stereomour newbie

[Grainger49]

I'm with Eric, I have both Kimber speaker and interconnects.  The Bottlehead power cord is twisted and braided.  It improved the clarity in my system.  My Paramours are mono versions of the Stereomour.

As I read recently on the internet, Abe Lincoln said, "Don't believe everything you read on the internet."

[Paul Birkeland]

Please do post a link to the braided vs. unbraided info for speaker cables, I'd be interested to read up a bit.

[earwaxxer]

If you are looking to experiment with solid core big gauge speaker cable for a good price, ck Audio Advisor, they run specials on their AudioQuest stuff. I have a pair of 'Granite' cables that I have used for over 10yrs, that were only recently replaced by my JPS Labs wire. Very good sounding wire, in fact, at first I was not sure the JPS Labs were an upgrade, but once they broke in, then I was happy with the switch.

[rockdrummer]

Hi everyone.  I have most of what I need to start my stereomour build, maybe a different soldering iron unless practice starts to pay off!!

Can you builders with experience explain why a Fluke multimeter is really the way to go?  I totally understand it really works better, or more consistently, and more accurately, but I am grappling with the added higher expense.  Sure $80 isn't really that much more than the $30 ones, but it makes a difference in my "family" budget.   If it is silly to buy anything less than the recommended tools? 

Has anyone built a kit with a cheapo meter and have advice for me?

Thanks,
Ben

[Grainger49]

Ben,

You can buy a cheap meter for $6-10.  It will give reasonable readings measuring everything except the ones in the manual marked with a *.  Those are hard to determine if they are right.  Look in Grainger's Corner and read the question about meters in the FAQ Thread at the top.  I try to explain the results of meter readings there.  The days of getting a reasonable priced meter from Radio Shack passed a decade or two ago.

If you find this is a hobby you will continue with a better meter is in order.  We have a few doctors here, one said that doctors don't use cheap stethoscopes.  The meter is the second most important tool in kit building.  The soldering iron is the most important.

[rockdrummer]

I really am not the kind of guy to question why the right tool has to work right. I guess i was just hoping to hear that it may take some extra time. Hahaha. If it was only so simple!

I think i need to really rethink those two important tools.
My first soldering iron, (grainger already helped me through this) was a five dollar thirty watt from menards. Wouldnt heat up enough and i wasnt good enough at soldering to make it work with the big crossover connections and binding posts in the gr research monitors i first built. Went out and got a weller 100/140 watt gun and that worked wonderfully. Now with computer boards and very fine intricate work i planned to try the cheap pencil iron with a conical tip i think.

I think i need to bite the bullet and not wimp out on the right meter and iron.
Thanks so much Grainger and all for your help and advice.
Ben

[Grainger49]

The cheap meters can give off readings for both voltage and resistance.  The * resistance readings are charging a capacitor and might not reach the high readings they call for in the manual.  The zero readings will always be off by the resistance of the meter leads.  So if the meter leads measure 0.3 ohms and you are looking for a grounded point you might get 0.7 ohms.  In this case so will a Fluke. 

All that is covered in the FAQ Thread I linked.

[drewh1]

I imagine you already bought some but I just got some Kimber 4tc and am very pleased with the purchase. I have tried a lot of the less expensive solutions and just swapped out Anti-cable's Magnet wire (with a loose twist). The Kimber is a nice change. You can buy the 4tc bulk and terminate it yourself to save money - recommend the Cable Company.

drew.

[rockdrummer]

Hi all!  Buying my soldering station tonight and I'm going to (hopefully) start piecing together my Stereomour! YAY!

Am I correct that there are no differences, as far as construction is concerned, for using this as a power amp vs. integrated?  I will always use a receiver to feed it.  I know there are guidelines for start up order, and where to keep the volume, etc. but I'm not sure what they are yet. 

I have a pair of sonicap platinum caps to eventually put in line somewhere, that will be used as a high pass filter for the tops of my gr research speakers which are in the works, but I know the stock build is the place to start. 

Wish me luck, I'm goin' in!

Ben

[Grainger49]

Ben,

Good luck but if you follow the manual carefully you don't need it.

It depends where on the receiver you are coming from as to what you do.  If the recording outputs then you use the volume control as you would with a CD player.  If from the "pre-out" then you could leave the Stereomour volume wide open.  But I expect that will not give you the lowest noise.  I would go with the recording outputs using the Stereomour volume control.

[rockdrummer]

Grainger, I hadn't even thought about using the recording outputs.  Here is where I am a total noob.  The signals into my receiver are digital coax, and optical.  So I am going to have an issue when all is said and done.  I don't think my receiver converts digital audio to analog.  For the mean time, I will be living with this receiver which has no proper preouts.  So I was going to try to go additional analog into the receiver that way the zone 2 would be my preout for the stereomour.  Another story, but I found out my cable box doesn't have analog out:(   Ick.  SO, my integration of a nice two channel system into my existing home theater is not going to be ideal.

Why does this have to be so confusing?

CD/DVD to rec. is digital coax.
TV to rec. is optical.
XBOX, (mainly for netflix streaming) is to rec. is optical.

I wonder if I can go to stereomour with analog from DVD.
Skip tv since the receiver has a center.......
TO stereomour with analog from XBOX. 

hmmmmmmmm.

I need a piece of paper, pencil, about 5 hours, a new receiver, and a big coors light with green olives.  Then I'm good to go.


ben

[Grainger49]

If your receiver doesn't do a D/A internally to the REC output you are going to have a problem.  You have to use something to convert those signals to an analog output or you can't feed the Stereomour. 

[rockdrummer]

Yeah i know there will have to be all analog in to get it out.  But I'm going to need some thought according to what I actually do hook up.

What a mess.

ben

[2wo]

Your CD/DVD player may have analog (RCA) outputs. That would work with the Stereomour's volume control...John 

[rockdrummer]

I think i will do that, John. It will have to be 1 stereomour input using dvd/cd. I will figure something out for tv and xbox.
Thanks everyone.
Ben