Matrix XT 6000 power amp turned smoke machine! |
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WHAT!
Registered User Joined: 05 January 2012 Location: NL Status: Offline Points: 25 |
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The only thing in those amps you can truly rely on is the weight :-P Over the last few months I had loads of old amps in for repair. Among them were 3 Peavey CS3000G, all of them had blown output transistors and dead caps. Also Crown 5000VZ with bad caps and RAM CB1902 and 1402 with blown output transistors and fucked up protection circuitry. All of them are transformer PSU amps. Apart from that I had one Matrix XT6004EQ (SMPS) on the bench with a bad output relais. That was it.
Ok, if you want to carry my vintage amp racks with 4x Macrotech 5000VZ, be welcome. But don't you complain about the weight. BTW: Just this Saturday I did a comparison between the 5000VZ and Matrix XT6004 on PUKK215. Guess what: The Crown sounds shitty!
So you're the guitar player type of person? Phone jack has been the only way to connect cabinet to amp for 5 gazillion years, why use those modern speakon thingies? :-P SMPS are not a recent invention, in fact they have been around for years and years and are as reliable or not as conventional PSUs. And according to my experience at the workshop most amps do not fail due to PSU issues. It's more blocked air paths that cause overheating, badly designed protection circuits that cause a chain reaction (look at RAM CB- and BUX-series schematics) or simply blown output transistors and drivers. |
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highlift2
Registered User Joined: 03 November 2010 Status: Offline Points: 14 |
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It's been mentioned on here plenty of times that 90% of amp issues are Potentimeter or Connector related. What percentage is due to the PSU issues I can't say but would imagine it's goes into few decimal places.
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WHAT!
Registered User Joined: 05 January 2012 Location: NL Status: Offline Points: 25 |
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Thanks for the reminder. Those CB-series amps also have problems with AMP-type connectors... |
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Muckerbarnes1
Old Croc Joined: 20 March 2010 Location: Stroud Status: Offline Points: 2654 |
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Well I'm with Nick.
Iv'e had way toooooo many years of design, build and repair of power amps etc. The most reliable in all of the 30 or so countries i've fitted power amps in have proved the most reliable by FAR is a passive simple PSU with no semiconductors other than rectifiers. I have also built and marketed power amps of 43Kg. SMPS amps definately have a place. The Matrix ones have a great PSU. I have fitted many of then over time. A transformer is a simple alternative. I use SMPS most where the mains voltage is very high, which causes problems. Then there's the lightweight brigade. Too heavy. Too far. Bad back. Just in most cases way too many excuses. What happened to the tough old roady brigade. .... TIME. Time has brough a load of lightweights, and not just amplifiers. There are people on here that agree amps like the Matrix SMPS sound great. There are a few like Nivitz who have some heavy buggers and agree they DO sound different. Just like an old VX HH. I can put the all on the test bench here, and all is good.
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Billy Dawg.
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highlift2
Registered User Joined: 03 November 2010 Status: Offline Points: 14 |
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Yep, Neodynium's also here to stay. If a tough old roady has to lift a rack full of smps amps instead of torroidals I'm sure they won't be complaining. Just means they can drink an extra bottle of JD, blow a few more grams of speed and shag untold more groupies during the gig without having a whitey on the tear down. Seriously though Mucker, do you also think we won't be seeing smps's in servive in 20 years time? |
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infrasound
Old Croc Joined: 13 May 2011 Location: Brizzle Status: Offline Points: 2276 |
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Not with the way the prices are going
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Muckerbarnes1
Old Croc Joined: 20 March 2010 Location: Stroud Status: Offline Points: 2654 |
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I do see old SMPS. They are usually knackered. Repairable of course.
Old does not mean crap, neither does heavy or light. There was no gym and such crap years ago ( or very little), men were men, I come from that era. I have no aches or pains. I work hard when I need to, regardless of the weight. For me apart from weight SMPS = FAT!
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Billy Dawg.
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Muckerbarnes1
Old Croc Joined: 20 March 2010 Location: Stroud Status: Offline Points: 2654 |
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Then of course there is efficiency. Which is most efficient? SMPS or transformer etc? Then which costs the most, and which will squeg due to breakdown first?
BTW this is way off topic.
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Billy Dawg.
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luton_soundman
Old Croc Joined: 03 August 2010 Location: Bedfordshire Status: Offline Points: 4538 |
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Every repairer will have more heavyweight amps to fix as opposed to lightweights because there are ffffffaaaaaaaaaar more torroidal amps out there than lightweights. think about it
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Sound Hire/Sales new/used equipment.
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jbl_man
Moderator Group Joined: 12 January 2005 Location: London. Status: Offline Points: 11154 |
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That's very funny and very true Malcolm! Modern man...hello darling,im off to the gym. Retro man....Put kettle on love,im off to cut the lawn,cut the hedges,paint the ceilings,fit a new water tank in the loft and lift the amp rack out of the van. |
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Be seeing you.
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Muckerbarnes1
Old Croc Joined: 20 March 2010 Location: Stroud Status: Offline Points: 2654 |
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You got me Ian. RETRO MAN. 5 hours of grass cutting yesterday, then a few hours in the veggie patch. NO back ache. Never been to a gym in my life. I have a perfect one outside.
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Billy Dawg.
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Jimmer
Old Croc Joined: 30 April 2010 Location: Stroud / Glos Status: Offline Points: 2604 |
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Thats ridiculous.....you have a sit on mower!! doesn't qualify for day in the life of a RETRO MAN!! |
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