17 replies to this topic

[audiohobbs]

So, I succumbed. I found a power amp in here for sale at a reasonable price that I feel will be all I ever need in terms of amplification. It is an ME85, thank you for asking. It looks in good nick (had the top plate off, gave all the surfaces a wipe down, including the cooling fins, checked for raised capacitor tops and applied a quick and gentle Dysoning).

It all looks the biz! I have a cable I could probably use as a trigger - just a stereo jack at either end. It fits at my Arcam Alpha 10 end, so it's likely to be the same on all amps, right? Nope! I should have known, really... Can't have standards in an industry, why anyone could then DIY. The ME appears to use a banana plug speaker-type binding post, it seems; possibly logical, but nonetheless a pain.

Still, no worries, cut the phones off an old pair of ears that have ceased to be used and plug the one end into the Arcam trigger socket. Bind the bare wire to the ME85, et voila! Doddle... Nope - not a sausage. Tried both the left and right channel wires, both individually and together, but the ME85 just does not seem impressed by this approach.

Well, that's ok, I have some spare speaker wire kicking around that I can make use of... But how to get a (presumably mono) jack plug, the ubiquitous 2.5 cm type by the look of it, onto one end of the cable? No idea. I have just hit a brick wall (two sleepless nights with flu does that to me). So I once more throw myself upon the mercy of some amp gurus who know what a trigger cable should look like and could perhaps post a pic or two to give me clues, guide me as to a possible solution, Please...!

Forgot to mention, the trigger cable is going to make my better half's life much easier. She wouldn't like to bend down to switch on a completely separate box after we spent money on a universal remote... It might just save my life.

Edited by audiohobbs, 17 August 2012 - 06:04 PM.

[LogicprObe]

Just leave it on.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

The ME85 (in fact, ALL ME power amps) respond to a 12 - 15 Volt DC trigger. IOW, 12 Volts DC should be applied to the yellow terminal, WRT Earth. This was an ME feature from way back in 1977. Long before most companies (including Arcam) had thought of the idea. It is a pity everyone did not adopt the ME way of doing it, since it was invented long before anyone else had thought of it. Anyway, your Arcam should trigger the ME85, just fine. Figure out, which wire is +12 Volts and apply it to the yellow terminal. The signal wires will carry the Earth to the ME85.

You did good. The ME85 is one Hell of a nice amp, but I suspect you've just learned that fact.

If you really have problems, or just want to ask questions, call me during business hours 8:00AM ~ 4:00PM Mon-Fri and 8:00AM ~ 1:00PM Sat (don't even THINK about calling outside those hours). I'll be happy to steer you in the right direction.

Edited by Zaphod Beeblebrox, 17 August 2012 - 08:07 PM.

[audiohobbs]

Hmmm, I suppose leaving it on is do-able, at least in the short term. Thanks ZB - very useful information. I have the manuals for the Alpha 10 and I think the circuit diagrams somewhere. I *think* its trigger is putting out only five volts, but I could be mis-remembering that from somewhere else. I will dig around the diags and see what I can come up with.

[LogicprObe]

ZB would be able to tell you the idle power usage if you're worried about that.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Hmmm, I suppose leaving it on is do-able, at least in the short term.

Leaving the red light on is normal. It is designed to remain that way (standby) indefinitely. Leaving the green light on is stupid. It will consume unreasonable amounts of power and shorten the life of electrolytic capacitors.

Thanks ZB - very useful information. I have the manuals for the Alpha 10 and I think the circuit diagrams somewhere. I *think* its trigger is putting out only five volts, but I could be mis-remembering that from somewhere else. I will dig around the diags and see what I can come up with.

Arcam would be the only company on the planet that uses 5 Volts (if true). Everyone uses 12 Volt triggers. It is the industry standard. I bet you that Arcam uses a 12 Volt trigger like everyone else. If you have further problems, haul both units over to me and I'll sort it out for you. It won't take long.

Have you listened to your ME85 yet?

[audiohobbs]

Listening to it right now... Lovely! It won't get a thorough gallop through test tracks (ie at volume) until I have time alone. I have put a bit of a Chinese drum poem through it and the control over the bass and mid-range is something else. Playing some acoustic vocal, jazz and rock tracks with which I am very familiar there is some added depth of sound stage and a few more things creeping into my ears previously unheard (or, at least, unregarded).

Am I pleased? Very. At this stage, it is doing exactly what I want it to; I think once it is run in once more it may deliver a few more notables but I wouldn't care if not. I am comfortable that this amp is as strong a workhorse as I desired and it has more than a little finesse, too.

ZB, many thanks for the phone chat. It was a dodgy cable in the end - a dodgy *new* cable from Jaycar, I might add. They just slipped off the back of the ME85 at the slightest touch... Back there to get a refund, I think. An el-cheapo, give-away-free pair of RCA cables is doing the pre-to-power connection job at the moment.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Good stuff. Pleased to hear that all is well with (your part of) the world. When your head clears, you should notice even more stuff. I'm happy I could assist.

