Speakerplans.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > General > General Forum
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Amplifier clean / repair or replacement
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Amplifier clean / repair or replacement

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
TheGiantHogweed View Drop Down
Registered User
Registered User


Joined: 03 October 2020
Status: Offline
Points: 31
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheGiantHogweed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Amplifier clean / repair or replacement
    Posted: 22 February 2021 at 11:51am
Hi.

My Pioneer A-209R has started to often be quieter on the right channel. This first started when selecting between A and B speakers and would take many presses to get both the channels to be balanced.

Since them, I've checked all my cables, given the amplifier a blow out to attempt to remove the dust and the problem still is there.


http://www.wetherby.me/wiki/pub/Sandbox/RandomImages/P1150340.JPG

http://www.wetherby.me/wiki/pub/Sandbox/RandomImages/P1150341.JPG


Listening carefully and using the balance control, the right channel is just that bit quieter on both A and B speakers. It also doesn't sound quite the same. It sounds noticeably thinner as it lacks a little bass in comparison to the left channel. There is also some noticeable cracking and popping with the balance control and when listening on very low volumes even on direct, the right channel cuts out before the right.


This problem isn't there 100% of the time, but it does constantly keep coming back.

< ="text/">p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 115%; background: transparent }

I'm thinking it will need some more cleaning out around the dials, but not really sure how I should do that or what sort of places would do amplifier repairs.





I thought of getting a new amplifier, but where have all the budget integrated amplifiers gone? I can't find one that looks like it is at least decent hifi that isn't well over double the cost of my current amplifier.

I bought my A-209R back in 2011. It got replaced due to a fault in the years warranty and has been fine since until recently. It cost around £140 new and I remember seeing loads of similar models like the A20 replace it. Also bought the Yamaha A-S300 for around £160 some years later. And through these years, I remember seeing plenty of affordable amplifiers around the £120 - £200 mark by brands like pioneer, Yamaha, Teac, Onkyo, Cambridge Audio, Dennon and quite a few others.

Now the budget ones seem to have gone and the starting point for amps with pretty much identical features to my A-209r seems to be around £300. There also seem to be loads that are well under £100 but to me it seems a bit suspicious that they look pretty good but are so cheap and yet there are none available that are in the price bracket I would be wiling to go for. The Yamaha A-S301 has all the features I would want, but is literally double what the AS-300 cost and the only addition seems to be a couple of digital inputs.

All this taken into account, a repair would probably be better!
Back to Top
Earplug View Drop Down
Old Croc
Old Croc


Joined: 03 January 2012
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 7199
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Earplug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 February 2021 at 2:07pm
My first suspicion would be a "bad" electrolytic capacitor somewhere in the RH signal path.

Maybe do a re-cap on the whole thing before splashing out on a new amp. Also - it sounds like you may need a new balance pot.

You most probably could do all the above for a tenner. Worth a shot, really.   Smile


Earplugs Are For Wimps!
Back to Top
dj jammin View Drop Down
Young Croc
Young Croc
Avatar

Joined: 10 April 2010
Location: southampton
Status: Offline
Points: 770
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dj jammin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 February 2021 at 6:00pm
As Earplug says above electrolytic caps are often the first thing to fail.. cheap and easy to replace. Also try to get some switch cleaner into the selector switch and the volume/balance pots. Maybe replace the pots if easy as they could be the cause.. Good luck!
Reverence Sound system


Back to Top
studio45 View Drop Down
Old Croc
Old Croc
Avatar

Joined: 16 October 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 3863
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote studio45 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 February 2021 at 6:26pm
Forgive me if I'm wrong but it seems OP hasn't used any switch cleaner on the pots yet? That would be my first thought - sounds like the balance pot is dirty! Also sounds like the speaker selector switch could do with a dab of the magic spray. Servisol 10 is good stuff, or if you are in a spendy mood Deoxit D5 is supposed to be the mutts nuts.
There should be a small indent in the top of each pot that will allow you to use the supplied straw to spray cleaner inside. The selector switch should also have an aperture somewhere to let you get some in. 
Studio45 - Repairs & Building Commotion Soundsystem -Mobile PA
Back to Top
TheGiantHogweed View Drop Down
Registered User
Registered User


Joined: 03 October 2020
Status: Offline
Points: 31
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheGiantHogweed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 February 2021 at 7:22pm
As i'm not very familiar with this sort of thing, I probably will be better off sending it out to be repaired. I have found a local business that repairs these sort of things and as I don't want to risk experimenting myself any more than I have (spent quite a few hours checking cables, connectors and blowing the dust out)

i don't mind that much if the balance control isn't perfect as I use it on direct most of the time and that bypasses bass, treble, balance and loudness. The speaker buttons were initially a problem, but I'm not sure what the reason for the channel balance when on direct is.

The quoted price to diagnose the fault is very reasonable from what I've found out then They let you chose weather to go ahead and sort it out. If it is only a clean and a replacement of a cheap part, I don't think it will be much. I just don't want to risk these things myself.
Back to Top
imageoven View Drop Down
Old Croc
Old Croc


Joined: 28 March 2007
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 2186
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote imageoven Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 February 2021 at 10:13pm
Whats their labour rate, thats usually where the big part of the bill comes from.
Keep pushing on, things are gonna get better.
Back to Top
Pinyorouk View Drop Down
Young Croc
Young Croc


Joined: 31 January 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 550
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pinyorouk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 February 2021 at 10:35pm
Originally posted by imageoven imageoven wrote:

Whats their labour rate, thats usually where the big part of the bill comes from.

Very true,, electronic components are cheap, it's all about labour. 
Back to Top
TheGiantHogweed View Drop Down
Registered User
Registered User


Joined: 03 October 2020
Status: Offline
Points: 31
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheGiantHogweed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 March 2021 at 7:43pm
Well, after spending more time trying to figure it out myself, i did decide to contact this repair place which seems to be an independent place. But it was suggested to me by someone i know who works in a music store (that sometimes sells and gets amps repaired). I also got told that the prices are fair, but will see.


But as I said, the price you initially pay (which I have and it was very little) covers the diagnoses of the fault. Once this is dealt with, I can then chose if I want the repair to go ahead. If I think the cost is too high, i don't have to go ahead and I've only paid the small drop off fee.


Given the price of integrated amps these days that have at least the same number of features mine has seems literally about double what I paid for this new. So I can see it being worth spending a reasonable amount to fix this.
Back to Top
TheGiantHogweed View Drop Down
Registered User
Registered User


Joined: 03 October 2020
Status: Offline
Points: 31
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheGiantHogweed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 May 2021 at 10:09pm
I'd gone ahead with this repair i mentioned, and it seemed fine for the first 2 months or so. I got told that they cover what they do for at least 3 months, so I should be OK. It has in the past few days it has gone back to being pretty close where I had it before.

It now cuts reduces volume significantly on the right channel when the volume dial is in a rather low position. The volume is also just slightly lower on the right side until you get up to moderately loud or over that. I've tested the headphone output too and that is the same. Tested my phono cables and they are not related.

The people that mended it told me that all they did was a thorough clean which I can believe as it had been the best it had been in years, but I not not so sure that there isn't actually some fault with the volume dial. I certainly think it has to be related to the volume pot not rather than the balance or anything else. Will see what they offer. Just seems a shame after paying for the service that it is effectively back to the performance it was at when i took it in to be repaired / cleaned.

I'm hoping that it will be possible to actually repair / replace the part that seems to have the issue this time if cleaning it hasn't fixed the issue in the long term.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.06
Copyright ©2001-2023 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.078 seconds.