 
In any case, as Chris has pointed out, I really am not the expert, so I've run out of explanations.  You should contact Klaus and let him fix the problems, or send him the amps back for refunds.  I'm pretty sure that won't be necessary, but if it is, I know Klaus will provide excellent customer service.
 
I meant to ask you both... other than the hum or buzz, how does the amp sound?

 

[zilch0md]

Hey Brunk!
 
Quote:

  Mike, I love the way you present your stuff. What program do you use? I too am looking forward to Flysweep's magic box innards, as I really want to try my speaker amps with the HD800. I just don't want to go through several different resistors myself when the work is already done by Klaus Jan himself.
 

 

 
Thanks!  I just use Photoshop Elements 4.0 (it's ancient, but I know it inside and out).  

 
I was surprised to see how high the resistor values are that Jan chose for my LCD-2 (relative to the values in the schematics that have been posted here.
 
And yes!  Where are you FlySweep?  Inquiring minds want to know!  

 
Mike

 

[potterma]

From an electronics engineering perspective, I don't understand the "hours or days" to charge a capacitor bit from Klause.  Not saying he is full of BS, but just saying it doesn't line up with my normal power supply experience....  microseconds to milliseconds is more the time regime I'm used to dealing with.  Maybe its actually a thermal equilibrium phenomenon... I'd buy that a lot sooner... Anywho...
 
All that said, I'd still love to hear a Cyclopse!  Some day...
 
On a related, but completely different topic (say wha???)  I just scored a Parasound Zamp V.3.  Very interested to see how it compares to the Emotiva mini-x and the other Big Boys in the stable.  Should be a fun comparo...  Now to get that A/B box built for HE-6 level signals

 

[FlySweep]

Hey Mike & brunk.. I'm here fellas.. LOL.. just been stupid busy (and having a ton of fun with the Project Ember & HE-500.. using it as a preamp to drive the Millenia, too.. mmm).  I'll get the resistor box opened up tomorrow and take pics.. brunk, sorry for the delay in getting you the resistor box specs.. I'll get at Jan (again).

 

[brunk]

  Hey Mike & brunk.. I'm here fellas.. LOL.. just been stupid busy (and having a ton of fun with the Project Ember & HE-500.. using it as a preamp to drive the Millenia, too.. mmm).  I'll get the resistor box opened up tomorrow and take pics.. brunk, sorry for the delay in getting you the resistor box specs.. I'll get at Jan (again).

Looking forward to it! Bah, no worries man, i have other toys that have been keeping me busy 

 

[henrikolsen]

   
I would try grounding the shield at the amplifier end.
An ungrounded shield can act as an antenna and could potentially inject noise into the amplifier. This could even cause the amplifier to oscillate in extreme cases.
Assuming you have a grounding post somewhere, or the case on your amplifier is grounded and it is possible to tie a ground wire the the amplifier case.
You can try it grounded and ungrounded and see if you have a preference (if any).
 
I agree with SE, speaker cables and headphone cables don' need no stinkin' shield!

I don't have any earthed/grounded three pole outlets in the apartment to my knowledge. So I don't know how to ground my amp, unless I dig a grounding post myself outside, and run a wire there (not going to happen).
 
Interesting about the potential noise antenna risk using an ungrounded shield... I will try hooking up my speaker tab to my HT receiver and see if I have noise in the LCD-3s there.
 
And perhaps find an unshielded 4 wire cable somewhere and redo my speaker tab. I was just recommended using microphone cable which is normally shielded. 
 
But again, it seems it's a more generic AC hum noise in the amp itself and not (only) caused by my speaker tab. 

 

[henrikolsen]

  Straight out of the box, my unit has the hum too. Very noticeable when the LCD3s are plugged straight in; and still there but very quiet when I have Jan's resistor box in the loop.
 
It's also there with my Studio 20s hooked up; just noticeable enough to be annoying. Perhaps less efficient speakers would be a better match, but I love my Studio 20s! 
 
Might just be our batch, Henrik; but I'm hoping we'll be able to sort it out.

Sorry to see you have the same problem :\ On the other hand, we're at least two to fight the problem now. I had so high expectations, so I'm a little shaken by the findings.
 
I know Klaus is watching the thread as well, and I'm also in direct contact with him already. I surely hope we can have the problem fixed.
 
How is your speaker tab made? With or without any shielding, grounding or any other tricks?

 

[Chris J]

From an electronics engineering perspective, I don't understand the "hours or days" to charge a capacitor bit from Klause.  Not saying he is full of BS, but just saying it doesn't line up with my normal power supply experience....  microseconds to milliseconds is more the time regime I'm used to dealing with.  Maybe its actually a thermal equilibrium phenomenon... I'd buy that a lot sooner... Anywho...

Yep,
From an Electronics Engineering point of view I don't get it either.
Thermal equilibrium takes maybe 30-60 minutes.

Maybe Marissa Tomei in "My Uncle Vinnie" knows?
She seems to know an awful lot about Law.

 

[Steve Eddy]

  I don't have any earthed/grounded three pole outlets in the apartment to my knowledge. So I don't know how to ground my amp, unless I dig a grounding post myself outside, and run a wire there (not going to happen).

 
Your amp already has a ground. It's internal. It's unfortunate that the term "ground" came to be used as a rod stuck in the dirt has absolutely no relevance at all to the proper grounding of audio equipment.
 

 And perhaps find an unshielded 4 wire cable somewhere and redo my speaker tab. I was just recommended using microphone cable which is normally shielded. 

 
Canare 4S6 should do well.
 
se

 

[Cakensaur]

I'm new to this whole speaker taps to power headphones thing, 
 
I wanted to ask if anyone is familiar with the yamaha A-S500 and using it to power headphones such as the LCD2, and if there is any glaring error with doing this.
 
 
 
--- assume i know nothing,
 
Because as it happens, i don't.