realworld experience: Kharma subwoofer + 3.2 CRM

I know the drivers have a year waranty from time of purchase, so if you buy new you have some added insurance. I can not say if people continue to have problems but I know of at least 4 people off the top of my head who have had 7" ceramic mids either crack or completely blow apart.

Tireguy, any idea why that has happened? Are the ceramic cones really that fragile? Perhaps some residual stresses that eventually manifest themselves?

Brian

The Kharma websites says they have a 5 year warranty for the original purchaser. From Tireguy's description it sounds like there is a serious issue with the ceramic driver. Could people who have experienced this driver failure please comment?

Tim isn't the first person who has told me about problems with the midrange ceramique drivers. I have heard this may be especially true with the 3.x series speakers, where the 7" driver is also the bass driver.

On the other hand, last month I was truly mesmerized by a recent audition of the Kharma Exquisite Midi's paired with the Tenor 150HPs and AA Capitole MK II CDP. In all of my auditioning of various speakers, I have never experienced the wall to wall expansive soundstaging, the remarkable disappearing act, and the glorious midrange like I did with that Kharma. Overall, they were extremely moving and musical, just a thrill to listen for hours on end. As much as I would love to get a fraction of that Kharma sound with the lower priced Grand Ceramique or Ceramique speakers, I am not too happy to think that they are prone to frequent driver failure as Tim suggests. I am curious just how big a problem this really is ? Does the warranty cover this for 5 years ?

For the record I know of 2 exquisite owners who have had driver failures, 1 midi grand and 1 3.2. The good news is to the best of my limited knowledge about this all drivers were covered under waranty. I am also unsure of repeat failures, it could have been a rare problem or bad drivers from the supplier, I don't really know what causes this, I just know that it has happened to more then a few people. I don't want do seem like I am in any way saying they are inferior speakers because I really like Kharma speakers- just sharing information that I have gathered in my travels of audio.

Thom_y If you were impressed with an audio aero cap. MKII based system you will be awe struck with the Emm labs combo. I hadn't listened to a Cap. MKII since I sold mine and that was quite a long time ago and I had been listening to Emm labs for many months. Well last night I visited a friend who still has a Cap. MKII and as much as I hate to say it, the DCC2 sounds more like my friends analog front end(basis 2500, graham 2.2, koetsu signature rosewood platinum or what ever its called{you know the expensive one:^)} and an aesthetix IO) then it does like his Audio Aero! I was really stunned. We started listening to his system which I hadn't listened to in a while and I was getting used to it but it seemed to lack detail and transparency as I had become accustomed to after a little while we started listening to vinyl and it was much more like what I am used to hearing(sans the ticks and pops of course).