brianboru said:FMAK - My 300iL was bought brand new from the US. I got it to work by using the 2+2+2 combo which Tor found out was OK for 240V (he has US 300il too). The chip that detects line frequency on mine allows 50/60hz. Tor's has a different chip (his machine is slighlty older) which doesn't allow this. [...]
On a side note: my remote control ain't working. You reckon Absolute Sounds will give me a new one?
The remote not working might very well be due to the amp running on a different frequency, since the remote control command decoding is probably done in software. This might be the hardest one to crack.
Reprogramming the microcontroller in the amp is not that hard to do, but would require european software from another, already converted amp.
fmak said:
The amp doesn't come out of standby mode, so it appers it's the microcontroller software that halts after checking the frequency. I haven't looked to closely on the chips on the front panel board (it seems to be fastened to the front panel by nonstandard allen key screws), but there's probably a reference crystal there.
Since the input selection and volume is controlled by the microcontroller, it needs to be operative to have a useful amplifier.
Hello
On the Krell Showcase, an opto coupler transform the sinus of the supply in a TTL square signal at the frequency of the line : 60 Hz or 50 Hz.
This circuit goes to the micro computer on the face.
You make a little oscillator in Cmos (two nand gates, a resistor and a capa), you pick 5V supply on the PCB, you make it run at 60 Hz, you cut the circuit on the PCB which come from the opto coupler, you put your own oscillator...
It works great!
The Krell see 60 Hz, but the line is at 50 Hz.
It starts, detects the 60 Hz nd all is good.
I just was very lucky when I found the good place on the PCB (a yellow opto coupler near the 5 volts power supply)
Philippe
On the Krell Showcase, an opto coupler transform the sinus of the supply in a TTL square signal at the frequency of the line : 60 Hz or 50 Hz.
This circuit goes to the micro computer on the face.
You make a little oscillator in Cmos (two nand gates, a resistor and a capa), you pick 5V supply on the PCB, you make it run at 60 Hz, you cut the circuit on the PCB which come from the opto coupler, you put your own oscillator...
It works great!
The Krell see 60 Hz, but the line is at 50 Hz.
It starts, detects the 60 Hz nd all is good.
I just was very lucky when I found the good place on the PCB (a yellow opto coupler near the 5 volts power supply)
Philippe
traderbam said:I'm still amazed they'd do something so cynical as to detect mains frequency to stop grey imports.
Still waiting to hear fromNELSON
In fact, the main transformer in the show case has all the windings necessaries to work with 220 V. This modification was made very easily with provided straps with faston connectors on the main board.
When we made this, all the supplies (5 V digital, + and - 15 Volts analogic and so on) were good, but the starting sequence hang and nothing happenned after switching on.
When we put the 60 Hz oscillator, the screen said "60 Hz, the version of soft" and then we were able to use the showcase (volume, parameters and so on...)
This fact shows us how a brand can protect the import/export business.
The "factory modification" made by import is the changing of an Eprom.
My modification is a CD4011 (four Cmos nand), a capacitor and a resistor.
Philippe
This fact shows us how a brand can protect the import/export business.
The "factory modification" made by import is the changing of an Eprom.
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This is not protection but extortion. It means that consumers cannot move with their units unless they pay $1000.
Wise brands don't do things like this, only to be defeated by mods like yours.
The "factory modification" made by import is the changing of an Eprom.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is not protection but extortion. It means that consumers cannot move with their units unless they pay $1000.
Wise brands don't do things like this, only to be defeated by mods like yours.
I measured across the live/neutral again on 2+2+2 and got 4.8. I have a digital multimeter that hops all over the shop but 4.8 seemed to be where it was going. If I measured again I'd prob get a different result 
The Australian distributor has changed his tune after consulting with the Krell service agent in Australia. I asked him if it was OK for me to pay the $100 and be told how to do it at home, but he tells me now that software and parts need to be ordered and that "most of the people who have parallel imported Krell gear in the past have ended up spending more on it than they would have if they bought it locally."
If I was the CEO of Krell I'd perform the voltage conversions for free/tell people how to do them and then if they wanted repairs tell them to send it back to the US or pay to get it repaired at local distributor. If I buy the unit in the UK through distributor I'd expect distributor to repair it for free. If in time I see that most people are importing them off their own back, then maybe i'd consider ditching the distributor. Getting rid of the middle man = lower prices, more sales, more money. It's probably totally unpractical to get rid of the distributor, but hey, i'm biased.
The Australian distributor has changed his tune after consulting with the Krell service agent in Australia. I asked him if it was OK for me to pay the $100 and be told how to do it at home, but he tells me now that software and parts need to be ordered and that "most of the people who have parallel imported Krell gear in the past have ended up spending more on it than they would have if they bought it locally."
If I was the CEO of Krell I'd perform the voltage conversions for free/tell people how to do them and then if they wanted repairs tell them to send it back to the US or pay to get it repaired at local distributor. If I buy the unit in the UK through distributor I'd expect distributor to repair it for free. If in time I see that most people are importing them off their own back, then maybe i'd consider ditching the distributor. Getting rid of the middle man = lower prices, more sales, more money. It's probably totally unpractical to get rid of the distributor, but hey, i'm biased.
pricing
How much price difference is reasonable between US and UK?
Earlier I quoted list prices for Pass X250 that I got off the dealers websites. The X250 costs US$10300 in the UK and $6000 in the US. How can the $4300 difference be accounted for?
Bear in mind that the US price already contains the costs of mfr, distribution, marketing and servicing. It already contains the dealer/distributor mark-up. The latter is typically 50%. It wouldn't surprise me if, in the US, Pass Labs earn $3000 per unit sold.
