advertisement


Kremlin & Kout Service?

M

mjkelshaw

pfm Member
My 'Kremlin' tuner recently refused to 'power-up', and later, after a short trip away from home, I noticed a slight 'crackle' (only at 'switch-on) from one of the 3 'Klouts which powered my Keilidh speakers.
No problem I thought - I'll just contact Class A ---
Disapointingly for me, when I spoke to Darran, he stated that given the 'age' of the kit plus the cost and difficulty in effecting repairs, that he would have to decline.
The Kremlin was purchased new in '96, but this particular Klout S.No.005127, c/w 25 Anniversary 'badge', was purchased S/Hand in 2013. (My other 2 - S.Nos. 635858 & 631677, were purchased as a new 'pair' in 2001)
May I ask for recommendations for a 'tech' who might actually inspect with a view to repairing both items, or do I now have to consider them just as potential 'doorstops'?
Regards
Mike K.
 
There's a guy in a Linn Facebook group, which seem to help in some cases, can't remember his name but I believe he is running a shop in UK.
Can look out for his name if needed.

Kremlin was on my itch list when I ran Naim tuners (01/02/101), probably never happen now.
 
Yes, Peter Tyson’s or Krescendo Audio will both service the Klout, I’m almost certain that Tyson’s will do the Kremlin too.
 
chris geary said:
Jeff Hall
Muse Audio in Michigan
734-545-5775
Expect a long wait as they are very busy.
Click to expand...
I can provide navigation charts should Mike choose to launch from Torquay.

He'll be needing a Zodiac for the last leg up the Huron River, though, as this becomes more of a creek as one nears I95.
 
Charlie_1 said:
There us a guy in Sweden. Someone said in Lejonklou forum he does nearly all of theirs and has been for many years. He didn't say who it was though. Maybe @tpetsch can help?
Click to expand...

Not me Charlie, sorry, in fact I have 2 Kairns that need display repair myself, they function fine but the displays have dimmed to 5%. So it was nice to see a post here from @chris geary supplying US repair info. I have several Klouts too that still function well but one day will need service too, so the Muse Audio info is great. And even though the OP isn't in the US, it's great that people post info for service in other countries as this being a forum/resource many others like myself from all over the world have similar, but local interests in the topic..
 
Gentlemen,
Thank you for all your replies, even for the ones which at present, appear to be a tad too distant for me to easily utilise :)
Unfortunately, I don't own a 'Zodiac', and these days I'm 'beached' in Torquay (Devon, England) - Please accept my apologies for not originally stating my 'coordinates'.
Regards
Mike K.
 
mjkelshaw said:
My 'Kremlin' tuner recently refused to 'power-up', and later, after a short trip away from home, I noticed a slight 'crackle' (only at 'switch-on) from one of the 3 'Klouts which powered my Keilidh speakers.
No problem I thought - I'll just contact Class A ---
Disapointingly for me, when I spoke to Darran, he stated that given the 'age' of the kit plus the cost and difficulty in effecting repairs, that he would have to decline.
The Kremlin was purchased new in '96, but this particular Klout S.No.005127, c/w 25 Anniversary 'badge', was purchased S/Hand in 2013. (My other 2 - S.Nos. 635858 & 631677, were purchased as a new 'pair' in 2001)
May I ask for recommendations for a 'tech' who might actually inspect with a view to repairing both items, or do I now have to consider them just as potential 'doorstops'?
Regards
Mike K.
Click to expand...
Frazer North at Hifi Healer has managed to rescue a couple of my old Linn bits that Class A wouldn’t touch… recommended.
 
Ian,
Thank you for this recommendation, which has the added advantage of not needing a 'RIB' purchase prior to embarking for a visit. :)
Regards
Mike K.
 
Hi Peter,
Thank you for your recommendation, however, quite by chance yesterday, I had noticed a post on 'facebook' from RJP relating to a Kremlin repair.
I therefore sent an email enquiring about the possibilty of RJP undertaking an inspection / repair of my Kremlin, and in addition a Furman Elite16 PF Ei 'mains conditioner' which had rather suspiciously 'died' at the same time.
If I receive an encouraging reply, I intend to dispatch the unit(s) early in January (to avoid any Christmas mayhem), and hopefully I shall be able to post a positive outcome later.
Regards
Mike K.
 
mjkelshaw said:
Hi Peter,
Thank you for your recommendation, however, quite by chance yesterday, I had noticed a post on 'facebook' from RJP relating to a Kremlin repair.
I therefore sent an email enquiring about the possibilty of RJP undertaking an inspection / repair of my Kremlin, and in addition a Furman Elite16 PF Ei 'mains conditioner' which had rather suspiciously 'died' at the same time.
If I receive an encouraging reply, I intend to dispatch the unit(s) early in January (to avoid any Christmas mayhem), and hopefully I shall be able to post a positive outcome later.
Regards
Mike K.
Click to expand...
That was my Kremlin. I got it back today. Sounding great!
Good luck with your repairs.
 
