AndrewJohn

Thanks, Mark @Daddyjt. this is making more sense, every time we share information. In my man cave AV - I'm kind of delaying things..., I might move (which really changes things) but if I stay here for 3-5 years, I want to replace the Denon. It's 20+ years old, and the "configuration" menus are about the worst UI experience - not to mention just suck - even when using their microphone auto-set-up. Everyone I've talked to with 10+ year old Denon receivers say the same thing. Now that they both (Denon and Marantz) are owned by Harmon group - I'm thinking some of that improvement for setup would get shared - but I haven't checked. I'll jus never buy another Denon component again (Turntables, yes, I like them, but no audio..., it's just too frustrating to try to work through the manuals, menu, and remote control commands - and their 2nd and 3rd zone configs oh, jeez, they have never worked for me (I gave up, added a y cable to the main channel outs, to get to second and third zones manually controlling via separate amps on/off/volume). For my man cave, If I had a more modern AV receiver (likely a new Marantz) that supported Atmos - I can easily put 4 speakers overhead in my ceiling. It's a drop panel ceiling which when I put it in, everyone said "you should put drywall on your ceiling"..., I've been up in that ceiling so many times, it has been a godsend not to have to rip-out, repair, paint etc., just to fish wires (let alone address a plumbing issue on the floor above! LoL. Anyone putting in a finished basement - I truly recommend a drop panel ceiling - you'll thank me later - not to mention the money you'll save on drywall repair. Now, I'm thinking I better get on this project! but until a new receiver, it's 7.2 for me. (I forgot I have TWO subs).

These kids popped up on my FB feed..., Love to see this generation cranking out RUSH ! They are on their way. Love also seeing them perform - getting there comfort zone in front of a crowd. So few do this, and it is such a loss. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CrGhALzfa/

It's hard to predict. I have a pair of ALIII+ speakers connected to a TFM-75. I plan on updating the crossovers just because I feel they are getting muddy - but it's hard to know for sure - as it is very subjective. As far as comparison between your Amazings and the ALIII? I think that is going to be subjective as well. And, perhaps if you put an A-B switch in your system, you might be able to get a direct flip-back-and-forth comparison. But in the end, your ears are different than my ears, and only you can make the final assessment. Bottom line, generally, people comment that upgrading crossovers that are 30+ years old increases their perceived performance for separation (lows from highs) and increased detail. Let us know what you hear in your upgrade. We're looking forward to your results.

Excellent! I hear they do good work. If I had someone close, I would do less surround DIY myself! Post back when you can, as you work through the project - and post a picture or two 😉 We love pictures. Does Speaker City also refresh cross-overs? At the current age - you might consider replacing the consumable parts on your Amazing crossovers, as well.

Play some piano music..., like Horowitz. That will ferret out any "buzzing" in the ribbons. If they don't buzz, enjoy them. To rebuild and replace the magnets in their proper position (they don't get "demagnetized" they just need to be held in place during assembly with a special jig that only one guy I know, has one - that is @sea, Ed Atkins, here on theCarverSite. He rebuilds them with new kapton (the panel material) and the magnets replaced. Rebuilding Ribbons is NOT a DIY job - taking them apart will result in a pile of powerful magnets, and kapton..., don't attempt. The "jig" holds "everything" in place for assembly - and can't be hacked together in a home shop. As for the minor flaws in the kapton - if it doesn't affect sound when you play intense music (like Horowitz Piano) - don't worry about it. If punctured, and makes buzzing - then consider asking Ed for an estimate. ... Curious..., Why do you think the drivers need to be "RECONED"? typically, just a new foam surround is all that is needed - cheap, and DIY-able. Reconing is usually only recquired after catestrophic and malicious damage.

