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Post by greg121986 on Aug 12, 2013 18:20:52 GMT -5
The status LEDs can be turned off but the power button always remains lit. I think it has a very nice illumination to it and I find it quite attractive. The lights are really the last thing to complain about with this amp, it's really splitting hairs at that point!
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Post by tme110 on Aug 12, 2013 20:26:47 GMT -5
Any word if the lights are completely defeatable? This is the very first thing I went looking for. But alas, it doesn't look like they added this. Frack. I had some e-mail discussions with Emotiva last year and their reasoning is that they want "some" light on to show that the unit is working properly. I'm not for that. I mean the red lights come on if something goes wrong, so why not be able to make it totally dark. This is my biggest gripe about this equipment. The blue lights are lasers burning holes through my eyes. They are just so overly bright. The only true fix is the one that's out there in internet land (don't have the link handy but you can google it.) Only problem is that it voids the warrantee. They should have at least added a dimmer setting button, like 3, 2, 1. The light doesn't seem like a big deal to me, just cover it with some electrical tape. Sounds sloppy but you wont even notice.
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Post by Bonzo on Aug 13, 2013 9:02:25 GMT -5
The status LEDs can be turned off but the power button always remains lit. I think it has a very nice illumination to it and I find it quite attractive. The lights are really the last thing to complain about with this amp, it's really splitting hairs at that point! Well we will just have to agree to disagree, and it certainly not splitting hairs to me. There are MANY people who feel the same as me. "Nice illumination?" These lights are ridiculously bright. In a dark room they are obnoxious and impossible to ignore. Perhaps you only use your amps for stereo music listening with all the room lights on? Or your equipment rack is behind you? I use mine for both music and dark room movie watching, and my equipment is up front to the right. The lights are totally distracting and take away from the overall video presentation. It's undeniable. I have undefeatable power lights on my Denon Receiver and DVD player, but they are a "soft green". They can be seen, but they don't project light across the room. Ultimately, I'd like to be able to tune them off too, but they are not totally obnoxious like the Emotiva blue. Perhaps the Gen 2 lights have "nice illumination" because they are dimmer than the Gen 1 lights? From my reading here, and discussions I've had with my friends, there are mostly 2 things people are aesthetically displeased with regarding Emotiva equipment; the trim color, and the blue lights. Trim was a simple and easy fix. All Emotiva had to do for the power button light was add some sort of regulator switch into the line. Like, high (the current setting), med and low. When they made the move to the Gen 2 amp, this was the time to do it, and they didn't. They have this feature on the newer XPR amps (although I don't know which lights exactly the dimmer switch controls), which means they have heard the complaints, so adding it to the Gen 2 amps was a no brainer. A definite missed opportunity on Emotiva's part. And we are not just talking amps here. If I recall properly, one of the complaints on one of the current pre-amps is there is no way to dull the lights. It appears that on the long awaited new $1500 pre-amp there is a dimmer button on the front panel, so Emotiva is listening. Let's just hope that dimmer button includes an "off" setting, and it effects the power button along with all the others, so we can at least loose the blue there. If all those preamp buttons shine bright blue, that alone will be reason enough for me not to consider that pre-amp in my setup, regardless of how good it is. It would be like having a big alien space ship sitting in the corner of my room while I'm trying to watch a movie. No thanks.
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suzyq
Minor Hero
Posts: 31
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Post by suzyq on Aug 13, 2013 9:17:22 GMT -5
One thing I did (to eliminate the admittedly distracting glow of lights) that worked quite well was to purchase a piece of black cloth from a nearby fabric store. I then affixed it to the front of my rack, thus obscuring the entire display. It is easy to move it out of the way when I need access to the equipment.
But I agree with you, Emo should definitely allow for ALL lights to be defeated. And they should come back on for a few seconds whenever a control is used. This is simple stuff to do and would make everyone happier.
