Sound cutting out from right channel

Kw6 · « **Reply #20 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 02:00 am »

Fullrangeman I misunderstood you! Will calling visa work? Will they help come to a resolution?

Kw6 · « **Reply #21 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 02:02 am »

Fullrangeman I will see about calling visa!

Kw6 · « **Reply #22 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 02:13 am »

Btw Nelson Pass wrote to me saying it could be overheating in the right channel and I am seeing the protection system. Maybe their test bench and my living space has different ventilation so could not duplicate it. But over heating it could be bad part too like a transistor or cap I don't know!

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #23 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 02:23 am »

Quote from: Kw6 on 9 Jul 2018, 02:13 am

Btw Nelson Pass wrote to me saying it could be overheating in the right channel and I am seeing the protection system. Maybe their test bench and my living space has different ventilation so could not duplicate it. But over heating it could be bad part too like a transistor or cap I don't know!

Being a Class A amp it will be more demanding and warm up more with a low-sensitivity speaker if this is what you use.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #24 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 02:34 am »

Quote from: Kw6 on 9 Jul 2018, 02:00 am

Fullrangeman I misunderstood you! Will calling visa work? Will they help come to a resolution?

STM no, they will judge your case after the dealer made his defense.
PayPal have a kind of standard one fits all solution:
Buyer return the goods at his expense and Paypal will refund,
they took two months to decide it, when I received 3 damaged tubes.
Dont know how Visa treat these cases.

Kw6 · « **Reply #25 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 02:41 am »

Ok got it Fullrangeman! Yes my speakers are Martin Logan esl-x not too low sensitivity and I don't listen too loud.

Kw6 · « **Reply #26 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 03:16 am »

My friend said it could be amp can't handle my speaker but why only right channel always. I don't play that loud in a small space. Didn't think ML esl-x was such a taxing load and the amp details said it could drive touch loads in class A. And the dealer carries Martin Logan so I ask him to hook it up to see if he can replicate problem.

jules · « **Reply #27 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 05:49 am »

I doubt the speaker's at fault. If that was the case, when you swapped the wiring over [L to R and R to L instead of L to L and R to R], you would still have the problem in the right speaker but I presume, since you've done that test, that the problem shifted from the R speaker to the L speaker when you swapped the wiring.

I also think, putting together various bits of information you've posted, that the prob. isn't a protection cut-out. I think you said it had occurred when you first started the system [?], and that it sometimes manifested itself as crackling, and that if you turned it off and on again, it sometimes solved the problem, and that it sometimes self corrected. Cut-outs behave in well defined ways, so it you get a heat shutdown, you'll almost certainly have to wait for ten minutes or so before it will work again. Similarly, the crackling indicates an intermittent fault, such as the dry solder joint suggested somewhere by someone [sorry the spread of this topic makes it hard to work with].

It's going to be impossible to figure out the fault here and in a sense it doesn't matter what it is but you need to do two things ...

Firstly, you have to be absolutely sure that the problem doesn't lie somewhere in your own system.

Secondly, you have to find a way to demonstrate the fault to your dealer.

If they really have run the amp non-stop for a long period and it hasn't shown the fault, you can understand their position.

Kw6 · « **Reply #28 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 06:33 am »

Jules 100% it's not my components. I listened for 6 hrs today and the only difference is I substituted the integrated amp for my tubed one. Same cables. Yes when music is playing their is a slight crackle before sound cuts out. And it's always the right channel. There were two Instances where I take off standby and 15 mins later I start to stream music right channel is dead. To get it back I had to turn amp off & back on. The last time this happened I packed amp up and gave up.

Kw6 · « **Reply #29 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 07:30 am »

Btw could it be a bad resistor, capacitor or transistor? Or a crack in the copper tracings on the circuit board?

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #30 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 11:24 am »

This is really simple, return the amp for a refund. If the dealer refuses have Visa cancel the charge. Trying to trouble shoot remotely is futile, you've already gone through the basics.

timind · « **Reply #31 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 11:46 am »

Quote from: Kw6 on 9 Jul 2018, 07:30 am

Btw could it be a bad resistor, capacitor or transistor? Or a crack in the copper tracings on the circuit board?

It could be any of those things along with many others. The point is, we're not going to find it over the internet.

Is there a reason you're not wanting to return this dog of an amp for a refund? It sounds like a lemon to me.

Kw6 · « **Reply #32 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 02:21 pm »

Yes I would probably want a refund but this happen 2 weeks after purchase will visa let me get money back? I thought we only had 7 days! I will call them! Thanks!

