Audio Aero Capitole MK II: Performance & Problems
Badwisdom I'm from Mauritius, which is closer to France than the US. There are no AA dealers in my country; the unit was purchased in France and I did not want to risk it having problems and only then act. I talked to Mr Combelles of Audio Aero who understood my apprehension and was very kind to offer me a straight swap. Maybe my French did the trick! |
I received my brand new unit two days ago. It was manufactured in July (I understand that pre July units may have contained the old software) and has the new chip (confirmed by Mr Combelles in person). Initially, the unit could not read any discs but that was because I did not place the "puck" on the disc. It was my fault but the manual makes no mention of the necessity of locking the disc with the puck! Sattothestars: many thanks for your advice. Else, the player is playing flawlessly: no tracking problems, no cutoffs between tracks, no skipping, and all buttons on the remote are working perfectly. However, if the sliding drawer is opened whilst in play, the unit stops playing immediately. Also, the (new?) manual explicitly mentions that the drawer should remain closed. But someone stated earlier that leaving the drawer open may yield improved sonics. Could it be that the new chip requires the lid to remain closed? |
Listener: I have the new chip and my remote has no problem with reverting to the previous track. I have realised the importance of proper isolation to obtain good performance. Shifting it from the bare rack to the floor (which is carpeted by a very thick material) improves the sound by an unbelievable amount. Suddenly, the speakers disappear, the sound is much livelier, rich and full of emotion. This is an amazing piece of equipment! And it has only about 50 hrs on it! |
Tireguy The best way to find out what's wrong with your player is to use another CD player (not DVD) as transport only and connect it to the Capitole using a digital cable. If your system still does not play, your Capitole should go back to the dealer. If it plays, the problem you mention above lies in the other source, not in your Capitole. |
Listener I tried my Micromega Stage 6 CD player as transport and the Capitole as DAC (using RCA digital cable) and no problem at all. Once you select the coaxial input (either with remote or the button in the CDP) everything else should be automatic and the DAC should play. I suspect that your player has some problem that should be understood and sorted out by your dealer. At the same time they should upgrade your chip. This is the safest option. Guessing and playing around too much with the buttons may cause harm to the player. |
Badwisdom, Can you provide more inof on the P3 software? Where have your read it? The AA website makes no mention of this new software? I understand from an earlier post that the new chip P2 was going to cure all problems such as bug, tracking etc., why the need for the P3? is the P2 having problems? |
Has anybody tried the Mark II with a quality transport? I recall an earlier post claiming Capitole MKI + Esoteric P2 transport to upset the MKI player on its own. Well, I'm embarrased to state that my Capitole, fed by a Micromega Stage 6 CD player as transport, produces (in my system) a more musical, smoother and more seductive sound than on its own! It took only a few seconds even for my wife to spot that! My Capitole is fully burnt in with about 600 hrs on it. I'd be interested in having your feedback. |
Louisl: I understand that the 10,000hrs refer to the duration the unit is powered on (the back switch), irrespective of whether it is playing music or not. If you read the manual carefully, it mentions somewhere that if the unit is not in use for a long time, to maximise the tube's lifetime, the unit should be powered off. I suggest that you send an e-mail to Mr Combelles and ask him if the tube can be replaced by the user, and let us know. |
Louisl: Jean Paul Combelles is the sales manager of Audio Aero company and is the key person behind all sales/problems/issues of Audio Aero. His e-mail is: [email protected] Best luck |
My Capitole (P2 chip, after 3 months use, has started its quirks and occasionally misreads the disc. At other times, it refuses to play, with the timer standing still at 00. I talked to Audio Aero and was informed that the P2 chip may contain some software problem. They are sending me a free software upgrade; I believe it's the P4. I'm not in the US! Anyone with the P3 or P4 chip encountered any problems? thanks lall |
Hi Matt With my CDP, balance adjustment is easy: keep pressing one of the four buttons on the left side of the player (do not release) until you hear a click sound. Release the button and press again, stepwise now, until you see the balance function. Adjust according to requirement. This can also be done from the remote control. Matt, send me an e-mail if you need further detail. I don't know if it's same with the P3 or P4 chip. Should be! |
Mejames: thanks for the clarifying to Golden ears. Yes my last post was dated 11/13/02 and my Capitole is working very fine. I am now trying to get the best out of my new speakers, the Kharma CRM 1.2. Due to the heavy weight, speaker positioning is not an easy job. But the Capitole is a clear winner and I will stick with it for a very long time. |
