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Audio repairs

B

Brian S

pfm Member
How wise is it to purchase out of warranty high end digital audio equipment from abroad? To what extent is it possible to get repairs undertaken by local specialists?
 
Realistically, run away, unless you have access to all the build info, and can check part availability. Could quickly become a doorstop.
 
Depends on what it is and what is wrong with it. There is nothing inherently different about digital kit. One only needs to look to the currently huge retro-computing and gaming market for countless examples of people restoring really ancient digital kit. The problems comes with any bespoke chips, LCD displays etc. I’d say if it was a well documented mainstream item there will be a fairly good chance it can be serviced. Really there is no logical difference between a hi-fi DAC and say an Atari 2600, BBC B or Sega Megadrive when it comes to servicing. Its just components on a board, if you can figure out what is wrong and find the part it can be fixed. Obviously getting hold of the schematics is a huge first step.
 
Someone somewhere can fix it, mod it, upgrade it.
Only barrier is finding them, plus the price, oh yes and trusting them :)
 
Digital kit is, IMO, best regarded as non repairable beyond power supply issues, dry joints or basic mechanical problems with a CD mech.
Some IC's will likely be specials for that model or just no longer obtainable and often if an IC is suspected there is no way to check it other than try another one... if you can get it. There can also often be EPROMs or ROM's with software on and if they are faulty then that's the end of it. All reasons why I don't repair digital kit.
 
The only problem you might have with digital kit is if a processor or memory chip throws a double six and corrupts the software.

The hardware is unlikely to pose any problems unless a manufacturer’s own IC is involved, but this usually means a big Jap manufacturer, and their chips should be bombproof.

I’d go for it. Life’s too short to ignore temptation because of “might happens”!
 
Tony L said:
Depends on what it is and what is wrong with it. There is nothing inherently different about digital kit. One only needs to look to the currently huge retro-computing and gaming market for countless examples of people restoring really ancient digital kit. The problems comes with any bespoke chips, LCD displays etc. I’d say if it was a well documented mainstream item there will be a fairly good chance it can be serviced. Really there is no logical difference between a hi-fi DAC and say an Atari 2600, BBC B or Sega Megadrive when it comes to servicing. Its just components on a board, if you can figure out what is wrong and find the part it can be fixed. Obviously getting hold of the schematics is a huge first step.
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The details to be aware of are factors like:

1) Availability of all spare parts that are likely to be needed. (This point has already been made, but knowing the common failure modes is also handy.)

2) From the above: did the item sell in large numbers, or is it scarce? If there are many about, then others can be cannibalised for spare parts.

3) Circuit diagrams and all the needed background info available?

4) Are the experienced repair engineers who know the item and are probably able to fix it?

5) You can be caught out by variations from one example to another.

So 'bespoke' items may be OK in some cases because they can be found and employed. But in other cases they may be unobtainium, or you end up destroying the item because it is almost impossible to remove from an old unit or replace. Either because special methods have been used or something has been glued together, etc.

Long way of saying: assess who else has already successfully repaired something and what they needed to do to achieve this. :)
 
Can I jump in and ask in very very non technical terms what is likely to be the problem on an Einstein pre-amp that causes one channel to have less volume than the other . I have already tried two repair outfits but It was beyond their ability to fix the problem.
I know It is the amp-not speakers etc, Thanks.
 
Power amp? I had a fault on one channel on my meridian power amp that caused a crackle every 20mins or so through the speakers.
 
palacefan said:
Can I jump in and ask in very very non technical terms what is likely to be the problem on an Einstein pre-amp that causes one channel to have less volume than the other . I have already tried two repair outfits but It was beyond their ability to fix the problem.
I know It is the amp-not speakers etc, Thanks.
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Afraid I know zip about the amp, so I can only ask...

Do you have circuit diagrams?

Did the 'repair outfits' explain *why* it was beyond them?
 
palacefan said:
Can I jump in and ask in very very non technical terms what is likely to be the problem on an Einstein pre-amp that causes one channel to have less volume than the other . I have already tried two repair outfits but It was beyond their ability to fix the problem.
I know It is the amp-not speakers etc, Thanks.
Click to expand...

You haven't tried me yet;) Which model is it?
 
Thanks Jim

No circuit diagrams and Einstein are very protective of releasing information because they have been pirated before!
Neither complained, It was beyond them, my words,one well known outfit (Peterboro) claimed to have fixed the problem but did zero and charged a lot.

It is an exceptionally good amp which sell for good money, over £10 new and I hope to repair and sell.
 
palacefan said:
Simply known as The Preamp 19 small valves, 3 balanced 2 rca, fairly heavy and wooden crate.
Thanks
Click to expand...

As I thought... I have a very good record of fixing things which have beaten others.
Just wondering though why with a £10K+ amp did you not have the manufacturer repair it?
 
palacefan said:
Thanks Jim

No circuit diagrams and Einstein are very protective of releasing information because they have been pirated before!
Neither complained, It was beyond them, my words,one well known outfit (Peterboro) claimed to have fixed the problem but did zero and charged a lot.

It is an exceptionally good amp which sell for good money, over £10 new and I hope to repair and sell.
Click to expand...

Erm. If it is a valve design with only a few valves, etc, then someone with a clue could simply trace out the circuit diagram and measure the bias voltages, etc. So refusing to issue diagrams would be futile and just inconvenience paying customers and future repair bods.

TBH I suspect if you did good high detail photos of the top and innards so we could see everything, people here could work out the circuit.

The laws of physics really don't care about 'IPR'. 8-]

OTOH if it has a bagload of valves in a preamp, I wonder why.
 
It's apparently vary complicated, selects inputs by only powering the heater to the required valve,has balanced and unbalanced inputs and outputs and claims to use some sort of "unique" volume control topology.

I'm willing to take it on:)
 
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