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Exposure 2010s integrates amp problems

White Zombie

pfm Member
Had this integrated amp for years and love it but twice I’ve sent it back to the workshop as I keep getting crackling and distortion from the left channel. Anyone who’s had similar Exposure amps any idea what could be the cause of it? Could it just be the speaker outputs on that channel need cleaned?

I appreciate it’s an older amp now but I’m reluctant to send it back for a service as it costs about £65 a go and it’s been back twice already.
 
Have you isolated the problem to the amplifier via tests that eliminate sources, loudspeakers and cables?
e.g.
  • problem exists on all source inputs and/or problem remains on L channel when input cables swapped L/R.
  • problem changes channels when speaker cables swapped L/R at amplifier end.
Whose workshop, and what were their reports previously?
 
Do you have an invoice or engineer’s report from the previous trips back to Exposure? It might help give us a clue as to what’s going on and enable us to advise. It could be something as simple as a pot requiring cleaning or a dry joint on the volume pot... or it could be a biasing issue, or maybe something else. Without a report or the amp in front of us, it’s impossible to say.

£65 for an amplifier repair is pretty reasonable these days but having to keep paying it to the manufacturer it after repeated identical isn’t so much so I can understand your pain... however, Exposure tend to be pretty good with after sales care, so speak to them, explain that you’ve paid out twice before for the same issue and see if they’ll help you out.

Alternatively, someone like Jez Arkless, who is a wizard with amplification, a highly experienced designer, will likely be able to repair it to a better than new spec, so as the fault doesn’t reoccur. I probably could too but I’m really struggling with some health issues at the moment, I’m snowed under with work and I’m going through a bereavement, so I’m a bit stuck.
 
Have you isolated the problem to the amplifier via tests that eliminate sources, loudspeakers and cables?
e.g.
  • problem exists on all source inputs and/or problem remains on L channel when input cables swapped L/R.
  • problem changes channels when speaker cables swapped L/R at amplifier end.
Whose workshop, and what were their reports previously?

Back to Exposure.

Yeah tried it with different cables, different speakers and swapped them over so definitely the one channel.

I’m sure I still have invoice from when it was last repaired but I don’t remember what they actually said was the fault, if they did at all. Think it just says “service” on the invoice. I’ll contact them and see if they can advise with any possible things I can try.

What cleaner is recommended for using to clean the terminals. I’ve sadly no experience of identifying a dry joint.

Thanks
 
It is highly unlikely to be dirty terminals round back, especially so, as you've been essentially cleaning them by swapping cables around. You'll want to ensure that the speaker plugs fit tightly, though. Loose fitting RCA plugs can creep and cause a fuzzy distortion but rarely 'crackle'.

Please answer the following questions:
  • Does the crackling and distortion only occur on the left channel of one input only, or does is occur on all inputs?
  • If the problem occurs on one input only, does changing the source selector to another input and then back again induce or temporarily reduce/eliminate the crackling and distortion?
  • Does adjusting the volume pot affect the crackling and distortion?
  • If yes, above, have you attempted to 'exercise' clean the volume pot by repeatedly turning it through its full range of travel many times?
 
Most common cause is crud in the volume pot. Fix is contact cleaner aerosol and pot waggling. Cover off, can you do this yourself?
 
Sorry I should have said, I was running the integrated amp along with the 2010s power amp with the integrated powering the higher frequencies and the power amp the lower frequencies from the speaker.

I’ve since changed the set up and have the integrated as a pre amp and the power amp powering the speakers. So no cables coming from the integrated amp speaker outputs.

There’s no crackling or distortion now from the speakers which would lead me to believe it’s not the source input or volume pot that’s causing the problem on the integrated amp.

Craig B in answer to your questions, the crackling would occur no matter what source input on the amp I was using. There’s also 4 speaker output terminals covering the left channel and it would occur no matter how I configured it.

Adjusting the volume didn’t seem to make a difference, however, I haven’t tried running the volume pot through the full range of motion yet.
 
That would certainly seem to indicate the L channel amplifier section of the integrated as faulty, then.

I'd be telephoning Exposure and asking them what their findings were on the previous two service returns, and why they think the same symptoms persist.
 


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