Smoky music
I’ve been having a problem with intermittent distortion from my amplifier (a Talk Electronics Storm 2) for a while. Early in the New Year, I thought I’d cracked it. But the problem with intermittent issues is that you change something, listen for a while, and think it’s fixed. You congratulate yourself on your ninja-level hi-fi problem diagnosing and repairing technique. Then a couple of days later, the problem is back, and you are forced to commit seppuku with a sharpened banana plug. Well, maybe not the last part…
The problem seemed to be confined to the left channel, so while my brother was visiting this weekend, we made a concerted effort to track the problem down. At first, we thought that swapping the speaker cables over transferred the problem to the right speaker, but with more experimentation, we worked out that it must be the amplifier itself. Opening up the case of the amp revealed the problem all too clearly, as you can see from the picture above.
Usually, it’s nearly impossible to find faults in circuit boards just by looking at them, but the strong smell of burning and wide distribution of thick black soot was easy to spot, even for a non-expert. It seems that one or more capacitors have blown in a rather terminal way.
My poor amp. Talk doesn’t make this model any more, but I’m going to send them an email and some photos anyway to see if there’s any chance a repair would be a) possible and b) economically feasible. If not, I’m having to shop for a new or second-hand amplifier. If any hi-fi enthusiasts out there can recommend a decent quality integrated amp for about the £200-300 mark (preferably with a phono stage), I’m open to suggestions!
1
From where I'm sitting, unless that has damaged the circuit board, that should be repairable, you may need to match components; alternatively:
http://www.audiojumble.co.uk/SalesandWants.htm
Seem to have reasonably priced kit, and, of course, there's always EBAY - I got my 50+50 watt Yaqin valve amplifier for £127 including shipping from Hong Kong, had it 4 years now - Richer Sounds do a good Cambridge MM/MC Phono amp for a reasonable price - http://www.richersounds.com/showproduct/CAMB-640P-BLK
Happy hunting
by Jonathan Briggs @ 16/04/2008 9:24 pm • Permalink •
2
It's just a blown capacitor. Soldering iron and a new capacitor for 5 pennce should fix it.
by Simon Howes @ 16/04/2008 10:11 pm • Permalink •
3
If you want a new amp try a Rotel. Sevenoaks Sound and Vision in Wolverhampton should sort you. They are closing soon so they might have some good deals going.
by Simon Howes @ 16/04/2008 10:13 pm • Permalink •
4
Nice Post!
by kfz versicherung @ 17/04/2008 7:03 am • Permalink •
5
I picked up an old Naim NAC 62/NAP 110 combo on eBay a few years ago. Utterly brilliant: way better sound than an Arcam Alpha 7 or a Linn Classik. And of course Naim still service every product they've ever made.
by Alun Carr @ 17/04/2008 10:24 am • Permalink •
6
That wasn't my old amp was it Alan?
by Jonathan Briggs @ 17/04/2008 10:54 am • Permalink •
7
I currently run an Arcam A75+ and P75+ biamped. Sounds good on my B&W;speakers, dull as a dodo on my Monitor Audio GR loudspeakers. NAIM sound good on my MA's.
by Simon Howes @ 17/04/2008 11:02 am • Permalink •
8
Thanks for the advice everyone! I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know how to solder (I blame my all-girls school for that one). I'm sure I could learn, but I don't want to learn on my beloved amp. Still, I know people who solder very well, so if Talk gets back to me with a list of components, I might give that a go. But I think I'll also get a new (to me) amp.
For some reason that I've never been able to pin down, I'm not keen on the sound of Arcam equipment, though I haven't listened to any of their recent amps, so they may have changed. I don't have much experience with NAIM, but unless I can find some second hand, they are a bit out of my price range.
I have, however, found some excellent Audiolab 8000A integrateds on ebay. Good price, and an amp I know well, because my Dad had one for years in the 90s. I like the sound of it a lot (very neutral and transparent, so my Rega Planet can show its lovely warm colours), and I can always upgrade in future with a s/h 8000P power amp. Wish me luck with the bidding!
by bsag @ 18/04/2008 8:12 am • Permalink •
9
I concur that you probably just need to replace the capacitor.
I use the Cambridge Audio AZUR 640A V2 amp (£300), and also the 640 phono stage (£60) that is mentioned above, and can very highly recommend them as a pair. I have B+W CDM1NTs hooked up, which are pretty merciless, and somewhat outrank the rest of my gear, and I'm very happy. I went through a lot of gear before I settled on this stuff. Rotel amps are nice, Arcam pretty grotty IMHO. Never sure why they are so highly rated. They do make a hell of a DVD player for two grand, but that's a different story...
by jim w @ 19/04/2008 1:16 pm • Permalink •
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