Archon issues?

hansenolsen

New Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2018
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3
Hi, new guy here

I just recently bought a store demo Archon 100 from early 2014 (january?). It was shipped to me, and upon arrival I thought that I had to turn the amp up too high on the master of the lead channel to get a usable volume (3 o clock), and to get usable distortion I almost had to max out the gain. By comparison mye 6505+ and Victory Kraken would be on below nine o clock to get the same volume.

I changed the tubes, and that did improve things, so now I can have the master around noon, and the gain around four o clock to get an ok amount of gain. If I use a clean boost things do improve, but I did expect the amp to have more distortion on its own. I do have a suspicion that something isn't quite right. Can anyone chip in?

(The bias is correct btw)
 
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please describe "usable volume" and "usable distortion." I have the 50 watt head. Gain at 9:00 is more than many people would want. Volume at 3:00 would blow the windows.
 
If you are experienced with the 6505+, I would have the gain at 10-11 o clock to something similar as four o clock om the Archon. I also have to have the master more than three times higher than the 6505+ to achieve the same volume. If this is understandable?

The channel volume (master) on the 6505+ at 8 o clock is more than enough to be heard in a band setting, I have to have the Archon past 12 to get the same result.

I also have a 50w Victory VX Kraken, and that is quite similar to the 6505+ when it comes to setting levels, so that's why I was quite surprised. The Archon is also extremely quiet, and has no hiss at all on the lead channel, unlike every other high gain amp I've ever used before, but I understand that is one of the accolades of the Archon?
 
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If you are experienced with the 6505+, I would have the gain at 10-11 o clock to something similar as four o clock om the Archon. I also have to have the master more than three times higher than the 6505+ to achieve the same volume. If this is understandable?

Don't have experience with 6505 but don't need too in this case. Something is wrong with your Archon. NOBODY turns the gain up 4:00 on an Archon. At noon it's more gain than you can ever want. turning it past there is so much gain it almost doesn't really add anything more, just get's more uncontrollable. And 9:00 on the master of my 50 is louder than I can usually get away with at home. By noon, you can't be near the amp.

Something is up with yours. Assuming you are check tubes, contact your dealer ASAP. If you haven't checked tubes, that's always the first thing.
 
Something sounds fishy. Any 100w amp, both gain and master at noon, should generate more SPL than most stages would accommodate.
 
That's what I feared. None of my other tube amps behave like this, but I thought I'd ask here anyway, just in
case the taper could have been unorthodox on this amp, but ut doesn't really sound like that is the case.

Will be checking with the dealer.
 
I have a name...

And I agree, something sounds off w/this particular amp. Lack of volume is definitely not something that goes with this amp.

Concur. I can scare off neighbors, and kill small rodents when I crank mine. Not to mention rafter rattling and blowing out windows,
 
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