The Fear-Factor

[kanwar]

Folks,

Lets hear from you about the "FEARS" you encounter while 'playing' with the amplifier. :yahoo:

1: How many of you don't turn up the volume high enough under the FEAR of destroying your amplifier/tweeters/woofers. [I know that you listen at low/average volumes,but sometimes.....]

2: How many of you FEAR--> Not to short -circuit the speaker wires, else the amp will fail.[I know accidents do happen , well in case of closely placed binding posts, short circuits are not rare chance]

3: Given the fluctuating mains AC in India, How many of you FEAR that it can kill your amplifier.

4: How many of you FEAR that it may damage the equipment---> when some friend comes in your home and starts fiddling with gain/tone/volume settings of your audio system and tends to disturbs the peace of your mind.

If anything left, do add it without fears...hyeah:

 

[Audio_Freek]

Kanwar,

My fear factor is #3,When an listening either Average or High volumes and when am just bit far from Remote or Amp,suddenly that moment occurs-->Fluctuating of AC makes my Amp to play See-saw on relays,I would rush to switch of the Mains and wait calmly for few Minutes. Then would manager to bring some confident and switch ON the amp, and untill the Moment the relay Clicks My heart rates would be bounding a Lot.

 

[kanwar]

Kanwar,

My fear factor is #3,When an listening either Average or High volumes and when am just bit far from Remote or Amp,suddenly that moment occurs-->Fluctuating of AC makes my Amp to play See-saw on relays,I would rush to switch of the Mains and wait calmly for few Minutes. Then would manager to bring some confident and switch ON the amp, and untill the Moment the relay Clicks My heart rates would be bounding a Lot.

Ah, poor guy hyeah: ,don't worry as nirmal baba says "kripa ani band hogayi thi, ab ki baar ajayegi :clapping:"

 

[sunder]

My Grundig integ.amp to be connected with only 8 Ohms speakers. But my BS speakers' impedance 4-8 ohms (not the Exact 8 ohms). So I am afraid of using in high volume.and I wont allow anybody nearing the system.

 

[greenhorn]

my house has bad earthing, so I'm always afraid of getting a shock
I'm afraid of wearing the pots/switches out, so I bought a cheap local input switcher, and use the volume control on my PC, and don't touch the controls on my amp

 

[Audio_Freek]

Ah,
I forgot to mention, Normally while getting ready in Morning for office i use to play music at high volume.As usual i would be cooking or bathing, and suddenly the Music stops and i would feel some burning smell,Just i would rush to amp and smell it and check the power.100% Times before the smell was because the iron box would have not powered Off,which i usually forget

 

[shibashis]

I am fearful whenever the power goes out in the middle of a listening session, the inverter is showing signs of age and the battery needs to change so it does not always kick in right at that instant. When power comes back, I rush to hear the 'click' of the relay (be it the AVR or Amp) and an amazing calm infuses my entire body. Much like having butter beer in Hogsmeade! Oh the relief....

 

[Staxxx]

Kanwar, my biggest fear is a power surge killing my amp although the manufacturer said not to worry about it as it has good tolerance. Also he has not recommended to use the power amp through any sort of UPS or power conditioner. Hence always feel like living on the edge with it.
But no issues till date and may be at some point there will be a conditioner that will have the tolerances to drive a big SS amp without any loss of dynamics etc.

 

[Shivam]

I get nervous -

When sometimes the preamp and amps are switched on together and there's a pop from speakers.
When my wife tries to clean behind the system rack and I feel that the speaker wires might be loose. (I use banana plugs)
When my child tries to stand using speakers as support.
When an odd CD makes a clicking noise in the player/transport.
When my wife switches on the fan when I am cleaning LPs.
When my home theater interested friends try to understand stereo and turn the volume up.
When the same friends try to bend the speaker wire to understand its softness or hardness or whatever they are trying to understand by doing so.
When my system remains uncovered for long unused and gather dust (this is again due to my wife who showed me the way to cover my components and proved her point by showing dust on the covers.)
When my turntable is moved for cleaning the area underneath it.

(I think that those are all my fears for everything including amps. )

 

[Vinod.R]

Hi Kanwar,

I got all the four fears.

1) Added to that the fear of cockroaches entering the AVR and eating/destroying the circuits.

2) Termites eating the wood of the speakers.

3) When not using the AVR/Speakers for a long time, any other creatures turning up at all odd places.

4) I keep on checking the entire system, as the system is now out of warranty.

5) When my kids have a go at the speakers. For all members in the family, it is just a waste of space, money and equipment. , too expensive and an absolute waste. One exception is my wife. (I am lucky there!).

Vinod

 

[reignofchaos]

Doesn't matter to me - if something breaks, I fix/repair it if possible or just get something new. So far my stereo rig hasn't had any mishaps though.

 

[kanwar]

I get nervous -

When sometimes the preamp and amps are switched on together and there's a pop from speakers.
When my wife tries to clean behind the system rack and I feel that the speaker wires might be loose. (I use banana plugs)
When my child tries to stand using speakers as support.
When an odd CD makes a clicking noise in the player/transport.
When my wife switches on the fan when I am cleaning LPs.
When my home theater interested friends try to understand stereo and turn the volume up.
When the same friends try to bend the speaker wire to understand its softness or hardness or whatever they are trying to understand by doing so.
When my system remains uncovered for long unused and gather dust (this is again due to my wife who showed me the way to cover my components and proved her point by showing dust on the covers.)
When my turntable is moved for cleaning the area underneath it.