JLM · « **Reply #33 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 02:51 pm »

Go directly to the dealer first. Visa resolution is meant for times when you can't get satisfaction from the seller.

A good dealer will try to swap out this amp for a replacement (same make/model) first, then do a refund if you insist. Don't be shy, just stick to the facts, repeat as necessary, and hold your ground (no need to get upset or hostile). You paid money in good faith that you'd get a working amp and it's not working for you, they can't fix it, so replace or refund (your choice). If they don't cooperate with you, tell them you're going to Visa and tell everyone you can about their poor practices.

Kw6 · « **Reply #34 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 03:06 pm »

Ok thanks JLM! Will do! But last time I ask for replacement he said no they will only warrantee! Btw this item is now discontinued so I don't even know if they have stock. Also I called France head office and they will talk to their techs.

mick wolfe · « **Reply #35 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 03:23 pm »

Time to call Visa if he doesn't replace. You'll never have an ounce of confidence in an amp repaired by someone who said nothing was wrong with it in the first place. In fact, the more I think about it, I'd just demand a refund.

avahifi · « **Reply #36 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 07:53 pm »

OK, lets get to the bottom of this issue systematically.

Make good notes as you go through this process. If you don't, you will only end up confusing yourself and miss the correct diagnosis.

1) Assuming that you have already confirmed that the speakers are both good, since we know that the right channel only is the issue, shut off system, reverse interconnections between amp and preamp at one end only, left to right.

2) Listen again. If the issue changes to the left channel, the amp is fine, the problem is coming ahead of the amp.

We also now know the left channel interconnect is good because it worked fine when it was connected to the left channel.

3) Now swap the interconnects Left to Right at the other end of the connections, so the Left interconnect is connected to the Right Channel at both ends and the Right interconnect is connected to the Left channel at both ends. If the Left channel now plays normally, then we know the Right interconnect is OK too as it runs from left output to left input on the amp just fine. So then the interconnect cable pair is not the problem. We have eliminated the power amp and the interconnect cables as being the problem.

This limits the issue to the preamp and all sources and cables connected to the preamp inputs.

Does the issue occur independently of which source you select? If so this pretty much eliminates any of the source units.

4) If it only occurs on one source, then go through steps 1 through 3 only between source and preamp to eliminate the source interconnect cables. If everything else passes the tests, the issue must be with the preamp itself.

If the issue ends up being isolated to the power amp, then check your speaker cables, their connections to the amp and speakers, and for frayed wiring.

If its a vacuum tube power amp issue, then start swapping tubes from channel to channel to see if the problem follows a tube.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #37 on:** 9 Jul 2018, 08:45 pm »

Quote from: Kw6 on 9 Jul 2018, 07:30 am

Btw could it be a bad resistor, capacitor or transistor? Or a crack in the copper tracings on the circuit board?

Hi,
Please note there is two types of damaged Transistors, Resistors(rare) and Diodes:
1- Broken, burned, damaged even cold on the test meter, 100% dead.
2- Alterated, altered behavior, conduct partly voltage carriage, is damaged and the digital meter shows it is functioning well, but on the analog meter it is defective.

Your amp may have used one these flawed parts by lack of test.

Kw6 · « **Reply #38 on:** 10 Jul 2018, 01:06 am »

Hi Frank,

Thanks for the tips! It's definitely not my gear! I have been playing music for over a week since I sent amp back. The only difference now is I put my tube integrated back to duty. I have a simple system. Cambridge 851n 1m of siltech 330i interconnected to amp then 2m Nordost speaker cables to my Martin Logan esl-x. I was using line input 2 of questionable amp.

I think amp started good but after two weeks of playing a part has weaken causing it to overheat or malfunction. My friend said not dry or cold solder joint as they may have found that. Problem is intermittent. I have three problems first when changing volume with remote the step attenuator while selecting level cuts out right channel so image is left momentarily then come back to center so right channel is restored. Second without changing volume and leaving it at the level I want to hear song I would hear a soft crackle and right channel would cut out and only left channel working. Few mins later right channel is restored. Last problem is I take of stand by and come back 15 mins later to stream music and right channel has no sound. The amp has been in standby for 8 hrs or so. To get sound back I have to toggle amp on and off to restore right channel.

Kw6 · « **Reply #39 on:** 10 Jul 2018, 01:13 am »

On Wednesday I will ask for a refund. If he disagrees I will start dispute through visa. I'm willing to forgo the shipping charges that dealer has paid. Amp just doesn't work driving my speakers in full class A. I listen min 90 mins a day and sometimes 5 to 6 hr in one day. This amp is French design made in China so I'm guessing some part has weaken but not enough to render it dead. What do you guys think?