Linn Ikemi Distorting

[capelyddol]

Hi Guys, I recently changed out the drawer belts on my Linn Ikemi, which all went very smoothly and the Ikemi reverted to it's usual glorious sound. All went well for a month or so but quite suddenly it began to distort badly, the bass is overblown, singers sound quite horrible, and I've noticed a lot of CDs now commence playing maybe 0.5 second into the audio, as though the laser is not positioning correctly.
I've cleaned the lens but it had no effect, and I've checked the cables from the laser aren't binding.
Is my laser faulty, or is it something else causing the problem. Audio is fine when playing vinyl so it would seem to be the Ikemi that has the fault.
I checked the label on the laser unit. It says "Sanyo S1, then MHO662892" which doesn't seem to tally with any Sanyo laser used on an Ikemi. Yet, until now, it's performed well for the couple of years I've owned it. I'm puzzled.
Has anyone else encountered this problem, or can shed any light on it?

 

[linnfomaniac83]

Not a problem I’ve encountered before, but it could very well be down to capacitors failing both in the power supply and on the main board. It’s full of 100uf 35v Rubycon through hole electrolytic caps… both in the SMPS, on the main board and on the front control PCB, change all of them. Next look at the surface mount electrolytics next to the voltage regulators.

PS, the laser in yours should be an SF-91.

 

[Arkless Electronics]

Hi Guys, I recently changed out the drawer belts on my Linn Ikemi, which all went very smoothly and the Ikemi reverted to it's usual glorious sound. All went well for a month or so but quite suddenly it began to distort badly, the bass is overblown, singers sound quite horrible, and I've noticed a lot of CDs now commence playing maybe 0.5 second into the audio, as though the laser is not positioning correctly.
I've cleaned the lens but it had no effect, and I've checked the cables from the laser aren't binding.
Is my laser faulty, or is it something else causing the problem. Audio is fine when playing vinyl so it would seem to be the Ikemi that has the fault.
I checked the label on the laser unit. It says "Sanyo S1, then MHO662892" which doesn't seem to tally with any Sanyo laser used on an Ikemi. Yet, until now, it's performed well for the couple of years I've owned it. I'm puzzled.
Has anyone else encountered this problem, or can shed any light on it?

Just to rule out a "daft" one... you haven't been changing things around and accidentally plugged it into the phono input of your amp? Sorry yeah I know but such things have been known to happen and it would explain overblown bass and gross distortion. It would also be loads louder than usual and vol have to be turned right down!

 

[capelyddol]

linnfomaniac: you've just brought me out in a cold sweat! You should know by now that, unlike you, I'm no wizard with electronics. I have looked closely at the boards and there is no visual sign of blown capacitors or burned resisters. Everything looks as good as when Linn built it. One other fault is that sometimes it won't recognise the disc and I have to eject and re-enter the CD before it will accept it. That's become more frequent of late. I don't know if this helps with diagnosis, or not?

Arkless Electronics: oh, I wish! If only it were that simple! Sadly, it is plugged into the CD sockets on the Kairn. Thanks for commenting, though. I know from experience these things are easily done in a moment of carelessness.

 

[linnfomaniac83]

I’m really loaded with work right now or I’d do it for you. I’ve known them act up because of those caps in the past.

 

[capelyddol]

It's been a while since I posted an update to this thread, but things have become rather complicated. Earlier I wrote that the problem only occurred with the Ikemi. I was wrong. In fact, it occurs whatever the input: cd, turntable, streaming from the computer. I have a spare (though early) Kairn in the storeroom so I swapped that with my regular late Kairn. The problem was still there. Next I checked out all three power amps. They seemed to be fine. I even bought another LK140 to swap them around. The problem was still there. Finally, I took the bass and midrange units out of the Kabers and swapped them for a spare set of earlier models I had kept when I upgraded the speakers some years ago. That did not fix the problem. Needless to say, I put the newer units back in their place.

The only piece of equipment I couldn't really check was the Tunebox crossover. Inspection with the cover off revealed nothing untoward. All appeared as pristine as when Linn built it. Has anyone had problems with a Tunebox? If so, what were the symptoms?

It was then I realised there was one piece of equipment I hadn't checked. While standing by the kitchen sink after rinsing some dishes I was suddenly assailed by a loud noise that almost rattled my brain and set my eardrums flapping. It was the gurgle of water passing down the sink drain. I'd felt a fullness behind my ears for sometime but a check by my hearing aid supplier found no wax build-up. I wear hearing aids but only to help adjust for the partial loss of upper frequency sounds common amongst us more mature men (okay, read: 'old'!) This was a similar 'overblown' bass sound to that I was experiencing with the hi-fi system.

Were my ears the faulty equipment? The doctor thinks it's likely. He's had me on antibiotics and antihistamine for the last month. So far, it has not produced a miracle cure but he assures me it can take sometime to clear the tubes behind the ear.

Tunebox or ears, or both? How will I know? Meanwhile, I have to suffer my fabulous Linn system sounding like the PA from a Barnum and Bailey circus.
Or, I could ask linnfo83 if he'd be so good as to recap all those 100uf 35v Rubycons inside my head! Lol!