On this assumption, in the US the distribution/dealer network earn $3000 per X250 sold. What does Pass earn from units sold outside the US? There is a shipping cost - but they have this in the US anyhow (US is a big country); but let's add $300 per unit for airfreight charge. There will also be an EU import duty, the size of which I don't know, but I'd guess of the order of 20% of the price AS pay for the unit. So the minimum price AS would pay might be ($3000+$300)x1.2=$4000 approx. Customer pays $10300 so AS&dealer get $6300. This is twice the profit that the distributor/dealer get in the US.
I can't conceive of why the cost of distribution/dealers should be double in the UK over the US. But perhaps there is another possibility. It may just be that in the UK the optimum price/profit point is different to that in the US. The price elasticity (how the volume of sales changes with price) is different in the UK market. It is no crime for a company to charge the optimum price in a region to maximize it's profits. If so, I suspect Pass and AS are splitting the difference between them. So Nelson may not want tourists to buy Pass amps in the US because he earns a few thousand dollars more on an export. Not even taking into account US export tax incentives.
Here's a complete guess of the breakdown of X250 sold in UK:
$3000 Pass Labs standard price to distributor/dealer
$3000 US distributor/dealer mark-up and local sales tax
$1000 Export costs and EU import duty
$1000 Estimated difference in sales tax (UK is 17.5%)
$2300 Exceptional profit (shared between Pass and AS?)
Is the $2300 of eceptional profit justified by the UK market price-elasticity?
How much price difference is reasonable between US and UK?
Earlier I quoted list prices for Pass X250 that I got off the dealers websites. The X250 costs US$10300 in the UK and $6000 in the US. How can the $4300 difference be accounted for?
Bear in mind that the US price already contains the costs of mfr, distribution, marketing and servicing. It already contains the dealer/distributor mark-up. The latter is typically 50%. It wouldn't surprise me if, in the US, Pass Labs earn $3000 per unit sold.
On this assumption, in the US the distribution/dealer network earn $3000 per X250 sold. What does Pass earn from units sold outside the US? There is a shipping cost - but they have this in the US anyhow (US is a big country); but let's add $300 per unit for airfreight charge. There will also be an EU import duty, the size of which I don't know, but I'd guess of the order of 20% of the price AS pay for the unit. So the minimum price AS would pay might be ($3000+$300)x1.2=$4000 approx. Customer pays $10300 so AS&dealer get $6300. This is twice the profit that the distributor/dealer get in the US.
I can't conceive of why the cost of distribution/dealers should be double in the UK over the US. But perhaps there is another possibility. It may just be that in the UK the optimum price/profit point is different to that in the US. The price elasticity (how the volume of sales changes with price) is different in the UK market. It is no crime for a company to charge the optimum price in a region to maximize it's profits. If so, I suspect Pass and AS are splitting the difference between them. So Nelson may not want tourists to buy Pass amps in the US because he earns a few thousand dollars more on an export. Not even taking into account US export tax incentives.
Here's a complete guess of the breakdown of X250 sold in UK:
$3000 Pass Labs standard price to distributor/dealer
$3000 US distributor/dealer mark-up and local sales tax
$1000 Export costs and EU import duty
$1000 Estimated difference in sales tax (UK is 17.5%)
$2300 Exceptional profit (shared between Pass and AS?)
Is the $2300 of eceptional profit justified by the UK market price-elasticity?
Re: pricing
On this assumption, in the US the distribution/dealer network earn $3000 per X250 sold. What does Pass earn from units sold outside the US? There is a shipping cost - but they have this in the US anyhow (US is a big country); but let's add $300 per unit for airfreight charge. There will also be an EU import duty, the size of which I don't know, but I'd guess of the order of 20% of the price AS pay for the unit. So the minimum price AS would pay might be ($3000+$300)x1.2=$4000 approx. Customer pays $10300 so AS&dealer get $6300. This is twice the profit that the distributor/dealer get in the US.
I can't conceive of why the cost of distribution/dealers should be double in the UK over the US. But perhaps there is another possibility. -------------------------------------------------------------------
This is where dealers in the far east are much more honest. They price at the US price, take the margin as profit, and even offer small discounts.
The practice here (UK) is based on the cartel principle and hype on brand desirability. The former is illegal.
If public schools can be fined for price fixing, why can't hi-fi dealers be?
On this assumption, in the US the distribution/dealer network earn $3000 per X250 sold. What does Pass earn from units sold outside the US? There is a shipping cost - but they have this in the US anyhow (US is a big country); but let's add $300 per unit for airfreight charge. There will also be an EU import duty, the size of which I don't know, but I'd guess of the order of 20% of the price AS pay for the unit. So the minimum price AS would pay might be ($3000+$300)x1.2=$4000 approx. Customer pays $10300 so AS&dealer get $6300. This is twice the profit that the distributor/dealer get in the US.
I can't conceive of why the cost of distribution/dealers should be double in the UK over the US. But perhaps there is another possibility. -------------------------------------------------------------------
This is where dealers in the far east are much more honest. They price at the US price, take the margin as profit, and even offer small discounts.
The practice here (UK) is based on the cartel principle and hype on brand desirability. The former is illegal.
If public schools can be fined for price fixing, why can't hi-fi dealers be?
tbla said:FMAK
i'm not shure that the 2 2 2 voltage code works in my kps20i......no smoke but i will open the thing again and have a look/smell.
you were right, its a bit picky to open....
troels
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I posted the instructions from Krell verbatimm. Works on mine, which is very late model.
They didn't put the bloody frequency detector in, did they?
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