3M_Audio

I did Columbia house as a 12 or 13 year old. I was actually OK with it as I carefully looked at (and usually rejected) the next month's full price album. I think eventually they dropped me as I wasn't a profitable customer, lol

Welcome! Perfect timing as there was a great upgrade thread for the C9 just posted. Work was done by a very knowledgeable and talented member, @4krow.

Welcome! Sounds like you've got some neat gear (and a lot of space, lol)

As @BobTFM35 pointed out, you definitely want to replace that power plug with a grounded plug as it originally was configured. A previous owner was likely trying to get rid of some hum in their setup and starting lifting grounds to see if that helped. This is not really a good idea but sometimes in the field (usually as a last resort), grounds start getting lifted to attempt to eliminate a ground loop. As to the connection between the C1 and the PM1201, you'll be making an unbalanced connection so you can use either the 1/4" inputs or the XLRs on the amp. You should be able to find pre-made cables for both at Amazon. I like to use XLR connectors as they make the best low-level connections. So the cable would typically be RCA tip to XLR pin 2, then connect both the shield and ground lead to the RCA ground, then the ground to XLR pin 1 and the shield to pin 3. Make very sure that you configure both channels the same with respect to pins 2 and 3 so you don't get one channel out of phase relative to the other. If you're making these cables up yourself, you'll need a 2-conductor cable with a shield - 100% shielding is always best and something like Belden 8451 works nicely although it has a hard PVC jacket. For something more flexible you can try a mic cable like Mogami W2549 or Belden 8412. Good luck with the new setup. Should sound very nice - what speakers will you be using?

So much personal preference on all this Carver gear. The C2 is a nice preamp but if you're not actively using it, why not move it along to someone that can put it to good use? As a suggestion, try listing it here in the classified section before you move it to eBay. Let's you avoid eBay's 14% (or so) commission fee and you'll have potential buyers that will likely understand what they are purchasing.

Welcome! Some nice gear, indeed.

These transformers aren't fed a continuous sine wave, so if the circuitry that controls the AC line to the transformer has a problem, you can end up with all kinds of strange artifacts and issues. Same goes for output from the transformer to the gain stages - it's not conventional. As @Rob and a few others have pointed out, peruse the service manual and in particular the troubleshooting and theory of operation sections and that should get you pointed in the right direction. And if the repairs are outside your comfort zone, there are some good resources you'll be able to find here on TCS.

Welcome! You've come to the right place. Lots of good info here and many very knowledgeable individuals to help you out.

It would have to be some material that doesn't shed any lint or particulates on its own. I'm thinking something like a black, thick Tyvek?

I'd be interested in covers assuming reasonable pricing. In my mind, they wouldn't need to be anything fancy. Just a light cloth shield (that's washable) to keep dust at bay. Up here in the northeast it's not uncommon for homes to have forced hot-air heating. No matter how many filters are installed, it seems dust gets evenly distributed everywhere. And it's worse if you have pets. And regarding stacking, I'm re-thinking that. I have always stacked/racked my equipment - probably a holdover from my radio/recording studio days, but I keep thinking about a 2" floating walnut or cherry shelf where I could see/display the pieces. I think it would look striking. So a cover for the amp(s) and preamp would be a nice-to-have.

Turned out great!

Welcome!

scumbags maybe it's time for all Carver advertising copy to add 'Exclusively Factory Direct'

Welcome! Congrats on the MXR 130. Try a search here in the forums on 'MXR 130' and you'll get some good history and service suggestions for your unit which will hopefully get it on its way to recovery. And go easy with the deoxit - it's good stuff but a little goes a long way for cleaning pots. Too much creates its own problems. And if you can wiggle a connector and get some static or squealing, there's definitely a solder joint or connection that needs some attention. That type of problem isn't uncommon on some of these older units and if you are planning to keep your MXR 130 for a while, it's worth having the entire unit gone through by an experienced tech/shop. Finally, even though I live in Massachusetts I don't have any local service centers to suggest. You really need to find a shop that understands Carver gear. Nelion Audio would be one, and Carver Audio Repair another.

Sad to see these kinds of hijinks, but there will always be the unscrupulous out there. It does point to one really nice benefit that the Bob Carver Corp. offers. When someone buys direct from the factory, they are 100% sure of what they are getting. If I was plunking down $5000+, I'd be very reassured by that.

Welcome! Glad to have you here. What brought you this way?

Welcome!

Welcome! You can find the service manuals for the PM 1.5 under the 'Manuals and Specsheets' pulldown at the top of the page. The fans for the PM 1.5 are a bit tricky. At one point, someone here found a supply of NOS, but that was a while ago. I have *heard* from another source that motor was a variable speed DC style which coincidentally was OEMd to Radio Shack, their part number 273-256. That is a 9-18 volt DC motor with a max load speed of 18,000 rpm and current of 1.98 amps. There are still quite a few of the RS pieces floating around the internet and eBay and I've grabbed one to experiment with on a PM 1.5 I have sitting in my to-be-repaired pile - a previous owner ripped out the stock fan. So I'm saying that I've heard it is the same fan motor, but haven't been able to verify yet.

Welcome!

Welcome Ben. The DH-500 is a very nice performing/sounding amp and if it were mine, I would definitely consider it worth repairing. And as @4krow pointed out, we have the service manual for the HR-772 here (up under the 'Manuals and Specsheets' pull-down at the top of the page), so worth downloading and reading through - particularly the references to the protection circuitry which will shut down the receiver in certain out-of-bounds conditions. It may give you a sense of what sort of repair effort might be required and if you feel comfortable getting into it. If not, there are a couple of good Carver repair sources available referenced throughout the forums. And a search here may also give you some good info from others servicing the HR-772.

Welcome @TomHall! Good advice for Nelion Audio.

And don't forget the simple velcro option. Particularly when the speaker grill is mounted inside a cabinet lip it can do the job nicely.

I've built several speaker grills in the past. I used poplar for the frame with lap joints at the corners and depending on the speaker outer case, I either left the corners and edges square for a flush setup or when the grill was full-face, I usually rounded off the inner and outer corners to minimize phase and edge diffraction effects. Good quality grill cloth stretched and stapled over the frame finished very nicely. In addition to magnets, standard speaker pegs like Parts Express sells work well for holding everything in place without adding any extra depth.