Help! Gain impedance too high for vintage setups?

[fenominal]

Hey guys, quick tech question.

My XSP-1g2 outputs 1v, but I enjoy listening to two vintage speaker setups, and both require an external EQ or active electronic crossover. These external devices (from the 70s) were made for as much as 150mv. In both setups, I get either clipping sounds and no music (Bose 901 v1), or beautiful music with a lot of low frequency hum (ESS AMT-1a bi-amped with ESS active electronic crossover + XPA2g2 powering low frequency + tube amp powering the high frequency).

Removing the external devices, the speakers play music without issue (but the Bose sound like crap, and the ESS with passive crossover is grainy and fatiguing).

I have already tried grounding the external devices' chassis to the XSP phono ground, and in both cases it made no difference. I don't want to buy a different pre-amp (I'm brand loyal to Emo) or third-party electronic crossover (aesthetics).

Any other suggestions?

jason

[socketman]

It sounds to me like you need to do a search for a line level attenuator. I am sure you can find something in your price range whatever that may be.

[jackfish]

www.rothwellaudioproducts.co.uk/html/attenuators.html

www.hlabs.com/products/attenuators/

[Gary Cook]

Dec 15, 2017 19:35:16 GMT -5 socketman said:

It sounds to me like you need to do a search for a line level attenuator. I am sure you can find something in your price range whatever that may be.

+ 1 on the attenuators

Establishing the attenuation required is the tricky bit and good attenuators aren't cheap. My guess is 3 db won't be enough, so I'd try 6 db and see how that goes. You local pro audio shop might even lend you a pair of used ones or hire them, so you can try various values.


Merry Xmas to all
Gary