Got my sub amp (Arc 1500XXK) ...weird problem in mids/highs now?

[headless 10+ year member]

Hey guys - I picked up a 1500XXK recently here on the forums... it arrived and appears in good condition externally. I hooked it up last night in place of my Punch 100ix DSM, and discovered that as soon as the 1500XXK has power and receives any signal, i get hissing from my tweeters, which are on a totally DIFFERENT amp - my 4150XXK! I went back to the trunk and removed the remote wire from the 1500XXK - as soon as power is removed from the amp, the crackling goes away. When i re-connected the remote wire, I noticed that unlike my 4150XXK, the 1500XXK's power light flickers quickly for about a second before it comes on with a solid green light. If i turn the system up to approximate listening level, I can hear all kinds of nasty high frequency noise that appears to be directly related to the music; it sounds almost like having a blown tweeter in some ways - crackling buzzing. But if i remove power to the 1500xxk...everything goes back to normal. Both the 4150xxk and the 1500xxk are grounded directly to my optima in the trunk via identical lengths of 4ga wire.

Has anyone ever seen this kind of behavior? I'm a bit confused as to why my sub amp would cause my front speakers to generate hissing. Does anyone with 150xxk experience know if he power on light flickers normally when it turns on? Any ideas why the front speakers would exhibit noise from a problem with the sub amp? I'm kind of thinking that perhaps the noise is travelling back to the deck via the RCA's? But not sure really.

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[Orion Man 10+ year member]

Are they possibly grounded off the same point? Ground loop noise? Do you have the RCA's on the deck grounded? Thats what solved my problem. Couldn't figure out why my mids would have alt-whine coming through them when the sub gain was turned up. .02...

 

[headless 10+ year member]

They are grounded to the rear battery terminal...side post on a yellow top, for all equipment...the static is NOT linked to my alternator; it's not ground loop whine at all...you can only hear it when playing content.

Jeez. The plot thickens - at lunch I just went out and swapped my rca's from the 4150 XXK to the 1500XXK, and swapped my front components from the 4150xxk to the 1500xxk. I removed power from the 4150xxk, and turned the system on with just the 1500XXK. While there is a louder noise floor than the 4150xxk that does not vary with gain setting at all, and i needed more gain than I use on the 4150 to get similar volume levels, the crackling/blown tweeter sounding noise is not present! How the heck? From this, i think that the rca's can't be bad...and the output channel for my fronts on my deck can't be bad... so what in the world causes them to crackle when both the 1500xxk and the 4150 are on? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

After work i'll try with the 4150 turned on but not powering anything, and the 1500xx playing the fronts and see if the 1500xxk generates the noise. This is so bizarre //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[headless 10+ year member]

Well - after the 1500xxk warms up, it exhibits the same noise as the 4150 was when the 1500xxk is powered. I suspect the 1500xxk must be damaged in some way... anyone have any idea what would cause this type of problem? I'm a bit worried about sending it off for repairs because it's not a simple 'doesn't work' vs. 'work' problem... anyone know a good repair center?

 

[headless 10+ year member]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[headless 10+ year member]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif no one knows a good repair center? I'm pretty sure the 1500xxk is damaged. it takes almost 80% gain just to get it to move this MTX 12 rated at only 400w, and the 1500xxk is supposed to put out 900w at 4ohms. The 4150xxk makes these speakers wang on ~20% gain...

 

[headless 10+ year member]

Oh well; i'm sending it to AudiotekX it looks like.

 

[gentlejax 10+ year member]

why not send it to ARC ? or Zed Audio....I dont think I trust anyone else anymore....too many places doing crappy work....

if I had to send anything anywhere it would be Zed just cause he has great service.

 

[headless 10+ year member]

All I could find about autotekX were satisfied and happy customers; they offer free estimates and have a money back guarantee on their work.

Have you heard bad things about AutotekX?

Maybe I would have sent it into Zed, but I could not find anything about amp repairs by Zed and nobody responded to my thread... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[gentlejax 10+ year member]

All I could find about autotekX were satisfied and happy customers; they offer free estimates and have a money back guarantee on their work.
Have you heard bad things about AutotekX?

Maybe I would have sent it into Zed, but I could not find anything about amp repairs by Zed and nobody responded to my thread... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

what? ok....let me help you and save you lots of headache...

go here.....click on "contact" and email STEVE MANTZ.....he is the owner and founder...and know worldwide...he is famous...and that is no joke...

http://www.zedaudiocorp.com/aboutus.html

email him and tell him what you got and he will email you back...its that simple....

if your not going to send it to ARC AUDIO then send it to Steve Mantz...ZED AUDIO....otherewise you may never get it right or it may be crap...

you need to ask around some more if you dont beleive me....

I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF AUTOTEKX or whatever it is ...you need to just take my advice.....I am sure others will agree with it....

 

[rezzarect 10+ year member]

contact ARC audio and send it to them..they will fix it...done mine before..they are pretty cool people to deal with..