Last weekend my preamp died. I had the CD player playing and the sound was on real low, I was in the next room on the computer. My mother in-law was in the stereo room cutting collector stamps off envlopes my wife just gave her. The next time I went in the room the music was not playing but the player was still going, no one had noticed the background music had stopped.
This weekend I opened up the GRAAF preamp. It's from Italy, has Ferrari paint on it (omen?), tubes and sounds like magic. Anyway, there is not a single fuse in there and nothing looks burnt. I closed it up, put the manual and reciept on top to take it to the shop on Monday.
I was getting my old Carver CT-17 preamp set up to use, had been using it as a tuner and remote preamp and I noticed something funny. The Nordost wires seemed to have more tension on them than I remembered as they went into the big tube amp. I tugged on the wires to give them a little more slack, but this one connection still looked strained. I went to pull the spade connection off so I could reset it and make sure there was no excessive tension on it.......................SNAP .
Now I have a broken spade connector (just one) on my Nordost, a broken spade stuck in the amp, I cannot get out, and a preamp that probably needs a new power transformer (no hum at all when plugged in, not heat - nothing). It's hello Mr. stereo shop owner, please help me time.
As soon as my cousin and friends came back from the U of M victory over Penn State (I live a block from the Big House) they asked if I wanted a beer from the cooler, and if I saw the second half of the game on TV (sat in the stadium for the first half)..............YES, and double YES.
Beer and friends.........good stuff.
The stereo ranch will be on vacation for the next few weeks, but I'll still be posting here.................maybe even more so.
PS: Just unplugged the speakers, going to give then a good cleaning while I have the chance - let them sit powered down for a while before I vac.
This weekend I opened up the GRAAF preamp. It's from Italy, has Ferrari paint on it (omen?), tubes and sounds like magic. Anyway, there is not a single fuse in there and nothing looks burnt. I closed it up, put the manual and reciept on top to take it to the shop on Monday.
I was getting my old Carver CT-17 preamp set up to use, had been using it as a tuner and remote preamp and I noticed something funny. The Nordost wires seemed to have more tension on them than I remembered as they went into the big tube amp. I tugged on the wires to give them a little more slack, but this one connection still looked strained. I went to pull the spade connection off so I could reset it and make sure there was no excessive tension on it.......................SNAP .
Now I have a broken spade connector (just one) on my Nordost, a broken spade stuck in the amp, I cannot get out, and a preamp that probably needs a new power transformer (no hum at all when plugged in, not heat - nothing). It's hello Mr. stereo shop owner, please help me time.
As soon as my cousin and friends came back from the U of M victory over Penn State (I live a block from the Big House) they asked if I wanted a beer from the cooler, and if I saw the second half of the game on TV (sat in the stadium for the first half)..............YES, and double YES.
Beer and friends.........good stuff.
The stereo ranch will be on vacation for the next few weeks, but I'll still be posting here.................maybe even more so.
PS: Just unplugged the speakers, going to give then a good cleaning while I have the chance - let them sit powered down for a while before I vac.
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