FYI and that of most.

I have been struggling with repairs of SMPS 'Brilliant' on my Karik, Numerik and Kairn, they all gave up the ghost within 6m of each other.

Struggle is the word.

Got one fixed so the Karik is working but the Numerik and Kairn are dead regardless of power supplies being 'fixed'.

The Kairn appears to be an area of cooked circuitry around the battery in the display board. The Numerik, the research continues.

Anyway long story short. No schematics with true values available. SMC's all have values on other than capacitors and so a call to Linn to see what I could find out.

1. Everything before Akurate is now redundant and unrepairable (by Linn)

2. They don't release diagrams/values (they don't want people touching their kit - safety or?)

3. Caps are their little secret they hang onto like grim death

4. Asked about 5103 etc - don't buy second hand they are totally beyond repair now

5. Akurate will be dropping off the repairable list shortly.

6. When my Sizmik died I was told to buy a new one, I opened the amp and saw it was a Mosfet that had blown up, asked linn they
said it was unobtainium and as such, dead. Found photo of board, took the number, ordered the Mosfet from a component firm
simple replacement and saved myself £2k.

Are Linn the ONLY UK high end hi-fi manufacturer that is of the opinion people have the money to buy tens of thousands on
exotic kit and have it written off when Quad, Naim, NAD, YBA etc etc are all serviceable.


Being told Linn now make their own chips and top end bursting through the bugger me prices doesn't fill me with anything like
glee

From a hifi point of view, British culture is one of trading up as experience, understanding and disposable income increases.

I started with hifi at 12, Goldring Lenco, Shure, Rogers, Wharfdale and moved on from there. Many exotic and many stupid purchases
(like getting rid of vinyl for Mission and Quad CD's). Many sad memories of kit I traded that I wish I hadn't - Mitchell, FAMCO Nuance,
Spendor BC's, 3009, Audiolab etc etc (all still recommended kit and all repairable)

Oh and nope and if any part of my formerly £50k of kit is to be replaced I now have decided will NEVER be replaced by any new LINN kit even IF I won the lottery

Talk about alienating a client base
 
per flemming said:
Mirrors my experience as well,
Never again.
Click to expand...
Malcolm Hawksford, professor at Essex University designed amps back in the 80’s and still does. FAMCO built them, Nuance & Plenitude, researched components and military spec kit of superb quality. I had a Nuance (and have regretted moving it on for a Linn for decades).

Long story short FAMCO became YBA and kit is hand built to exquisite standards (like the Nuance) layouts are internally and externally beautiful

Needed a pre (my old 3140 didn’t cut it) and I found a YBA Audio Refinement PRE5 for peanuts on a French version of Ebay and bought it (from Corsica). It arrived, opened the box and examined the internals, just as beautiful as I found the Nuance.

Didn’t expect THAT much but, I haven’t any speakers in the room, people are played through the walls at either side and I am sure the band is really in next doors garden.

I haven’t had that since my Nottingham Analogue Spacedeck/AT0C9 combination (another ‘you bloody idiot’ sale)

I’m not using the Klouts at the moment because I need to find a way to put them on standby (in another room). It’s an old 2155 running bi wired.

Yes, I am getting this imaging on bell wire with a 40 year old NAD, Katans and Sizmik.

I can’t wait until the K400 and active klouts kick in (nope I am going to have to wait).

Still using my Karik (analoge and digital) at least that is a survivor at the moment.

I am putting my old Squeezebox together with a WD HDD streaming tens of thousands of my email tracks I have archived in case the Karik finally throws itself under a bus.

I’m trying to figure out how to afford a move to new kit and if the imaging is anything to go by I will be keeping the Klouts/Katans/Sizmik combo but a ’new’ front end.

Maybe a ’new’ second hand YBA CD maybe a second hand YBA DAC or maybe stick with the Micromega MyDac make do and mend I
am using at the moment.





https://www.ybahifi.com/product/signature-preamplifier/
 
Hi E.B,
Well - Yes & No - the Klout was returned as 'recapped' with the 'aktive' crossover removed as requested, but due to ongoing 'health issues', it has yet to be removed from its 'box'.
Apparently, as the Kremlin "lit-up when plugged-in", it was 'incorrectly' judged to be 'working', and returned without charge.
Sadly, when reinstalled, I still couldn't get any signal via the Kairn Pro that is currently in place and connected to my original pair of Klouts and Keilidhs.
I then decided to unpack my original Kairn, from its box, where it had remained undisturbed since being returned from being 're-capped' in 2015, only to find that it also now appears to be 'dead' - DOH!!!!!!
Courtesy of the replies to my original post, I have several 'recommended' options, and currently I'm having a protective outer carton made for the Kairn, so that it, along with the Kremlin, may be dispatched to whomever may be able to effect the necessary repairs
I shall report back----

Regards
Mike K.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top