Audio faux pas...

[PeruvianSkies]

So have you ever done something downright stupid when it comes to the world of audio or video? For example, forgetting to plug something in and wondering why it didn't work? Let's share some funny moments we've had with our screw ups!!!

Here's mine:

One time I was watching Dane Cook on SNL, which was being broadcast in HD and 5.1. I did not however turn on my Left or Right speakers and my surrounds, so I was only getting the program in the center channel. So I'm watching him deliver his opening monologue and he's crackin' jokes and such, but it's just dead silent. He appears to be BOMBING big time. No one is laughing and all I can hear is Dane going on and on with no responses. I was in shock. Then I realized that I didn't have all the speakers ON and the audience responses and other noises were in the fronts and surrounds! It was quite a funny experience...DOH.

[SlumpBuster]

I've listened to any number of 5.1 soundtracks downmixed to 2 channel w/ sub and haven't noticed. Usually when I am alone and sitting in the sweetspot.

But here's a good one. In college, I bought my first receiver and speakers from a local hi-fi/hi-end shop. Sure, it was just a Yammie and pair of Bostons, but I thought that store was the sh!t because there were back show rooms you have to be escorted into.

Anyway, summer comes and we are having a massive rager. The Bostons get coupled with a pair of car subs wired in parallel with a simple low pass choke before the subs. What does 8ohms wired in parrallel with 4ohms equal? Answer: A shut down termally protected Yammie. Now the Yammie was supposedly 2ohm stable, so I figured it was just a heat problem. :cornut: I literally turned the reciever on its side and taped a 12 inch box fan to its top. The small fans were popular with dorm lofts. Yammie powers right back up.

So the Yammie takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. With the fan in place, it never so much as hickuped.

Of course, the walk of shame the next morning was unkind. One blown woofer on the Boston. So I drag the Boston into the shop for repairs. Like I said, kind of a high falutin' shop. They look at me like I took a dump next to the Thanksgiving turkey. "Did you do this while having some kind of party or kegger?" the salesman rightly asks me. I look him square in the eyes and say... "No." Warranty fix, baby!

[hydroman]

Hooked up the car 10" subs (4ohm each) in parallel to the new kenwood amp. Yep.

"smokin' '' -jim carey

[GMichael]

Used Piezo tweeters in my last DIY set of speakers. Thought if I put 2 in series with each other, and in parralel with another tweeter it would cut their output enough to make them sound good. Had to pull them out and snip the wires. Harsh is not a harsh enough word to describe the sound.

[Wireworm5]

Yeah, that one happen to me. When I moved all the audio stuff into the basement, I was real careful on hooking everything up. That satellite receiver wasn't working however. I figured perhaps it was an unpaid bill or something. So I call Tech support of the sat. company. The woman tech. comes on the phone to walk me through the problem. She asks me if the power hooked up? I was sure it was hooked up, so I shrug off the question. Then I'm looking around the mess of wires and see its not plugged in. How embarrassing is that, and being corrected by a woman! I quickly hung up the phone.

[Dusty Chalk]

I was listening to the analog outs of a $15 external CD-ROM as a source and was enjoying the sound tremendously. Not even as a transport -- the analog outs. To my defense, it was being processed through that Audiophile processor (you know the one -- the one that's supposed to combat digititis? I forget who makes it...), and the rest of the system was very nice as well (AKG K1000 earspeakers, I think the amp was one of those old vintage receivers, refurbed).

[bfalls]

I was listening to Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" Welcome to the Machine. There's a part at the beginning where the audio grows to a loud creasendo then goes very soft. I hadn't heard the CD in a long time and was playing it very loud. At the time I had a Yamaha R8 with two pair of Klipsch Kg4 4ohm speakers. When the music suddenly went soft I thought I had blown the receiver's outputs. I shutdown the receiver twice before the music came back on and I realized what had happened and was very relieved.