Greetings;
Much of my system is 10 to 12 years old. I added an Ayre CX-7 CD player (semi-modifed) 2 to 3 years ago, and have replaced most of the cabling in the past two years. My TT is a Lin LP12, purchased as a Valhalla back in '84', but since upgraded with the Cirkus, Lingo, and an Akito II arm. Currently running an AT 440MLa cartridge through a Bellari VP 129 phono stage. Cables from there to a Krell KRC-3 preamp are PS Audio Transcendence. The CD player output goes through Cardas Neutral Reference (XLR) cables to the pre.
The remaining system is balanced Shunyata Aries to an Aragon 8008BB, dual runs of Straightwire Maestro II to a pair of Mirage M3si. I was never too crazy about the speakers, but then started to play around with cables a few years ago: they may not be too bad after all. The amp seemed to do a pretty decent job driving them, and the system was pretty lively and musical.
Was is the operative word. The amp quit on me last Sunday for no apparent reason. I think I bought it in '95' or '96', but it had been in storage (along with most of the system, including speakers) from late 97 to 2003. Nothing happens at all (will not begin to come on). Checked the fuses but they were all good. Emailed Klipsch for a possible technician or shop reference, but have received no response as of tonight. The Marantz HT receiver (7200) I just put in temporarily does not cut it in comparison. I will probably try to get it fixed, but also replace it with something sonically better (but cheap). Probably a pair of Odyssey mono blocks.
Audio System (and woes)
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Audio System (and woes)
May all who seek find emotional comfort and spiritual peace
Equipment breaking down isn't funny. The best possible way of looking at it might be that it's a chance to hear something different...?
As you say 'cheap' I would suggest looking at second hand Linn amps. I'm not sure what you will find in Maryland, but in Europe there are some real bargains to be found. Like the 5105 (stereo) and LK240 (mono) power amplifiers that are often quite underpriced. One thing to look out for with these two is that they had a safety recall where some capacitors were exchanged (free of charge).
Apart from the LP12, your system is so far from what I deal with that I can't comment. :|
As you say 'cheap' I would suggest looking at second hand Linn amps. I'm not sure what you will find in Maryland, but in Europe there are some real bargains to be found. Like the 5105 (stereo) and LK240 (mono) power amplifiers that are often quite underpriced. One thing to look out for with these two is that they had a safety recall where some capacitors were exchanged (free of charge).
Apart from the LP12, your system is so far from what I deal with that I can't comment. :|
I have only experienced equipment breakdown once before, and it is a little disappointing. My systems have always been mix and match, trying to get the most performance for the money. Of course like many, it started out getting the most impressive looking equipment and speakers I could afford. I was in the Navy at the time and, although I was raised around music, I never heard of or saw equipment that attempted to sound real. It had to go boom to correctly reproduce Aerosmith and Bad Company. That first system was a Panasonic all-in-one TT, receiver, and tape deck permanently attached with zipcord to two bookshelf speakers.
Eventually I met a woman that worked for Genesis Physics in Newington, New Hampshire. They made speakers and were also an OEM supplier of drivers for many (if not most) of the then New England sound speaker makers. Her system sounded much better than mine. We married a while later, though not really because of her stereo (though that did not hurt). My high-end quest started back in the early 80s' when I realized that the system could not reproduce the emotion or excitement of some music I had heard live. It was a Linn dealer that introduced me to high end stereo equipment. He also carried Snell (remember the A3s's?), Magnepan, Mark Levinson, Naim, CJ Walker, Vandersteen and Bryston. His CJ Walker completely destroyed (musically) my more expensive and new Kenwood/AKG TT setup.
When I found out that recreating the original recording in my home might be possible, the quest began in earnest. Although the Linn dealer and I became friends, I had made another friend that sold hifi and he was from another side of audio: specs, power, flat frequency graphs, etc. He scoffed at the specs to price ratio of Linn, Mark Levinson, etc., and thought it all sounded the same (or worse) than the inexpensive stuff in the shops he worked in. They both influenced me, and I made some pretty dumb moves in my day. You know, in the shop it sounded pretty bad (Hafler, for instance), but it got such good reviews, I bought the stuff anyway. Well, it sounded embarrasingly bad at home to. I did the same with Perreaux (dull and lifeless). By the mid 80's I had my Linn TT, Sumiko pre, Acoustat amp and speakers.
Eventually, things just got too expensive and I ended up where I am now. Early, Linn made only the TT. Then their stuff was too expensive or it was not around (I was in the Navy). I had not been in stereo shops since the mid 80's until the mid 90's: movers had crushed my Acoustats. Man, I could not believe how expensive speakers (and everything else) had become. No way a military guy could buy among the best anymore. Too bad. My buddies shops back east had gone under too. I discovered a Linn, Dunlavy, Vandersteen dealer in Tacoma after I had purchased my current speakers and electronics. That is where I had the Cirkus update done.