Sooz
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Post by Bonzo on Aug 13, 2013 9:23:22 GMT -5
The light doesn't seem like a big deal to me, just cover it with some electrical tape. Sounds sloppy but you wont even notice. What I have done so far that makes a huge difference is that I have cut a "ring" of black vinyl. I have access to a CAD cutting table so the ring is perfect. The ring is about 1/4" thick, so it sticks to the button about 1/16", and to the face plate about 1/16". This ring blocks what I would say is about 75-80% of the obnoxious light. What I see now is just the light that shines through the Emotiva logo in the center. This is SO much better than before, but still not perfect. For the remaining light I first tried using a super fine Sharpie, but the pen is not thin enough to get into the small indented slots of the logo. The next things to try would be something that could be put into the logo slots, with the excess wiped off. Perhaps Testors paint, or a wax material like even a crayon, or heck maybe even Kiwi shoe polish. The issue with this is that if you don't like the result, it's going to be a *bleep* to fix it. This also would eliminate the orange off status light, which I like. Covering entirely with black vinyl is an option for sure, but it won't looks as good in an open equipment rack, and again, you loose the orange "off" status. The ultimate do it yourself fix is to google the fix and do it. It's in Norwegian so you have to translate it. In a nut shell it involves removing the face panel, then removing the power feed to the blue light. This way, the orange light still works when in standby, but when turned on, there are no lights at all. I'll try to find the internet link so you can see the pictures, but here is the translation in blue below. Mini Guide: Get rid of the powerful blue light in the power button on the Thread to
I have for a long time disliked the power buttons Thread to when I see the movie projector. When one is because, as everyone knows depending on that it is completely dark to get the best experience, and all of the high stray light is (at least for me) a nuisance. Especially when it can not be dimmed or turned completely off, as the power button.
Now I've finally taken the time to take a closer look at this issue and concluded that the solution is relatively simple. But it means that you must open the product to tinker a bit. What this does to the warranty I do not know (but I do not care), so if you choose to perform this procedure on your own product, you must be aware that the guarantee may lapse. But why do Thread to knowing that you and I have done this??
The procedure I describe below is for an XPA-1, but I assume it will be quite the same on all amplifiers, at least XPA models.
You will need the following tools:
-A screwdriver (philips) -A small flat screwdriver -A small sharp knife A medium-pliers, clip, etc. -A small pliers, clip, etc. -A little duct tape -A light, so you see what you are doing. -And a camera, so you can document the results on the forum.
Sorry that some of the pictures were a little bad, I only have an old compact camera, but hopefully you see what is happening.
Put the component on a suitable table or workbench, and screw top lid. Drag the component to the edge of the table so you get to the bottom, and unscrew the 4 screws at the front.
Drag the component onto the table so that you have about 20cm available in advance, and unscrew the 5 screws at the top of the front.
Now the front loose and you can put it down gently so. Power button and the diodes is that you see on the small circuit board. Unscrew the 2 screws holding it in place.
How it looks on the back.
And so it appears on the front page.
As you can see there are 2 blue LEDs, and 2 yellow (or amber as the Thread to call them) They have unfortunately been a little paste the link to stay connected in place, this makes it a little difficult to unplug the cord. But try to carefully cut the glue around the edges with a knife.
Insert a small flat screwdriver between the plug and socket so that the glue lets go.
Then grasp the mid-sized bar and buttons on the plug. Do not tear and toil like a fool here now, as you risk breaking one or more of the small pins that are soldered to the PCB. Try rikle bit back and forth while pulling gently, it's going to end.
As you can see from this angle, is the leader from above NR2 connected to contact B is the blue diodes.
Use the small flat screwdriver to depress the small tab that holds NR2 leads into the plug. You can benefit from using one that is smaller than the one pictured.
Then just pull out the head with the little rod.
The loose head isolate and secure the bundle with tape so it can not catch and throw. Also connect the card with the cord.
As you know this is the second easiest way to do it. The easiest would be to just cut the head that goes on the blue diodes, to eliminate the need also to release the cable from the card. But I would recommend that you do it the way I have indicated, since you may need to connect again later in the event of resale or
Now it's just putting it all again, you're done. Can replace all screws now??
The result will look like this: As usual when it is OFF.
And without blue lights when ON.
This was the even finer, I think The little LED in the display (which can be turned off as desired) is good enough indication that the component is on. Below you can see how this is in the darkAnd here is the reply I got from Emotiva regarding doing this below in red. Hello. The standby status lamp is a fixed value illumination because as the LED status panel lamps are turned off, the Standby status lamp acts as a power normal operation indicator and a fault indicator hence its fixed brightness. Using colored films over the switch will dim the intensity of the blue halo without hindering the operation XPA-2. The procedure you see below would apply to the XPA-2. Please note you will void the warranty if any modifications such as below is performed.
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Post by Bonzo on Aug 13, 2013 9:29:21 GMT -5
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Post by Bonzo on Aug 13, 2013 9:33:52 GMT -5
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