So Atmos then requires at least 9.1, it seems. I have the Marantz SR 5014 model doing 7.1 now about 6 years old. It sends the main L and R to a TFM 4.0 driving a pair of NHT 2.6i speakers. The other 5 channels are fed through an AV-705x feeding my front-L&R surrounds high up on the left and right walls 6 feet from the back wall, aimed down to the sweet spot, and then feeding my rear-L&R surrounds behind the sitting area sweet spot, also high-up, but aimed down to the sweet spot. The SR 5014 is connected to a Samsung flat screen via E-ARC HDMI so i can control everything with the 7 button Samsung remote (very cool how this works so well!). Oh, My surround speakers and center were a Boston surrounds I picked up when Boston was still making good speakers..., they are a "system" to support that configuration, or a 5.1. I have a single sub - a Carver Knight Shadow - the rare and elusive Carver-branded version of a Sunfire Super Junior (I have 4 of these..., LoL). I think that the best thing about the Marantz is the Audessy setup..., gets thing close for my room (which is wildly non-standard) Then, I usually tweak it - mostly tweaking the Center channel to amplify dialog/speaking for movies. The above config is in a "den" style room off of our kitchen that we use daily for most TV use. I should say that I have a second AV setup, it is showing it's age - denon receiver (hate it), and fabulous Sonus Faber speaker setup (LOVE these!!)..., description on that setup for another day - I am hoping to re-outfit it with another Marantz receiver, through a 2 channel and 7 channel Sunfire amplification. Located in the man cave combo bourbon-bar and is less used.

Best of luck on your repair, @Fernando Achiary. I recall reading a post on the NHT Group on Facebook, from Ken Kantor (original founder and designer of the initial line from NHT). His post was about ferro fluid. He seemed to indicate that it was very very rare that the ferro fluid would dry up on his drivers - but that it was possible. Sounds like you came across the one that did. Looking forward to your update.

Welcome to TCS - glad you found us!

I still hope to come up with a pair of 3.3, someday. but now they are 20+ years old..., so the next question will be how to rebuild/restore/repair if needed. 😉

Since we've seen a few of your 2-channel configurations..., I'm curious to ask, @Daddyjt Mark, what is driving your Atmos (I'm sure you posted it before - but I forget). What kind of carver amplification is driving your atmos setup? I know @loner_t used to swear by the Marantz 8805 (IIRC) as a preferred dolby atmos head unit. What do you use for your processor/preamp system? I'm limited to 7.1 at the moment - but planning a future move a few years from now - dolby atmos likely coming into play. Thanks for the post, and keeping us on this leading edge of audio reproduction and experience in this thread.

Welcome, @KurtLohse. I think you can find belts online - do a google search for "belt for CD players"..., or on eBay, with a search for your particular model CD player. Check out this listing - it says "SD/A 490t, however, the SD/A 450 shares the same transport mechanism, and hence use the same belt. I've had both of these units, and have even transplanted the drives back and forth between the two models - so this belt "should" work for you. Online belt sellers may be available, for less money and lower shipping costs. A google search for the size below from the info that @BobTFM35 shared above. Google AI reports that this belt is often called the following (referenced from TheCarverSite! " A 0.046" square x 2.4" (often referred to as an SBS 2.4 or small square 2.4-inch) rubber drive belt is a standard replacement size used for the tray loading and opening mechanisms in various vintage CD players and changers. " Check out this website: https://vintageaudioparts.zohocommerce.com/categories/square_belts/2151798000005844097 Look for this belt. You could try any number of "assortments" of belts on Amazon, here: Amazon.com : SBS 2.4 cd player belt but unfortunately, most sellers list all kinds of models..., but not Carver..., and then offer large "kits" of lots of belts - which one might fit. Best of luck! Let us know how your repair goes, and don't forget to clean off all the goo that the old belt likely left behind.

Welcome to TheCarverSite. Cool project. Someone on another audio group forum did something similar with a Bose EQ, just a couple weeks or so ago. Just an FYI - you can copy and paste pictures directly into the text-entry box here on TCS, making the thread easy to read without linking images and lots of clicking. We LOVE pictures. 😉 Again, welcome to TCS!

Love the C-500. I have one, as well as a 4000t preamp. Great combo. Welcome to the site!