Anyway, my speakers are 83 db efficient and have 10" woofers. You think those Linn amps could handle them? I know I cannot afford a more powerful Chakra, much less any Klimax gear.
Eventually I met a woman that worked for Genesis Physics in Newington, New Hampshire. They made speakers and were also an OEM supplier of drivers for many (if not most) of the then New England sound speaker makers. Her system sounded much better than mine. We married a while later, though not really because of her stereo (though that did not hurt). My high-end quest started back in the early 80s' when I realized that the system could not reproduce the emotion or excitement of some music I had heard live. It was a Linn dealer that introduced me to high end stereo equipment. He also carried Snell (remember the A3s's?), Magnepan, Mark Levinson, Naim, CJ Walker, Vandersteen and Bryston. His CJ Walker completely destroyed (musically) my more expensive and new Kenwood/AKG TT setup.
When I found out that recreating the original recording in my home might be possible, the quest began in earnest. Although the Linn dealer and I became friends, I had made another friend that sold hifi and he was from another side of audio: specs, power, flat frequency graphs, etc. He scoffed at the specs to price ratio of Linn, Mark Levinson, etc., and thought it all sounded the same (or worse) than the inexpensive stuff in the shops he worked in. They both influenced me, and I made some pretty dumb moves in my day. You know, in the shop it sounded pretty bad (Hafler, for instance), but it got such good reviews, I bought the stuff anyway. Well, it sounded embarrasingly bad at home to. I did the same with Perreaux (dull and lifeless). By the mid 80's I had my Linn TT, Sumiko pre, Acoustat amp and speakers.
Eventually, things just got too expensive and I ended up where I am now. Early, Linn made only the TT. Then their stuff was too expensive or it was not around (I was in the Navy). I had not been in stereo shops since the mid 80's until the mid 90's: movers had crushed my Acoustats. Man, I could not believe how expensive speakers (and everything else) had become. No way a military guy could buy among the best anymore. Too bad. My buddies shops back east had gone under too. I discovered a Linn, Dunlavy, Vandersteen dealer in Tacoma after I had purchased my current speakers and electronics. That is where I had the Cirkus update done.
Anyway, my speakers are 83 db efficient and have 10" woofers. You think those Linn amps could handle them? I know I cannot afford a more powerful Chakra, much less any Klimax gear.
May all who seek find emotional comfort and spiritual peace
Long story there, G man!
To answer your last question, yes. Please note that power and quality are two different things. The 100W Chakras are great sounding amplifiers but not exactly powerful. The two I mentioned above are older designs and do not sound as good but are far more powerful.
While quality and using the Tune Method for evaluation are cornerstones of this forum, your example raises an interesting question: If I have 83 dB/W/m efficiency speakers and want to play loud, what tuneful amps (Linn or other) are up to it?
It is quite easy ranking the performance with the Tune Method, but comparing power is more difficult as it's both voltage and current capability and on top of that a subjective impression of powerfulness.
An example of that subjective impression is that I always thought my original Naim Nait sounded quite powerful - until I played too loud and it clipped. I believe it had less than 20 Watts...
To answer your last question, yes. Please note that power and quality are two different things. The 100W Chakras are great sounding amplifiers but not exactly powerful. The two I mentioned above are older designs and do not sound as good but are far more powerful.
While quality and using the Tune Method for evaluation are cornerstones of this forum, your example raises an interesting question: If I have 83 dB/W/m efficiency speakers and want to play loud, what tuneful amps (Linn or other) are up to it?
It is quite easy ranking the performance with the Tune Method, but comparing power is more difficult as it's both voltage and current capability and on top of that a subjective impression of powerfulness.
An example of that subjective impression is that I always thought my original Naim Nait sounded quite powerful - until I played too loud and it clipped. I believe it had less than 20 Watts...
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Music Lover
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Are you looking at a pre/power combination or just a power amp?G man wrote: Anyway, my speakers are 83 db efficient and have 10" woofers. You think those Linn amps could handle them? I know I cannot afford a more powerful Chakra, much less any Klimax gear.
Let us know the budget so we can assist.
And do you need to play very loud?
83dB is extremely low...and if the impedance/phase are "bad", you need a sturdy amp.
2250 and Klout are good powerful tuneful amps for silly prices today.
BUT you can get used C2200 and the first version of Klimax Twin (no chakra) for good second hand prices!
Can you bi/tri-amp the speakers?
A way to upgrade in steps by adding extra amp(s)
NOTE - you need to demo at home. I have no experience with these speakers so I cant say how the Linn amps behaves.
