I love Xantech gear and have used their product for many years, but I am wondering if anyone else out their in install land has issues with getting ACCURATE techincal and installation info from their manuals(their call in tech support is great though). It seems like everytime I use a new piece of gear from them their is some misinformation about with the product can and cannot do. I.E. their ZC21 two zone connecting block(two grounds and no status???) shows using a 789-44 from the common output, but later in the manual it says it is not possible. Also do any of you guys have a list of the output and input voltages of Xantech devices, as they do not list this info in any of their manuals.

As I understand it, Speakercraft now has one of the top Xantech guys working with them. I have found their stuff to be better and lower priced than Xantech. Customer support I am not real sure about a comparison for that, but I have had no complaints about their stuff.

My app manual shows a 791-44 fed by the common output.

781rg- 200mA
782-00- 1000mA

730-00 draws 65mA
Smartpad 85mA
IR Receivers- 2mA W/O Signal, 10ma with
Emitters are usually 3mA each

I have known a couple of the guys at Xantech for a while...but they are gone.

Some time ago a large corporation bought the company, and things changed. The operation was streamlined from a business point of view, but it became a lot less fun to work there. I know two tech guys and a previous chief engineer, and they are all gone. Another guy, whom I only spoke to rarely as that was for more in-depth info, is also gone.

The present crew are now very good at giving solutions, although I got some answers about a year ago that showed they knew some facts but did not understand the innards of the Xantech devices. This has also improved.

As for the voltages and such, the tech crew do not really get what the circuits are. Imagine the confusion at the other end of the phone when I asked if the output circuit of a dinky link was an emitter follower, or a common emitter, or what. There was just a silent question mark in the air until the person said he did not have that information.

They have never wanted to give out schematics, and probably rightly so as it is much easier for another company to copy a schematic than to figure something out for themselves. This makes some of our really custom stuff more difficult, but I have finally resorted to using a scope, several resistors, and a pad of paper to see what the devices do under different conditions in order to infer what the output circuitry is like. This works pretty well, but you have to be ready to spend your time, not the customer's, to do it.

You what's interesting? Speakercraft was purchased by the same parent company that owns Xantech. You would figure that they would get together and come up with even better or new type of products. But unfortunately they're only helping each other for sourcing and production of product overseas.

Wil
HomeTheaterTech.com

Keep in mind that all Xantech "electronics" are made in China and are "quality" compromised. Pretty much all the non-powered IR gadgets are rock solid. I've only had problems with the electronics side of Xantech.

Right. The impression of the people I knew at Xantech was that some parent company was concerned with reducing operating costs at the companies and thereby making more profit. They do not have to give a damn about the product to do that. Also, it could be messy to try to combine two staffs and two product lines, so if costs are down, why bother making it better?