Badwisdom,
Can you provide more inof on the P3 software? Where have your read it? The AA website makes no mention of this new software? I understand from an earlier post that the new chip P2 was going to cure all problems such as bug, tracking etc., why the need for the P3? is the P2 having problems? |
Tireguy
The best way to find out what's wrong with your player is to use another CD player (not DVD) as transport only and connect it to the Capitole using a digital cable.
If your system still does not play, your Capitole should go back to the dealer. If it plays, the problem you mention above lies in the other source, not in your Capitole. |
Lall,
thats all the info i have at the moment on the P3 chip. I didnt read it, my dealer showed me the actual chip because my player is currently been updated to the latest software/EPROM and he just received the new P3 chips from Audio Aero. My guess is that Audio Aero released it last week. You should ask your dealer to enquire about it.
I dont know why they came up with the P3, and i dont know the difference with the P2. All i know is the two functions i listed here earlier, and as my dealer is off this week for holidays, thats all i have at the mo' :)
Cheers |
Wow, I just read through this thread... I'm pretty blown away by the number of complications of the cap2. I mean, DAMN! It's almost 9 BIG ONES!! I have been looking for a tubed cd player now for over a month, and had the cap2 on my short list. But the price was just too high. I thought of maybe getting the prima, but decided instead to go used, with a BAT VK-D5SE. That way, if there are any problems with the unit, I don't have to ship it half way across the country and pray that I get someone who answers the phone in English!
Reliability is a big deal, as is service. Victor at BAT has been nothing short of exemplary... |
This just in....last evening I had a friend stop over with his new capitole II and we did a burned in unit(mine) vs. fresh new unit(his) shoot out, very noticeable differences but what shocked me the most was the volume display. I have the new chip and have not experienced any of the concerns about tracking and such, how ever my units volume display is merely bars, and his unit has bars and numbers below it! Though his unit still has selectable phase.....hmmmm, not better not worse just different- break in is an amazing thing with this player.
FWIW I am so enamoured with the sound of this unit I have not even tried to hook my DVD player up! to hell with movies I want the stereo only!! If I didn't have 200 dvd's I would sell my projector and buy new speaker cables and be happy as can be..... one day I will want to watch a movie again, so I will keep you helpful folks posted if I run into any further issues. |
TG >>how ever my units volume display is merely bars, and his unit has bars and numbers below it! <<
Can you elaboate ?.. numbers like volume db? .. I just got my replacement unit last week with new chip and did not notice numbers.. only volume bars and track and time info
What do you mean selectable Phase, the 0 and 180, I have had that on both player I had, I would be curious if on your version it no longer is there ?
I did find the old and new unit that I have were totally stable with no code issue, reads the CDRs I throw at it and selects the tracks I want..
But the break in process is a killer ! |
With my friends player which is allegedly the same exact unit as the one I have, his displays(I only saw it for a few quick minutes and that was a few days ago and a lot has happened since so I may be slightly inaccurate with what I recall- though not to far off) the bars and below it is read something along the lines of '-36dB' etc... in that wackey horrible looking numbers the capitole produces on its display, and I heard there is another update available offering the volume display change and no phase switchablility- I believe it is automatic- I know Badwisdom made the remarks with the update in a thread some where how ever I am unable to find it at the moment. But his player does have the volume display update but not the phase update; weird French electronics! Hope that clears the fog up! it was really appearant because we had the two units right next to one another and(the same remote worked both) when the volume would be adjusted the change was very obvious- any better or worse, I dunno just different. FWIW I listen to my unit with the display shut off about 90% of the time any way so no big deal ;) |
The numbers and bars are displayed (dbr from -100 to 0) on units with the P3 chip installed. How do I know, I'm the guy that does the service for Audio Aero. The phase switch still works with the P3 software and you get 4 levels of display dimming. The P3 also fixes a few of the transport reading problems. The original chips were programmed outside Audio Aero's factory (Pre-P3) and now in house programming should take care of any problems as needed. |
Thank you for clearing that up Darrell! |
I installed the P3 chip in my player last evening. Not a simple task. It did, however, clear up the problems I've stated earlier in this thread. I've found everything that Darrell states to be fact. Thanks Darrell.