@Ray Cole, your owners manual is still available on Crutchfield.com in the drop-down for "What's in the Box" on the page you shared. Here's the direct link to the PDF of the owner's manual. https://pdf.crutchfieldonline.com/ImageBank/v20060406130800/Manuals/602/602SUS100B.PDF It includes diagrams. And from the specs, I see it only accepts LINE LEVEL (or LOW LEVEL) input - NOT speaker level - so you want to get an RCA Y-cable to split the pre-out, one "y" goes goes directly back into where the U-Jumper pulled out of, and the other "Y" goes to the RCA input of your sub. Examine the last diagram on page 5. You'll want to consider (map out) the female, mail connections for the Y cable, and for the joining cable to the sub. But from here you should be good to go - and yes, sketching it out helps before you buy a bunch of y-cables and RCA cables on Amazon... Hope that helps you.

i should add, also, that I'm assuming that your subwoofer is a powered subwoofer (has an internal plate amp). here's a diagram for a SPEAKER LEVEL or often called HIGH LEVEL method of connecting a subwoofer to the speaker outputs on your receiver. For a y-cable, using the PRE-OUTS, the best diagram I could come up with on the internet is this one..., (again, a better one might be in your subwoofer manual.) but in this figure, consider that the y cable would be in the Preamplifier...

Wwelcome to TCS. Glad you found us. The 742 is a nice receiver. There are so many ways to hook up a subwoofer, that subwoofer makers almost always document how in their Sub Woofer Owner's manual - that is to say, usually multiple options, outlined with diagrams and figures, that you then match to how your receiver outputs look. (If subwoofer manufacturers didn't do this, lots of subwoofers would be returned...,) - I know it's confusing, and linearly, we look at outputs and inputs, and look for the connections that way. And, subwoofers have multiple configuration options between manufacturers - so it's hard to give you an immediate answer. If your sub takes line-level input, many will just say "get a 'Y' cable and split your outputs - and on the 742, that involves pulling the jumpers off the back, and splitting, then re-connecting, with the Y cable. Those "horseshoe" in-n-out connectors take the pre-amplifier output, and direct it right back into the 742's Amplifier stage. Circled in red, below. AND, that is only one way. Your sub (I don't know what you have) may also take SPEAKER LEVEL input - (again, refer to your sub owners manual) in which you could send the speaker outputs directly into the subwoofer, then connect your speakers to the back of your sub - in the pass-through to allow the sub's crossover to pull off the low frequencies, and send only the higher frequencies to your JBLs. Again, I strongly recommend looking at the sub's owner's manual. If you have your subwoofer manual - check it out. If you don't

Welcome @MARQ528. Many of us here have that "pulled it out from the garage" story, and it sparks a renewed interest in OCCD ... OK, on the button - that has come up before - those little "caps" over the contact switch have little plastic parts hidden behind the faceplate that get brittle, and can allow the cover to pop off. I believe some have generated a 3D printer cap and then glued? it on or attached it somehow. I didn't do it, so I can't help with the printer-file. ...but you are on the right track.

Love the DR. 😉

And, if they are in rosewood finish !!, you have found a unicorn. My 2.5i pair are in piano black - with only one unnoticeable flaw in the left grill cover..., If they are in perfect condition, and all drivers are perfect, that's a good deal. Remember the trick to test tweeters..., bring with you a cardboard Paper Towel tube from your kitchen. Put one end up to the tweeter, and the other end, bring your best hearing ear to it, and it will isolate and direct the tweeter frequencies right into your ear in a way that somewhat filters what is coming out of the mid-ranges and low-range drivers..., not perfect - but it will tell you if a tweeter is blown (buzzing or not working at all) which when demoing for purchase, is about all you can do.

Welcome, Betty. Great to have you join TCS. How is the Potentiometer failing? What are the symptoms?