[Batty]

The new(ish) Peter Gabriel album has a lot of bass too, worth a try.

[lonewolf]

Glad to hear you are loving the ME85, I already miss it . I am happy you were able to carry it to the car, it is quite heavy.

[audiohobbs]

Batty - I have not heard of a new(ish) PG album - title please! I may have to look that up; he is one of my favourite artists.

Lonewolf, that is the downside of selling off equipment. The money is nice but it just does not have the same character. That said, I am so glad you were able to sell it - my system is improved and my ears thank you. It wasn't too bad to carry - probably a little heavier than my Arcam Alpha 10, which looks deceptively light. It is a reasonable size and shape, though, not too bulky, but thanks for the concern anyway. I would rather have concern than a wrecked back ;-)

[Whatmore]

Listening to it right now... Lovely! It won't get a thorough gallop through test tracks (ie at volume) until I have time alone. I have put a bit of a Chinese drum poem through it and the control over the bass and mid-range is something else. Playing some acoustic vocal, jazz and rock tracks with which I am very familiar there is some added depth of sound stage and a few more things creeping into my ears previously unheard (or, at least, unregarded).

Am I pleased? Very. At this stage, it is doing exactly what I want it to; I think once it is run in once more it may deliver a few more notables but I wouldn't care if not. I am comfortable that this amp is as strong a workhorse as I desired and it has more than a little finesse, too.

ZB, many thanks for the phone chat. It was a dodgy cable in the end - a dodgy *new* cable from Jaycar, I might add. They just slipped off the back of the ME85 at the slightest touch... Back there to get a refund, I think. An el-cheapo, give-away-free pair of RCA cables is doing the pre-to-power connection job at the moment.

.

Apologies if this is a dumb question but why would you expect the amp to run in if it's not new?

[LogicprObe]

Maybe he meant 'warm up'.
Makes even more sense to leave it on then!

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Maybe he meant 'warm up'.
Makes even more sense to leave it on then!

Not really. Even in the depths of a Sydney Winter, the ME85 should be at optimum operating temperature with 30 mins.

[aechmea]

snip

It was a dodgy cable in the end - a dodgy *new* cable from Jaycar, I might add. They just slipped off the back of the ME85 at the slightest touch.

snip

My aged ME75 (circa 1983) has undersized RCA connectors. Originally the only way I could get a good connection was to squeeze the earth bits of the cable out of round with pliers. Locking connectors (you know, the ones with a rotating ferrule) would not grip very well even when screwed down fully. Eventually I found some QED ICs that seemed to fit the ME75 RCA sockets better. Dunno why that should be the case - maybe it was just that particular batch back in 83.

[Batty]

Batty - I have not heard of a new(ish) PG album - title please! I may have to look that up; he is one of my favourite artists.

Lonewolf, that is the downside of selling off equipment. The money is nice but it just does not have the same character. That said, I am so glad you were able to sell it - my system is improved and my ears thank you. It wasn't too bad to carry - probably a little heavier than my Arcam Alpha 10, which looks deceptively light. It is a reasonable size and shape, though, not too bulky, but thanks for the concern anyway. I would rather have concern than a wrecked back ;-)

The album in question is New Blood.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

My aged ME75 (circa 1983) has undersized RCA connectors. Originally the only way I could get a good connection was to squeeze the earth bits of the cable out of round with pliers. Locking connectors (you know, the ones with a rotating ferrule) would not grip very well even when screwed down fully. Eventually I found some QED ICs that seemed to fit the ME75 RCA sockets better. Dunno why that should be the case - maybe it was just that particular batch back in 83.

The RCA sockets fitted to all early model ME amps were, IMO, substandard. Reasonably priced RCA sockets were almost impossible to obtain. After 1985-ish, Peter started using much higher quality sockets in all his products. The ME85 in question has been fitted with high quality sockets.

[audiohobbs]

Batty - thanks for that - New Blood I will look it up.

Re. the undersized connectors, that would make sense - if the second cable slipped off easily, too. But it doesn't and the amp makes noise now, too. Yay! Nice noise, I hasten to add.

As for running an amp in, yes, once at operating temperature the amp will perform at its best. However, I suspect that some items of equipment when unused for a while (the impression I get with this ME amp is that it has not been in use for a bit) then it will settle into a new pattern of usage. I do know that it was used for centre-channel duties only in its previous incarnation. Now it is expected to drive more demanding speakers at a far greater range of dynamics than vocal tracks and effects will ask of it. I know of no fundamental physics-based reason for it, but I just think it will be exercised differently, so will take time to bed in to its new role. When it does.... I probably won't notice it because I will be listening to it every day But one day some track or other with which I am very familiar will have a subtle but noticeably different character to it. Possibly...