The best part of all.....this player sounds great and those pesky little quirks are all just a fading memory ..........AHHH |
Umm, what's all the kvetching about? The player sounds great. |
Has anybody tried the Mark II with a quality transport? I recall an earlier post claiming Capitole MKI + Esoteric P2 transport to upset the MKI player on its own.
Well, I'm embarrased to state that my Capitole, fed by a Micromega Stage 6 CD player as transport, produces (in my system) a more musical, smoother and more seductive sound than on its own! It took only a few seconds even for my wife to spot that! My Capitole is fully burnt in with about 600 hrs on it. I'd be interested in having your feedback. |
stay tuned Theta data III transport coming this week will report findings. |
I can't understand why some people are selling their MKII's after only a few weeks. Remember, it takes at least 500hrs to get a good feel of what the player is capable of. |
Tube life / Replacement Question -Capitole MK II.
I've owned my MKII for about a month now, with zero problems, and I love it. But I have a question. I notice, that when I have the unit in Standby, the tubes are still on. The expected tube life is 10,000 hours (roughly 14 months). Shouldn't the tubes be off in standby to preserve tube life? If the answer is to shut off the whole player - wouldn't it would take many hours to warm-up the player again from a cold start?
If a tube goes bad, how do you replace it? Isn't it hard wired into the circuit (ie, no tube socket)? And, no, I am not a technician, so I wouldn't trust myself with a soldering iron in my hands, working on a piece that retails for $8700 (U.S.). Anyone got any knowledge / advise? (Oh, and one last thing, I have no local dealer to go to). |
I believe standby mode in tube amps usually refers to removal of high voltage to the plate and screen/control grids. The heater usually remains on which is the visible glow you see. You have the benefit of thermal stability without the degradation caused by high voltage stress. |
Thanks for the response, Lwatson! If the heater remains on, couldn't that also fail prematurely due to it's constant 'on' state in standby? Or, in other words, does the 10,000 hours of tube life refer to 10,000 hours of actual use (ie, while actualy listening to the unit)? |
Louisl: I understand that the 10,000hrs refer to the duration the unit is powered on (the back switch), irrespective of whether it is playing music or not. If you read the manual carefully, it mentions somewhere that if the unit is not in use for a long time, to maximise the tube's lifetime, the unit should be powered off.
I suggest that you send an e-mail to Mr Combelles and ask him if the tube can be replaced by the user, and let us know. |
Lall: I don't know who Mr. Combelles is (perhaps you could let me know), however, I have emailed Darrell (above - he says he is the guy who services Audio Aero), and here is his response:
If you plan to not use the unit for a week or more definitely turn it off. As far as the tube life, they should really last at least 2 years. I've only had to replace one tube in a MK1 and that tube had a slight hum in it, otherwise there have been no others that needed a tube replaced.
I don't recommend trying to replace a tube yourself because if you don't do it carefully you can damage: the tube, the pc board, and melt wires.
So, it appears that the tube is soldered (I understand that this was not the case with the original Capitole, ie pre 24/192)and, as Darrell states, he does not 'recommend trying to replace a tube yourself'. It seems to me that this should have been covered in the owner's manual.
I have emailed him back asking where I should send the unit for tube replacement. When I hear back, I will post an update. |
Louisl: Jean Paul Combelles is the sales manager of Audio Aero company and is the key person behind all sales/problems/issues of Audio Aero. His e-mail is: jpc@audioaero.com
Best luck |
The two tubes in question are the 6021W. They have 2" wires coming from the base, not the rigid tube pins you see in most other tubes so they can't easily be used with tube sockets. They must be de-soldered and the replacemnents have to be soldered in place. By using a miniture tube that is soldered you gain many advantages over a standard tube/socket: Vibration has less effect on the tube, the tube is more rigidly mounted, connection noise is lower, the tube will not fall out or get damaged in shipping the unit. BOTH MK1 & MK2 use the same wired tube so user replacement is difficult. As stated in an earlier email, I have NOT seen a tube failure besides the one that had a slight hum in one channel and there are units have been playing for OVER two years!
