One for those with real technical knowledge of HiFi electronics.
I have an old, unused Audiolab A8000a integrated amp from the mid/late 1990's (later than the early, ropey models and pre- TAG McLaren era), sitting in its box, where it has lived for about 7 years. It's in fairly immaculate condition.
Despite what many opinions might be of these amps, it used to be a very clean, detailed and transparent, but sometime clinical and occasionally slightly un-involving listen. It worked well with my other components.
The Audiolab was relegated to my second system, in our lounge in the 00's.
My wife was very wary of touching my HiFi kit, but she started getting used to playing her music on this lounge system, with its Arcam CD player. There were no problems until one day, she put a CD in and no sound was coming out of the speakers.
I'd always asked her to turn the volume right down to 0 before turning the system off and before turning it on, but on this occasion the system was already switched on from my earlier use, so she assumed there was no sound as the volume was turned right down. So she turned it up. Still no sound so she turned it up more and there was still no sound.
Then she realised the input selector was set to Aux and not CD, so she turned the knob to CD to be met by an instant, unbearably deafening blast of sound. she quickly turned it down, or off and due to the shock and panic couldn't remember what she's done. She vaguely thinks the amp may have cut out (protection???) but couldn't be sure. She was upset and angry.
When I heard about this later that evening, I went to have a look and turned everything back on., to find that something was not right at all.
Compared to before this incident, turning the volume knob up now resulted in a very rapid increase in volume level, rather than the smooth progression before. The sound, although initial clear, sounded very hard and metallic and although not sounding distorted, was becoming unlistenable at position 2 and above on the volume control. By position 4 it was far too loud and frankly awful.
Clearly the incident had caused some serious damage. My wife was so put off by this event that she vowed never to touch any of my kit ever again, so the system lay unused for a while before I dismantled it and packed some of the components away.
After a few years I finally had time and the inclination to try and get this amp repaired, so I took it to a well known and often recommended (on HiFi forums) "specialist" in Audiolab and TAG-McLaren kit, who said he would take a look, test the kit and if I was happy, make repairs up to an agreed price. He would phone me if it was going to cost more.
When I returned to collect the repaired amp, he said he couldn't find anything wrong with it, but had upgraded and replaced some of the cheap components in the pre-amp. He then connected the amp into his own system to give me a demo.
I was very disappointed to find it sounded nearly as bad as before, but he said he thought it sounded perfectly fine and that it was a typical Audiolab sound. Well it didn't sound fine to me and it certainly didn't sound anything like it had done before. A good friend had also had one of these amps and his sounded just as good as mine.
I paid him for his work and went on my way, both very disappointed and aghast at how this guy, who had lots of various bit of Audiolab and other kit lying around and was supposed to be an expert, could find that piercing sound remotely acceptable.
The Audiolab amp was tried out at home a few times and then packed away and mostly forgotten, where it has laid for the last 7 years.
So, apologies for the lengthy ramble, but I wanted to give as clear a description of events as I could. The question is, what is the likely damage that occurred to this amp? I could just junk it, but curiosity and the fact that the amp is in top condition has left me wondering if it could be saved.
I've looked inside and there are no signs of burn marks, scorching, heat discolouration or disintegrating or damaged components. At least not to my untrained eye. The caps all look solid and intact.
Can anybody suggest the likely cause or causes and whether this amp can be economically repaired and used, or sold on. Many thanks in anticipation.
5
I have an old, unused Audiolab A8000a integrated amp from the mid/late 1990's (later than the early, ropey models and pre- TAG McLaren era), sitting in its box, where it has lived for about 7 years. It's in fairly immaculate condition.
Despite what many opinions might be of these amps, it used to be a very clean, detailed and transparent, but sometime clinical and occasionally slightly un-involving listen. It worked well with my other components.
The Audiolab was relegated to my second system, in our lounge in the 00's.
My wife was very wary of touching my HiFi kit, but she started getting used to playing her music on this lounge system, with its Arcam CD player. There were no problems until one day, she put a CD in and no sound was coming out of the speakers.
I'd always asked her to turn the volume right down to 0 before turning the system off and before turning it on, but on this occasion the system was already switched on from my earlier use, so she assumed there was no sound as the volume was turned right down. So she turned it up. Still no sound so she turned it up more and there was still no sound.
Then she realised the input selector was set to Aux and not CD, so she turned the knob to CD to be met by an instant, unbearably deafening blast of sound. she quickly turned it down, or off and due to the shock and panic couldn't remember what she's done. She vaguely thinks the amp may have cut out (protection???) but couldn't be sure. She was upset and angry.
When I heard about this later that evening, I went to have a look and turned everything back on., to find that something was not right at all.
Compared to before this incident, turning the volume knob up now resulted in a very rapid increase in volume level, rather than the smooth progression before. The sound, although initial clear, sounded very hard and metallic and although not sounding distorted, was becoming unlistenable at position 2 and above on the volume control. By position 4 it was far too loud and frankly awful.
Clearly the incident had caused some serious damage. My wife was so put off by this event that she vowed never to touch any of my kit ever again, so the system lay unused for a while before I dismantled it and packed some of the components away.
After a few years I finally had time and the inclination to try and get this amp repaired, so I took it to a well known and often recommended (on HiFi forums) "specialist" in Audiolab and TAG-McLaren kit, who said he would take a look, test the kit and if I was happy, make repairs up to an agreed price. He would phone me if it was going to cost more.
When I returned to collect the repaired amp, he said he couldn't find anything wrong with it, but had upgraded and replaced some of the cheap components in the pre-amp. He then connected the amp into his own system to give me a demo.
I was very disappointed to find it sounded nearly as bad as before, but he said he thought it sounded perfectly fine and that it was a typical Audiolab sound. Well it didn't sound fine to me and it certainly didn't sound anything like it had done before. A good friend had also had one of these amps and his sounded just as good as mine.
I paid him for his work and went on my way, both very disappointed and aghast at how this guy, who had lots of various bit of Audiolab and other kit lying around and was supposed to be an expert, could find that piercing sound remotely acceptable.
The Audiolab amp was tried out at home a few times and then packed away and mostly forgotten, where it has laid for the last 7 years.
So, apologies for the lengthy ramble, but I wanted to give as clear a description of events as I could. The question is, what is the likely damage that occurred to this amp? I could just junk it, but curiosity and the fact that the amp is in top condition has left me wondering if it could be saved.
I've looked inside and there are no signs of burn marks, scorching, heat discolouration or disintegrating or damaged components. At least not to my untrained eye. The caps all look solid and intact.
Can anybody suggest the likely cause or causes and whether this amp can be economically repaired and used, or sold on. Many thanks in anticipation.
5
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