Using REL with Ref 110?

[Bavarian05]

Any current owners of ARC Ref 110:

Please tell me how you have your lead wires attached to your output taps on the Ref 110.
I am using a R528 and am getting differing info from my dealer and the REL manual. If I understand correctly, I think the ARC is a differential design, correct?
If so, there is a different connection scheme. Please clarify.
I thank you for any info or input in advance...

[Mr. Big]

Originally Posted by Bavarian05

Any current owners of ARC Ref 110:

Please tell me how you have your lead wires attached to your output taps on the Ref 110.
I am using a R528 and am getting differing info from my dealer and the REL manual. If I understand correctly, I think the ARC is a differential design, correct?
If so, there is a different connection scheme. Please clarify.
I thank you for any info or input in advance...

When i had an R328 hooked to my Ref75, which is also a differential amp, I had the red lead connected to the right positive speaker terminal, the yellow to the left positive and the black to a chassis screw. Worked fine for me.

[Bavarian05]

Originally Posted by Mr. Big

When i had an R328 hooked to my Ref75, which is also a differential amp, I had the red lead connected to the right positive speaker terminal, the yellow to the left positive and the black to a chassis screw. Worked fine for me.

Thank you.
ARC told me to connect the red and yellow wire to the 8 ohm taps (regardless of which output taps are driving the speakers and the black to the 4 ohm post (either side is fine). I tried doing it the way the manual explains and had no luck. Tried connecting black to chassis screws on both the amp and preamp with no luck... At least I got it figured out. I was getting a little frustrated last night.

[Still-One]

Be careful. I know with some amps you do not make connections to the - binding posts on amps like the 1.2k's. I had to connect to the screw on the amp chassis.

[audioguy3107]

Originally Posted by Bavarian05

Thank you.
ARC told me to connect the red and yellow wire to the 8 ohm taps (regardless of which output taps are driving the speakers and the black to the 4 ohm post (either side is fine). I tried doing it the way the manual explains and had no luck. Tried connecting black to chassis screws on both the amp and preamp with no luck... At least I got it figured out. I was getting a little frustrated last night.

That is correct what they told you. I was in the same boat with 2 REL Britannia B-2s and apparently, their manuals were written incorrectly according to a representative from REL. There is a discussion on Audio Asylum about this very thing......Charles Hanson (Ayre head honcho) said that he called REL to clarify how you would do this with one of Ayre's balanced amplifiers so as not to damage the amplifier or subwoofer. He confirmed that you would hook both the red and yellow together to the terminals of the 8 ohm tap and the black lead to a chassis screw. I believe that the 4 ohm post on the ARC amplifier acts as the same thing as attaching to the ground screw of any other amplifier.

[microstrip]

Originally Posted by audioguy3107

(...) I believe that the 4 ohm post on the ARC amplifier acts as the same thing as attaching to the ground screw of any other amplifier.

Bingo - and much better practice than using chassis screws! The secondary of the output transformers of ARC tube amplifiers are balanced around the 4 ohm tap, that is grounded. In order to connect the REL cables to the ARC you should connect the ground of the REL cable to the 4 ohm tap and the signal to the 16 ohm. You can also connect the signal to 0 ohm tap, but it will invert the signal - you will need to compensate for it in the phase control of the sub woofer.

Remember that in a centrally balanced output transformer the (-) phase is 0 ohm and the (+) phase is the 16 ohm, not the 8 ohm!

Some people prefer to connect the signal wire of the subwoofer to the 8 ohm tap - they get an in phase, reduced amplitude signal.

[4RE]

in case of two REL subs the red and yellow wires go together for LH and RH sub, and hooked up to LH and RH output on the amp. The REL manual mention this in a briefly way, like an possibility or 'in case of' using two subwoofers. In my view doing true stereo is the only way regarding subwoofers, and REL offers two key design elements:
highlevel connection and true stereo setup. The summing of LH/RH is just a silly idea concerning our beloved hobby is about STEREO

[Harlequin]

Most interesting microstrip .

For my part , in my own system ( Ref150 > ML CLX ) I take the signal off of the CLX's speaker binding posts and run that via a second set of cables to the speaker line in binding posts on my ML Descent i sub.

If I am interpreting your post , alternatively, I may also take the signal feeding the sub directly off the ( 4 Ohm/Neg , 16 Ohm/Pos ) output taps on the Ref150 , would this be correct ?

I have , and prefer , the CLX's running off of the Ref150's (0 Ohm - / 8 Ohm + ) taps .

Jasper.