Adcom Amp still having issues...

BuckeyeTim
BuckeyeTim Posts: 483
edited March 2010 in 2 Channel Audio
Crap,...so I am still having issues with my Adcom GFA-565. Only the one...
I fired it up tonight and before I even moved the volume off of zero, the speaker started playing some kind of static stuff. It's not the speakers...I swapped speakers to other amp and no problem.

During the "static", The "Instantaneous Distortion Alert" light came on, with volume knob still on zero.

Any thoughts...other than sending in for service. That, will be last resort.
Post edited by BuckeyeTim on
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited February 2010
    send it in for service.. you're gonna toast your speakers.. it ain't right.

    my guess... bad or broken solder joint. that was the problem with my Adcom.

    you may have a bad interconnect cable. ditch those, and try again. if you still have the same problem. at least you have ruled those out.
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  • BuckeyeTim
    BuckeyeTim Posts: 483
    edited February 2010
    ICs are brand new (3 months old). I do have another set of old ones that I will try swapping with. Broken solder joints I can deal with. My last tv had an issue with solder joints from using wrong kind of solder. Every 6 months I would have to take it apart and re-solder several joints...until I broke my leg and the tv went out at same time and I was unable to move tv to fix....bought a new one.

    I suppose, if nothing else,...I will completely disassemble it this weekend and go through every joint.

    I just don't want to send it in because I know they will charge me $200, and then shipping....I will be in for $300 and it will probably be something simple. I hate when that happens!
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,566
    edited February 2010
    Probably bad caps, send it in.
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited February 2010
    Probably the dreaded bad input caps. Adcom sourced a bad run of caps in some of the 565's and 585's. When they leak, they make a mess that is a PITA to clean up. Make sure your tech knows what's going on.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,447
    edited February 2010
    F1nut wrote: »
    Probably bad caps, send it in.


    i agree also. you will be happier than frying some gear because you went on the cheap. unless you have an O scope and know how to reset Bias then send it in to those that do this day in and day out
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  • BuckeyeTim
    BuckeyeTim Posts: 483
    edited February 2010
    Ok, so I know it is not the cables. I removed everything except power cord and it goes into "distortion alert" as soon as it is powered up.

    This actually started a couple weeks ago, but I found a loose plug on input board and all was fine until last night. At that time, I looked at the caps and could see no leakage at all.

    It will have to wait until tomorrow as I don't get home from work until 2am. We work four 10hr shifts rather than 5 8's.

    I guess I will do some close inspection and if nothing jumps out at me I will pull the input boards out of both amps and swap them to see if problem follows the board. Hopefully I can at least narrow it down so that maybe I can just send in a board and not the whole amp.
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  • BuckeyeTim
    BuckeyeTim Posts: 483
    edited February 2010
    I really don't think it is a cap issue. Both were serviced about 10 yrs ago and then basically put into storage. When I had it open last weekend, everything was spotless.

    Just a few minutes ago, I was doing some dc voltage checks and both amps are virtually the same. Odd thing...While I was checking the problem amp,...the distortion light went out and now turning it off and on does not give the alert.

    I really think it is a loose connection or bad solder joint or something similar.

    Time to pop the top and see if I can figure this out.

    I was able to locate the pieces parts from the previous service.
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  • BuckeyeTim
    BuckeyeTim Posts: 483
    edited February 2010
    So, I spent half the day taking this thing apart only to not find what I was expecting I would.

    So, I give...you win. I am taking it in for service. And, as long as I am taking one, I might as well take the other....just to give it a good physical.

    Taking them to Stereo Lab Service in Columbus Ohio. An authorized Adcom service center, and the guys that did the sevice back in '98.

    So, for now, I threw the Yamaha back into the mix. Definately sounds different...not bad mind you, just different.
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  • HB27
    HB27 Posts: 1,518
    edited February 2010
    I'd rather have my electronics totally quit than "tease me".
    Qualified service seems the correct path to take now.
    I've got an old Sansue 8080db under the bed that messes with me like that. WE finally got to the point that a good "kick in the ****" occasionally keeps it running fine. About once every 3 months it's due for a good "smack" on the top rt side to keep it working. Not the ideal way to deal with it but my personality and the 8080s behavior have reached that point. I've been inside it at least a dozen times trying to find a problem I consider a "loose/bad connection" with no luck.
    Good luck and keep us in the loop as to the problem.
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  • BuckeyeTim
    BuckeyeTim Posts: 483
    edited March 2010
    Well,...I am dropping them off Friday. The bad part...they are working with a 3 week back log. So, it looks like I will pretty much be without them for the entire month of March. Oh well, it happens.

    The Yamaha just can't cut it though. The Monitors sound so weak and thin....no comparison at all.
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  • fbm211
    fbm211 Posts: 1,488
    edited March 2010
    Send them to EBC electronics in jersey and you will have them back within 10 days.
    SDA-2BTL with custom IC
    Adcom 565 monoblocks--Monarchy Audio M-10 preamp
    Theta Data Basic Transport--Stello DA100 Signature DAC--Camelot Dragon Pro2 MK III
    Harman Kardon T-55c TT
    DH Labs Q-10 Signature Speaker Cables With Furez silver plated copper bananas
    Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver Reference AES/EBU
    Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver i2s digital cable
    4 Furutech FP-314Ag with FI-11cu Plugs/FI-11AG IECs--- Power Cords
    DH LABS REVELATIONS ICs-amps
    Revelation Audio Labs Paradise cryo-silver ICs-Source to pre
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  • BuckeyeTim
    BuckeyeTim Posts: 483
    edited March 2010
    I don't have to ship if I take them to Columbus. These guys are service only and one of the things I like is they are anal about 2-channel. While there I will see if they can do some upgrades while they are at it.
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  • fbm211
    fbm211 Posts: 1,488
    edited March 2010
    YES ,,upgrades.Replace some of the caps on the input boards with better quality ones as well as some of the resistors.Ben would know which ones to replace.
    And bypass the PS caps.(I did) Thats a very easy on the bank upgrade.
    SDA-2BTL with custom IC
    Adcom 565 monoblocks--Monarchy Audio M-10 preamp
    Theta Data Basic Transport--Stello DA100 Signature DAC--Camelot Dragon Pro2 MK III
    Harman Kardon T-55c TT
    DH Labs Q-10 Signature Speaker Cables With Furez silver plated copper bananas
    Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver Reference AES/EBU
    Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver i2s digital cable
    4 Furutech FP-314Ag with FI-11cu Plugs/FI-11AG IECs--- Power Cords
    DH LABS REVELATIONS ICs-amps
    Revelation Audio Labs Paradise cryo-silver ICs-Source to pre
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  • BuckeyeTim
    BuckeyeTim Posts: 483
    edited March 2010
    fbm211 wrote: »
    YES ,,upgrades.Replace some of the caps on the input boards with better quality ones as well as some of the resistors.Ben would know which ones to replace.
    And bypass the PS caps.(I did) Thats a very easy on the bank upgrade.

    I wish I knew what upgrades to do or inquire about. I am hoping they have some tips when I drop them off. I don't want to pm Ben, being the new guy and all, I don't want to bother someone if I can help it. I saw on another thread a company that can really make them "sing"....but $700+...
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