That's what I mounted to the wall - it takes some reinforcement, as Kallix are typical Ikea hollow honeycomb internal structural members..., and like to sit on the floor..., I went with the 2x2, to keep them manageable. Some that have the 2x6 or 2x8, or the massive 8x8 have found them to fail when overloaded (stuffed full) with vinyl. Pictures on the internet show some examples. However, for me, they work just fine!

It's a crazy dilemma. two of my local audio friends got in to the MoFi releases, early on..., and have purchased everyone. One of those guys then has the various original pressings..., from Japan, from Europe, etc of key albums, like DSOTM, Beatles classics, etc..., He swears he can tell the difference. I bought a few MoFi, but caught myself at the mental "budget" for that hobby (watching the frenzy of my two frendis)..., and that's when I got into Roon and streaming..., I haven't bought many records, since. 😉 I hope I have it nipped. LoL

I think it also is affected by the simple number of how many albums you have. while I like the record-shop bins, I have too many unless I had 6 or 7 of those, and the floor space for that many is just not available..., Some guys I know, put their less-used, but collected, albums in a closet, and never play them - that would work. Or another guy I know with too much money..., built a large room in his new house for storage, and his custom listening room has racks and racks built-in. For me, like @xavionics, I am too blind, and my bones are too old to get down on the floor - so I mounted Ikea Kalix shelving at eye level on the wall so I could see the end-labels on two rows of albums along the wall, at chest-to-forehead level for easy perusing. It was a little work, (had to engage support in the wall studs)..., but it looks great, was cheap (except for my labor and time to engineer it to "float". I think I posted a picture of it a few years back.

@Rob and I, as we walked around AXPONA a couple years ago, sat through one of these demos from a different supplier. We caught on that something was up..., The premise was that this "passive" device, when placed in the room, could do room correction of some kind, and improve the sound. The device was small, like a USB stick drive size, as I recall. The demo jock said he could take the unit out of the room, and the correction would stop, and the sound difference would be noticeable at the moment it left the room. we sat through that demo once..., and there was a subtle difference - but nothing spectacular. The audio system was a smallish remote-controlled non-branded (that I recall) integrated system, small enough to fit in a suitcase with the speakers. I caught on that a second player in the con was in the back of the room, arms folded..., and I noticed in his hand was a small remote control unit. I requested that guy, in the back of the room, to put the remote down on the floor, in front of the system they were playing music through. A look of "shock" and "we're busted flooded their face - their con had been exposed. They tried to continue with the lie of the con, saying "it will still make a difference..." They complied, and the other demo jock took the "component" which was not powered, no wires, not in the "chain" anywhere..., out of the room again, and this time, no sound change that we could tell. My conclusion is that the remote, operated by the quiet guy in the back corner of the room toggled on some "loudness" feature in the system that was playing the demo tracks, in synch with the con man that took the component out of the room. Con men are everywhere - it just takes common sense to see through it, and not get duped. But, then, cults of followers of this kind of snake oil are sucked into it every day..., and when a mark pays $3995 for something, expectation bias kicks in and they "believe" it works, and would rarely come out and risk their pride by admitting they had made a mistake and fell for the con. While his museum has no evidence, PT Barnum is credited with saying "a sucker is born every minute" - others with the sentiment also credited with this phrase include David Hannum, PT Barnum's critic, as well as the notorious Bunco Man, Joseph Lewis ("Hungry Joe") a gambler in the 1880's in several print references... The term applies to Audio, for sure! 😉

Do a search on eBay..., use the string "book matched burl veneer" Dozens of listings come up..., some very interesting burled examples as low as $20 (sizes may vary - not sure what you need). Many listings lay out a guitar-top shape (seems a common use or market). some of the guitar-top sellers are asking astronomical prices..., but some are more reasonable..., It's a great place to see LOTS of examples of different veneers. I love the marble wood and zebra wood examples, and while I like (and have purchased) walnut burls from eBay sellers, I find the most spectacular burled wood to be the redwood burls. Others really like the birds-eye maple burles... The size of the pieces offered do vary. If nothing else, it gives a lot of good ideas on what is available - for example...