On the other hand - I have never had any Linn amp that given up on me re power and I play loud!
It's all about musical understanding!
Sorry for the length Lejonklou. Just wanted to show that to me, yes sound is important, but the whole thing started with music and that is what counts. I wanted to hear the music at home (the performance). Why does something sound really very boring and uninteresting on one system, yet intersting and engaging on another? Your observations on power are intersting. Back in the good old days, I had the fortune to be well known (and liked?) at various high-end or HiFi shops. I got to bring home various assorted components - most were not too good. I once had a large amp from a well known "budget" manufacturer that some still regard highly. It was rated twice as powerful as my amp of the time, but man was it feeble.
Music Lover - I am on a budget so just looking to replace what is broken; the amp. I got the efficiency rating of my speakers from an ezine this past weekend (I think). The writer was reviewing a Parasound Amp (A21) and uses the M3si. He included the efficiency rating in the article. I recently heard an all Linn System (Klimax Kontrol, Chakra, Majik CD, and a $10,000 pair of what I think were Artikulate speakers). It sounded pretty darned good on some of the CDs the dealer played, especially an Armstrong /Basie recording. I think he said the amp was $8000 or so. Good, but way too expensive for me.
I will look around for some of the used amps both of you have suggested, though being able to audition at home will likely be very difficult. Thanks dudes.
Music Lover - I am on a budget so just looking to replace what is broken; the amp. I got the efficiency rating of my speakers from an ezine this past weekend (I think). The writer was reviewing a Parasound Amp (A21) and uses the M3si. He included the efficiency rating in the article. I recently heard an all Linn System (Klimax Kontrol, Chakra, Majik CD, and a $10,000 pair of what I think were Artikulate speakers). It sounded pretty darned good on some of the CDs the dealer played, especially an Armstrong /Basie recording. I think he said the amp was $8000 or so. Good, but way too expensive for me.
I will look around for some of the used amps both of you have suggested, though being able to audition at home will likely be very difficult. Thanks dudes.
May all who seek find emotional comfort and spiritual peace
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Music Lover
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I think we have been over-estimating the power needs of the Mirages. I looked them up and the 83dB sensitivity is in an anechoic chamber, they are rated at 87dB in room. Since they are a bipolar loudspeaker (possibly some Lithium would help 
) they radiate front and back. An anechoic chamber would absorb the back wave giving an artificially low reading. So I believe the 87dB figure is really the more accurate.
In comparison the Linn Isobarik DMS loudspeaker has 86dB sensitivity and a more difficult load impedence (4 Ohms nominal but it drops below that a bit. Isos are known to be rather difficult to drive yet I managed to get quite high levels out of a pair with the Naim NAP250 (125W/ch 4 Ohms, 75W/ch 8 Ohms) and with the Linn LK280 (160W/ch 4 Ohms, 80W/ch 8 Ohms). Both the Klout and the 2250 have a bit more power than these amps and have good current delivery as well. I believe either of these would drive the Mirages with no problem whatsoever. Of course the LK240 and the AV5105, with their higher power, would also do the job and the AV5105 usually sells for about half of what the Klout or 2250 does. But the Klout and the 2250 do sound a fair bit better.
If you do get an AV5105 or a pair of LK240s, make sure they have the upgrade as mentioned already. It is a free upgrade and there is a sticker on units that have been upgraded stating that it was done (it should be on the bottom or the back). There is a possibility of the power supply caps literally going up in flames if the upgrade was not performed. Any Linn dealer can send the unit to Linn for upgrade if needed.
) they radiate front and back. An anechoic chamber would absorb the back wave giving an artificially low reading. So I believe the 87dB figure is really the more accurate.In comparison the Linn Isobarik DMS loudspeaker has 86dB sensitivity and a more difficult load impedence (4 Ohms nominal but it drops below that a bit. Isos are known to be rather difficult to drive yet I managed to get quite high levels out of a pair with the Naim NAP250 (125W/ch 4 Ohms, 75W/ch 8 Ohms) and with the Linn LK280 (160W/ch 4 Ohms, 80W/ch 8 Ohms). Both the Klout and the 2250 have a bit more power than these amps and have good current delivery as well. I believe either of these would drive the Mirages with no problem whatsoever. Of course the LK240 and the AV5105, with their higher power, would also do the job and the AV5105 usually sells for about half of what the Klout or 2250 does. But the Klout and the 2250 do sound a fair bit better.
If you do get an AV5105 or a pair of LK240s, make sure they have the upgrade as mentioned already. It is a free upgrade and there is a sticker on units that have been upgraded stating that it was done (it should be on the bottom or the back). There is a possibility of the power supply caps literally going up in flames if the upgrade was not performed. Any Linn dealer can send the unit to Linn for upgrade if needed.