If a tube needs to be replaced I can get it done and return the unit in 48 hours. |
Darrell what would the charge be for you to install the new pair of tubes on a mark 2 ? |
I've never had to install 2 tubes before but depending on the cost of the tubes it should be less than $150. |
The tubes cost $15 each to replace plus labor. |
Not being a tube guy Jonathan, can you comment on :
1, Do tubes start to die from day one, and that the quality of sound is best at the begining of the tubes life contrary to the end.
2. When replacing tubes, there is always a chance that the sound may change, for the better or for the worst.
thanks !!
Matt |
Matt: All components including tubes have a life span. We can say we all start dying when we are born or start living. :)
The tubes have a 10,000 hour life and are very inexpensive to replace. When they are replaced, the sound will stay the same as it was during the "good years" of the tubes life. |
Anyone know about the P4 chip for the MK II??? |
It is my understanding it has something
to do with track programing and such.
No sonic benefit at all. I believe they
are in stock at Global. |
For what it's worth... I had to replace the tubes in my version 1 24/192 about 3 months after purchase. One channel was exhibiting "tube rush" noise. I was able to get replacement tubes from Triode Electronics (sorry, don't have web site, but should come up under search).
I replaced them myself, with absolutely NO degradation in sound quality. As I put it to my wife, replacing the tubes was likened to doing minor surgury on your house pet. Not impossible, but requires a steady hand, PATIENCE, and very good lighting/magnifying glass. Also BE SURE TO USE PURE SILVER SOLDER! - (for you do-it-your-selfer's).
BTW , I'm still completely enamoured with my player, now almost a year and a half later. It continues to please and impress.
As a side note, I found the supplied Black Diamond cones to sound fast, but lacked the depth and tautness in the bass. I replaced them with the eminently-affordable Vibra-Pods with excellent results. Imaging, speed, & resolution all still great, but with MUCH better bass reproduction. |
Denf- What I found to be best(vibration/footer wise) is to use the BDR cones that come on the unit coupled directly to sorbothane- it is amazing what a difference it makes with the bass and tightening EVERYTHING up and seems to add a little more resolution. When one of my audiophile friends was over I did the comparison for him but didn't tell him what I did and he thought I changed a cable or something large, and couldn't believe the difference it made. But I agree the BDR cones alone leave a little to be desired. I have tried Vibrepods, audio points, apex couplers next I am going to try some shelves to put the unit on- mine sits on the floor currently. Sorbothane is VERY cheap and I would recommend everyone to try it with there system(either hemispheres or half spheres) |
discovered couple days ago my RCA outlets are labeled backwards on my Mark 2? |
Tireguy: I am wondering whether it would be a good thing to place a puck under each BDR cone. I read somewhere that BRD cones + puck underneath may give about 75% of performance of the BDR shelf. Has anybody tried this? |
Lall- Me and another capitole owner are going to compare the differences with the shelf from BDR and my little half spheres- he has the shelf so I am sending him some sorbothane in the mail and he will compare it with out the shelf, on the shelf and the shelf AND sorbothane. But you are right from the book that came with the capitole it holds the puck in high regards. I am looking forward to hearing the results. |
Tireguy, thanks for the info.
Are you refering to the AudioQuest "Big Feet" type half-circle pods? I think these are made from Sorbothane, yes?
I have my Capitole on the Vibra-Pods, on a Sanus stand, which has "independent" shelf isolation, but am always wondering about other/different combinations. Anyone tried the "Dead Ball Isolators" ? from Acoustic Dreams? A friend informed me that these things are phenomenal. |
Tireguy: Are the pucks, mentioned in the Capitole book, which may be placed underneath each BDR cone of the Capitole the same puck used to lock the CDs or are they two different products? |
Lall- They are two different products that just happen to share the same unusual name :) |
previous Post indicating reversed channel labeling was incorrect somehow the channel balance changed and again today the balance needed to be changed again, it keeps changing to the left even with the player left on continuously not even standby mode. Any ideas what's causing this behavior? Also can the balance be adjusted from the remote? How? This player occasionally makes me want to toss it into the street because of its operational qwirks does this bother anybody else or is it just me?
