2. best-of
  3. 1055496875

The Scariest Story Ever Told?

What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you while listening to your high end audio system? Your story can involve anything, from buying an outrageously expensive component that sounded terrible when you turned on your system or a mishap that cost you lots of money to repair or buying tubes only to discover that the boxes were empty.

Last night, while I was talking to a good friend of mine over the telephone, I heard a loud "pop" through my left speaker and soon thereafter, some static. I immediately inspected my amplifier only to discover that one of my left channel output "vacuum tubes" was on fire (internal flame within the tube, believe it or not!) Now, that blew my mind! Fortunately, it only turned out to be a tube going bad and my amplifier did not short-out. Thank God!

I must admit that I nearly had a heart attack and felt lost without my trustworthy and extremely loved Berning amplifier.

hawaiikid
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
I can speak to what i once witnessed. When I was a kid, we were visiting some fellow's house and he let me see his room, which would have competede with the most outrageous of virtual systems I have seen posted here.

Anyway, he put his wine on the shelf and told me to touch nothing. As he reached over to flip a switch he bumped the wine which poured into the biggest tube amp I had ever seen.

The kitchen fire extinguisher averted an even bigger catastrophy.
kurt_tank
1,188 posts
 
About 15 years ago, I was looking to purchase a new amp to replace my trusty old Conrad Johnson MV 50. I had a contact at a stereo shop in San Francisco who would lend you an amp, as long as you gave him a credit card payment (just in case of course). I borrowed a Counterpoint hybrid amp to try out with my Counterpoint preamp. I then fired up the amp to do do some testing with a friend. The term "fired" up quickly became the operative word when the amp made a large pop and flames shot out of the amp toward the ceiling!! I quickly turned it off and did my best big, bad wolf impression and blew the flames out!
I then had the unfortunate task of bringing it back to the store and informing him of the problem. Like the true gentleman that he was, he did not bat an eye, took it back and gave me back my credit card slip. (I wish he was still in business, as he was a credit to his profession!)
kinsekd
252 posts
 
I had just installed a black diamond racing shelf underneath my turntable. Turned on my tubed preamp, and power amp to settle in for a long night of spinning vinyl. All of a sudden, I heard what sounded like a shotgun blast coming from the vicinity of my fairly expensive Audio Research amplifier. Then I smelled sickly sweet smell of burning electronics. Along with a tell tale column of gray smoke. I immediately developed a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and a dull ache in the vicinity of my wallet. My Christmas vacation was just starting and here I was with no way to play my tunes.

Fortunately, it didn't turn out to be too expensive. And they had my amp back to me within a week. Thank you Nicholson's.
kublakhan
717 posts
 
Lotta problems here with audio research fires!

I was 12, my dad wasn't home. he had two arc d-60 amps in mono and acoustat speakers, etc. i loved the sound.

i was getting a suntan (san diego) outside playing neil young as loud as the stereo would go. i came in for a drink of water and the amps (in a wood cabinet!) were on fire and the music was still playing! neighbors happened to be banging on the door to tell me to turn the stereo down at the same time. why did i pause to open the door? no idea. i told them the stereo was on fire. the look in their eyes was priceless...their house was VERY close to ours. i ran into the kitchen filled a large bucket of water and threw it on the entire system - the amps, preamp, nak 700zxl, splashing a little bit over the oracle delphi.

sorry, dad.
blkadr
731 posts
 
My story is a little different and less expensive. When I was in highschool many moons ago, my friend had a rockin' party one saturday while his parents were out of town. He put his stereo outside and we drank and... we were having a very good time. A live Frank Zappa album blaired out of his marginally mid-fi system as his dad pulled up. His dad was getting out of the car just as Frank was addressing the croud " if your not here to have a F-ing good time...
More to discover