[cdesign]

Hi all,

I have got my standard TVC a few months now and I just love it.
It sounds heavenly; Extremely tight bass, I can hear an extra ? octave at the bottom of the spectrum because it now is so well defined.
Its overwhelming mids with all the details playing completely separated from the ?big sound?
Highs like breakable crystal.
Depth is almost frightening,

This thing makes music really come alive!!

But now I have a problem with it. The volume selector really plops loud from the 5^th till the 12^th position, with a very big plop at #8. Only when I change the volume. PLOP and then music. No extra noise just one plop. Its sounds a bit like dust on the contacts. But if it is dust why then only in the 5 to 12 position? The plopping started after about 2 months.

Some details:
Standard TVC, using three of the four inputs (absolutely no hum), using one of the two outputs.
Amps: Unison Research Simply Four (SET) and from high output (with a passive line level xo) to a Cambridge Audio P500
Speakers: BD-Design Oris 200 and diy bass horn.
Sources: Monica 3 DAC, Sony Blu-Ray player, Philps LCD-TV

What to do?

[cdesign]

More info. I'm certain it's oxidation. When I turn the volume control several times, the plopping  slowly dissappears. And then after a few days it slowly comes back.

Is it possible to open the rotary switch so I can clean it and use some Silclear, or is it a spring loaded device.

Any advice is welcome.

[cdesign]

I replaced the original switch with a Goldpoint switch. The soldering is a killer (I don't want to solder anything in the next 4 months) but the result is 100% plop-free.
I opened the original switch (no springs) and could see some black marks on the (silverplated?) contacts, I also noticed some sharp edges on the contacts coming from the transformer, break before make instead of make before break.

[guest48077]

hope this doesn't happen to mine. Was you unit brand new? I would contact Nick and get some answers/ reimbursement. 

[cdesign]

I bought the unit from the SALE so maybe it wasn't brand new but certainly not used.
I did send Nick a mail but haven't got an answer yet.

Close up:

[cdesign]

Had a long listen session last evening, some CD's and a movie (Blu-Ray) and could hear some minor sound improvements; bit more dynamics in the bass, slightly wider and deeper sound stage.

Maybe I had the one in a million, produced on Monday morning just after coffee-break switch. Considering the minor improvements, Nick's choice for this switch really isn't a bad one.