TFM-45 Observations (looking for feedback)

I just received a Carver TFM-45 to replace my TFM-25 feeding my Polk SDA-1Cs. The 45 was serviced in 2005 by Rita and I have the service order.

I am observing things in the 45 that my 25 did exhibit and would like your thoughts. Location, cables and so forth are exactly the same as the 25. It was a direct swap out.

Power on with 25 had a very solid relay click right after power up and power down. The 45 does not have this click or any click just a momentary low level sounding buzz that last about a second that tapers down to no buzz, sound is coming from the unit itself.

Upon power up there is a low level what sounds almost like a power hum coming from the tweeters on the Polks. I have to place my ears about 4" from tweeters to heard it. Does not get louder but is always present even if the 45 is only thing powered on.

Upon power off there is a very slight thump and the peak meter jumps to .01 then back to 0.

These observations may be normal for the 45 do not know but since my 25 not not do any of this I thought I would ask people here who may own or have owned a TFM-45.

Other than these observations the 45 and 25 sound the same, great.

Thanks,

Tracy

Hi Tracy , I have a TFM 35 , it doesnt do any of the stuff your 25 or 45 do , the only thing it does weird is that when im pushing my AL-III,s ( loud ) and im peaking the meters the lights on the meters dim alot at peak levels . It sounds like you might have issues with the 45....Hopefully others will chime in...

Somebody will pound me if I'm wrong, but...........from the best of my recollection..............

The tfm45 is a mag field amp, the 25 is not. The power-on buzz and the slight power-off thump are common traits in that amp.

I was talking to Rolland a little while ago, and he said the low hum/buzz is normal as the power supply warms up...
My Lightstar amps do the same thing to some extent.
Give him a call for more details.

CarverAudioRepair Center
Hi-Tech Audio Ltd.
2125 SW 19th St.
Gresham Oregon 97080

Office: (503) 618-7605
Fax: (503) 674-8593
http://www.carveraudiorepair.com

Thanks all, seems like my observations are pretty standard for a TFM-45.

I have a 42 and a 45 TFM and they both hum when turned on and thump when turned off

plus the lights dim a bit

Pp

I have a 42 and a 45 TFM and they both hum when turned on and thump when turned off

plus the lights dim a bit
Pp

I had a pair of 45's way back... those suckers were "breaker trippers" for sure !!!
They'll suck every bit of a 10 amp circuit dry.

Check the gauge of the wire in the wall, if it's big enough, drop in a 20 amp breaker, it might help a little with the lights
(but probably not)

My TFM-35 has the "click" at power up only,it's had that since it was brand new and was explained in the manual(I think) as a delay caused by a self diagnostic, checking for shorts etc. All amps TFM-35 and below are not mag field/triac type but with a TFM-45 you've got one On page 3 of thread linked below is Rolland's simplified explanation (for non-technical dummies like ME !)
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=6700&hilit=nogo&start=30

OH Yeah, I forgot to ask....Do your 1-Cs sound better with the "45" ???

Yes, I think they sound better, sound stage is more centered but I have not had a chance to do much listening but for sure the sound stage is more centered or has a better centered presence.

I do appriciate everyone's response, just knowing the observations are normal makes it sound better if know what I mean.

Thanks for the info , the 1 thing that gets me is that my 35 SAYS mag field on it...oh well

So do the TFM-2X series and they are not mag coil designs either. Damned Marketing people!!!

Like I said I have not had a lot of time to do critical listening but the TFM-25 the 45 replaced sounded very sweet and juicy like these nutz.. I think the 45 is an upgrade but the 25 is no slouch.

My TFM45 does the usual warm up "hum" for about 2 seconds as everything powers up, but the "hum" does NOT come through the speakers. I will also mention that when I power it off it is 100% totally silent on power off, and there is absolutely no noises through the speakers. If you are experiencing a "pop" or similar noise through your speakers when you power your 45 down my opinion is this is not normal. I would not necessarily say that it is the fault of your amplifier. It could be a wiring issue with the wiring in your home. An example for you is the issue we had with our sub making a "pop" when I would turn off the little fan that my wife used to move air for her plants in our garden window. The problem was quite simple... The dipshit that wired the recept that the sub was plugged into did not bother to hook up the ground to the recept! I re-did the connections to the recept and hooked up the ground wire to it and problem solved.. no more "pop" from the sub.
In my opinion I think it would be a good idea for you to address this issue because it may not be harming your gear, but I don't think it can be doing it any good either. Sincerely,

Rainman