hum, football and a tale of woe.

sometimes, i really could kick myself. my obsession with making things right. wanting perfection, the best sound i can get. etc.

as the whole world knows, it's the start of the world cup today. so, after having a few beers, and watching the opening ceremony i decided to put the turntable on, and keep the telly on watching the buildup, but not having to listen to the god-awful commentary.

on goes a brand new album, Helmet-Aftertaste. it sounds great, but after the first side finishes i notice a distinct hum coming through the speakers.

not happy with this, i start to move things around, check cables, check earth wire, change interconnects.. this is a little awkward, so i moved the stand where my hifi is... only to see one of my Focal Chorus speakers topple over, off the granite slab and smash into the stand!!!

my heart sunk, i've only had the speakers a few months. i was absolutely gutted. i lift it up to find the smallest of dents, and a little of the laquer has come off. not as bad as it could have beed, but i am so fed up with myself.

i carried on, checking cables, moving separates around, even changed the headshell... still the hum continues. by this time i am gutted, totally flummaxed as to why the turntable is humming so bad....

its around 15 mins to kick-off of the first match, i still don't have the sound on, so i turn the tv off to stop it distracting me....

thats when it happened. the hum stopped. immediately. i'd pulled my hi-fi apart, damaged my speaker in the process, left myself feeling sick as a dog, all because i'd left the tv on to watch the footy.

a very expensive lesson learned.

dont mess with your kit whilst trying to have a beer and watch football.

what a total plonker i've been! i'm gutted.
 
B

BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW

Guest
Most of us have been there, and if you've learned a lesson, it's an expensive, but good lesson learned.

I'm still prone to keep repeating the same mistakes, though I am getting better. :)
 
I feel for you. Our dog once 'bounced' into one of my floorstanders and toppled it into the wall, which being plasterboard took the blow. Barely detectable damage to speaker cabinet, but chunk out of wall. Sickening feeling.

lesson from you for others is that components do interrract sometimes, which is why care with mains is worth taking.
 

stevebrock

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Nov 13, 2009
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O dear!

My heart sank when I was packing up a faulty amp (I wont mention the brand, sure most people on here know) - I then proceeded to put the box on the table, which I duly knocked off and the corner of the box went straight through the driver of my Rega RS3s - yes I was gutted but it was a relatively cheap repair!

Lesson learned also.

And my youngest daughter has been told to keep away from daddys valves, drivers, tweeters and TT - but it is a family home so I am prepeared for 'accidents'
 
i'm usually very careful when moving things around, but i'd had a few beers, and was getting frustrated with the humming.. but, definitely a lesson leared.

i have also pre-warned the mrs that i'll be looking for a replacement cabinet for the speaker, even though the damage is hardly noticeable.

i'd even thought about sending it back to focal to be repaired. it should be pretty simpla as the damaged area is vinyl wrap and not wood or veneer.
 

DIB

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May 21, 2009
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My most costly hi-fi related ****-up (apart from wasting a Rega Bias stylus by a hamfisted brushing technique) was when I foolishly used my SBT to test a 12v HDD PSU, blissfully unaware that the SBT PSU was only 5v - doh! The result was one well fried SBT.

.
 

Hi-FiOutlaw

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We are 5 at total here, my son 12 and my second marriage wife has two of their own, a boy with 13 an girl with 11.I prefer to teach them how to work with everything, how to flip a vinyl record, turning on the all system (AV and Stereo) and curiosity killed the cat, so, the first thing as the Dynaudios got home i've sit down with them and explain how fragile the silk twitter was, so asked "any one want to pass the finger very gently?" - They all did and felt how smooth it was.in a near future me and my wife will be off to work and friends will come over, so, I do hope that they treat the hi-fi with care. :pray:
 

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