Took 15 minutes to adjust the balance and get into play mode again. But that sound no complaints there. |
Call this number 512-335-6019. This is
AA's tech in Dallas. He'll fix it plus
do any up grades and ship back in a couple
days. Mine was under warranty and they paid
return shipping. Ask for Daryl. He was great
to work with. Randy |
For what its worth, Daryl is in Austin, TX and operates a company called Digital Systems. I've spoken with him over the phone and he's a great guy to work with. Very helpful and knowledgeable about the AA Cap MKII. |
My Capitole (P2 chip, after 3 months use, has started its quirks and occasionally misreads the disc. At other times, it refuses to play, with the timer standing still at 00.
I talked to Audio Aero and was informed that the P2 chip may contain some software problem. They are sending me a free software upgrade; I believe it's the P4. I'm not in the US!
Anyone with the P3 or P4 chip encountered any problems?
thanks
lall |
Hi Lall
I think I have either P2 or P3, never had any problems, Im just curious, Mejames mentions a way to adjust the balance..how is that done ?
thanks
Matt |
Hi Matt
With my CDP, balance adjustment is easy: keep pressing one of the four buttons on the left side of the player (do not release) until you hear a click sound. Release the button and press again, stepwise now, until you see the balance function. Adjust according to requirement. This can also be done from the remote control.
Matt, send me an e-mail if you need further detail.
I don't know if it's same with the P3 or P4 chip. Should be! |
Lall,
I have the P3 chip and I have only one problem remaining. The "time remaining" display (on track or disc) will switch the ":" between minutes and seconds to a random numeral. When last I spoke with Jody from Globe Audio he informed me that this anomaly should be fixed with the P4 chip. P3 chip is fine for everything else.
Listener |
I have a p3 chip installed which now gives volume readings in db's but it has the disadvantage of not allowing remote access to tracks numbered greater than 9.
There is a p4 available to sort this out but I don't think I can be bothered.
I recommend shun mook discs under the bdr's sounds great. |
Here's some useless information: In my prior life I was a QA and manufacturing engineer for a laboratory equipment company, eventually writing ISO standards for such. My work involved lots of hands-on work with several French manufacturers over a decade. trying to teach these iconoclastic engineers and political managers to implement good QA into their production was nearly impossible. White collar and blue collar do NOT mix well in southern European technical manufacturing. I'm a french engineer, yet I must state that trying to get consistent production of clones in a country of 400+ cheeses was impossible. If you opened up a dozen Capitoles I would be surprised if you'd find two that were wired or configured identically! Hence the variability in performance and reliability....
It may be the rare case that AA DOES operate with more stability and control, so my apologies if they fall into that camp. Hell, even my Norwegian CDP's production has evolved (?) through various iterations, such that modding it is less than straightforward due to variability across a manufacturing run. I'm glad I gave up on that career. Companies now brag about ISO 9001/2 compliance, although it's just a documentation paper trail scheme without real assurance teeth....
Just hope you got a good one! |
Hey Subaru-- there you go, sounding like general de Gaulle :)! (Wasn't it "350 fromages" he mentioned?). Anyway, I can relate to your experience! Cheers |
Subaruguru, it is certainly the same here in the U.S. software industry (kind of obvious, huh? ever had software with any bugs in it? uncountably many did you say? ... :-). Same divide between management who wants the product shipped yesterday and (most of) the engineers who want it to work first...:-) |
Mejames: Have you been able to solve your balance problems? |
Lall hadn't had time to try your emailed instructions yet probably have time today. Thanks. |
This is a correction to my post of 11-07-02.
The chip in my CDP was P1 and not P2. It has now been replaced and no problems after that. Everything works perfectly. |