(I think that those are all my fears for everything including amps. )

Shivam you are hypersensitive, i can understand the anxiety.hyeah:

Hi Kanwar,

I got all the four fears.

1) Added to that the fear of cockroaches entering the AVR and eating/destroying the circuits.

2) Termites eating the wood of the speakers.

3) When not using the AVR/Speakers for a long time, any other creatures turning up at all odd places.

4) I keep on checking the entire system, as the system is now out of warranty.

5) When my kids have a go at the speakers. For all members in the family, it is just a waste of space, money and equipment. , too expensive and an absolute waste. One exception is my wife. (I am lucky there!).

Vinod

Thanxz Vinod, great to hear about the Fears

 

[kanwar]

Doesn't matter to me - if something breaks, I fix/repair it if possible or just get something new. So far my stereo rig hasn't had any mishaps though.

Ah the positive minded guy

 

[Shivam]

Doesn't matter to me - if something breaks, I fix/repair it if possible or just get something new. So far my stereo rig hasn't had any mishaps though.

Now this is what I would like to have -
A peaceful mind with a positive attitude and enough funds to get something new if needed.

 

[Audio_Freek]

Some Vintage Fears( Probably shared by my Dad) and seems that i was around 6-7 Aged.

My DAD is also a Music Fan and invest a lot on the Music,Probably which helping me to be here now coming to the Point. We Had Sonodyne BIG FS almost and fears were so

1.When relatives come with their Kid, the Kids TRY TO pierce the Glossy Dust covers of the Big drives.
2. SOme times the FS would be used as e Mini Chair for the Kids when are feeding with some food
3.And Most dangerous, the People get exited to see a Big system and turn the Volume almost to 3-4 O clock Position, But later to that they would change the Input from FM to Aux- Think how dangerous would be the Output... Bang from the Speakershyeah:

 

[Gerry_the_Merry]

I experienced a moment of sheer terror when I played a flac file i had copied from an FM. While all other files were perfect, this one produced no music but only static. I immediately changed the input selector. Later when i played the file on my laptop, the same thing happened. I am generally much more cautious these days - dont want to blow up my tweeter etc. which could have easily happened with that kind of sound.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

my house has bad earthing, so I'm always afraid of getting a shock

My music collection has some bad music, so I'm always afraid of getting a shock!

but seriously... the same applies to all electrics: got a bad shock from the kitchen microwave once, because of a wiring fault.

I'm afraid... That one day, the in-the-street phase problem that put 440 volts on all our phases will happen, one day, when the hifi is plugged in.

I'm afraid... that something bad will happen if I run the amplifier with no speakers connected (for a while I used the pre-amp and headphone-out only).

I'm afraid... that the corrosive polution in the air where I live will eat away all the circuitry and components

(and, today I learn that I have to fear termites eating the speaker cabinets. They've already made a start on the kitchen!)

I'm not afraid... of turning the volume up too high: my ears will blow long before the speakers do!

 

[kanwar]

My music collection has some bad music, so I'm always afraid of getting a shock!

but seriously... the same applies to all electrics: got a bad shock from the kitchen microwave once, because of a wiring fault.

I'm afraid... That one day, the in-the-street phase problem that put 440 volts on all our phases will happen, one day, when the hifi is plugged in.

I'm afraid... that something bad will happen if I run the amplifier with no speakers connected (for a while I used the pre-amp and headphone-out only).

I'm afraid... that the corrosive polution in the air where I live will eat away all the circuitry and components

(and, today I learn that I have to fear termites eating the speaker cabinets. They've already made a start on the kitchen!)

I'm not afraid... of turning the volume up too high: my ears will blow long before the speakers do!

Thad, that scary

 

[Vinod.R]

Hello Thad E Ginathom,

Glad that I could add to your list, one more of my fears.

This may sound excessive, however, I have woken dead middle of the night to hear whether there are any termites near the speakers or god forbid inside it.

The one solution that I found out is remove the drivers, remove the cross overs, remove other plastic bits etc and then polish the entire wooden cabinet with kerosine. I have done that already at least 24 times in the last 6 years. Each time about 4 coats of kerosine. May sound excessive but it does keep the bugs away and adds a wonder gloss and sheen to the cabinets.

I may sound a bit excessive (Psychotic audio/videophile), however no hiding facts here . .

 

[kanwar]

Hello Thad E Ginathom,

Glad that I could add to your list, one more of my fears.

This may sound excessive, however, I have woken dead middle of the night to hear whether there are any termites near the speakers or god forbid inside it.

The one solution that I found out is remove the drivers, remove the cross overs, remove other plastic bits etc and then polish the entire wooden cabinet with kerosine. I have done that already at least 24 times in the last 6 years. Each time about 4 coats of kerosine. May sound excessive but it does keep the bugs away and adds a wonder gloss and sheen to the cabinets.

I may sound a bit excessive (Psychotic audio/videophile), however no hiding facts here . .

Awesome Vinod :licklips: