agedhorse

I totally agree Bill. I see it when I'm forced over to the guitar side to help out with support, and some of the comments players state as fact would take your breath away... they are really that gag-worthy.

We must also remember that there’s a lot of incorrect and terrible advice given through YouTube and other such platforms.

Actually, balanced inputs do cancel noise that is common to both the + and - conductors, either through an input transformer or differential amp at the input stage. They amplify signal and noise that is not common to both conductors. Balanced is independent of level or connector type (provided it has 2 terminals plus ground… and ground may not be connected at both ends either because it is purely for shielding and not necessary for a balanced system to work.

It doesn't matter if it's protons or electrons, an outside energy force (mechanical, chemical, thermal) is required for there to be motion.

There are only 2 ways that voltage or current can exist without the other, these are both defined as limit or boundary functions... meaning that they are more theoretical than practical (though you can get close under ideal conditions). Voltage can exist with no current flow IF the load resistance is infinite (an open circuit with no parasitic shunt leakage) because I = V/R, and as R approaches infinity, I approaches zero no matter what the value of V. Current can exist when the load resistance approaches zero (a short circuit with no parasitic series resistance) because V = I x R, and as R approaches 0, the voltage will approach zero no matter what the value of I. There is no way to split apart the voltage and current relationship in resistive circuits except when R is either zero or infinity. While the voltage is generated by electrons moving from one place to another, an outside force or element must exist for there to do so. The outside force generates a voltage with no net current if the load is open, a current with no net voltage if the load is shorted and somewhere in between if the load is resistive.

Agreed.

Voltage and current have to coexist (in resistive circuits) until you add reactive elements... then it's possible to have current with no voltage due to the phase shift between the voltage and the current (for AC) because power is stored as voltage or current in the capacitor or inductor. This is an entirely different topic however.

With Eminence, most OEM recone kits are raw kits (unassembled) but only available to the OEM manufacturer and it was a 10 piece minimum (though that may have changed in then last few years). It's more difficult if you need to recone them from raw kits and do them properly to meet the original specifications to last like the original factory drivers. Details matter, and what I see of recone work by end users is usually awfully scary. Correct, I wouldn't expect these parts to be available unless Alex has them. Just because recone parts fit doesn't mean they are correct. The driver may make noise, but will be nothing like the originals. There are some abysmal aftermarket parts kits sold as original out there... buyer beware.

Shipping to the UK has almost doubled in the past 2 years, and the bigger challenge is dealing with UK customs which seems to be punitive to UK citizens. Add to this the VAT that applies on all costs including shipping and you have an unsustainable business model. The EU is similar though not a punitive. After my last battle with UK customs, where the paperwork was affixed to the package clearly marked, they returned it because of incorrect and insufficient paperwork, then lost the package. It mysteriously showed up at my shop 3 months later after their tracking showed that it never left the customs warehouse and customs washed their hand while shipping insurance refused to honor any coverage. Ultimately, after finally getting the amp back to the customer, he paid over $800 USD for a $150 repair (all due to charges and screw-ups at his end). Because of this last experience, I can no longer offer international service (outside of North America) on Genz Benz products. It's a sad state of affairs, and likely to get worse before it gets better.

That's an early 400RB for sure.

Enjoy it at low volume as it is. Maybe you don't need to mess with what's already cool?

Is this a multi-track recording with processing or post-production opportunities. If so, a pre eq DI would offer the most options "after the fact", in post.

Actually, something is required for the current to flow, and that is the volt. Without a volt, and without a resistance, no current would flow. It's like the "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" argument.

You ought to try some of the newer SMPS/class D offerings, you might be pleasantly surprised...

With the benefit of hindsight, I am in the unique position of being able to evaluate the reliability and lifespan history of many of my speaker and amplifier products. Speakers, when powered reasonably can last a virtual lifetime. We have many customers that have used speakers that are 20, 30 and 40 years old without a single issue and they are still perfectly fine. I had plenty of (pro level) PA speakers that I used in a touring environment 4 or 5 nights a week that lasted 20 years without any work necessary and continued to work fine for years after they were sold. All of our speaker products came with a 5 year warranty too, so 7 years is not well out of warranty and I would be horribly disappointed in me designs only lasted 7 years... that's a shameful expectation IMO. Bass amps generally last 10+ years without attention but I am now seeing bass amps in after 15-20 years of hard use that need refurbishment. It's not the SMPS and Class D part that needs work, it's everything else that suffers the wear, tear and handling accidents. Out of a hundred amps a year that I see through the shop, I replace maybe 2 or 3 power modules. So much for the urban myth that "all" modern bass amps are unrepairable/unservicable.