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New member Username: KilinraxPost Number: 1 Registered: May-10 | Hello. I appreciate I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but I have a Nad T752 surround amp that won't power beyond standby after some cavalier DIY, and was wondering if anyone could advise me on next steps / recoverability. The amp had, up until the start of this year, been primarily used in 2-channel mode. It's always been a bit temperamental - it would sometimes refuse to come out of standby mode, and you'd have to fully power cycle it to get it to come on. Sometimes the left channel would drop out, and again wouldn't come back until you did. Once surround was set up, I discovered that both of the rear channels could also be silent when the unit was powered up - though the right far more frequently than the left. Eventually, the front left channel gave up completely. At this point a friend of mine (with an electronics degree) suggested that I pop the cover and spray everything liberally with Servisol Super 10. I duly did so one morning, and tried powering the amp that evening (so maybe 5 hours later?) It powered fine, and all the channels worked - though they were a lot quieter than usual, and there was a definite hum over them. I decided that I'd either misjudged the drying time, or my friend's definition of 'liberal', and switched the unit off. A couple of days later (i.e. today), I tested it again, and it won't now come out of standby mode. My question is; how likely is it that I've fried the amp? Should I try cleaning it with a residue-less isopropyl cleaner, take it to an electrical store to be repaired, or abandon as a lost cause? |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 14841 Registered: May-04 | . Take it to a service center and ask for an estimated cost for repairs. |
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New member Username: KilinraxPost Number: 2 Registered: May-10 | How likely would to guess the unit is to be fixable? (I appreciate this is necessarily vague without examining it) Also, I've heard that repairing an amp can sometimes cost more than a new one - since this is an old model which was already unreliable, is that a risk here? Forgot to mention that I've already tested the internal fuses. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 14843 Registered: May-04 | . Question the shop before agreeing to the estimate. A good shop will guide you in making a decision. They know what they've seen fail and about how much common repairs will cost. They can't get anything down to more than an estimate without diagnosing the issue with your specific component but they can give you an idea how likely the case will be for your receiver to be worth fixing. An unreliable component over the years is no different than an unreliable car. At some point you chalk it up to experience and move on. . |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 14958 Registered: Dec-04 | The repair shop may have some replacement unit good enugh for you to buy right there on a shelf. |
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New member Username: KilinraxPost Number: 3 Registered: May-10 | Nuck; if they did, I wouldn't trust them. Been stung for bike repairs a couple of times (and seen friends overcharged for PC repairs), and now consider the possibility of being scammed significant. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 14960 Registered: Dec-04 | Head to Best Buy for something new. |
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New member Username: KilinraxPost Number: 4 Registered: May-10 | Nuck; given I didn't ask about where to buy a replacement unit, I have to question why you thought this advice was necessary. |
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Gold Member Username: StryvnWisconsin Post Number: 1225 Registered: Dec-06 | Some people ya just can't help |
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New member Username: KilinraxPost Number: 5 Registered: May-10 | That's true, you just can't help some people, when you offer them advice which is different from what they asked for, without explaining why. Jan's had already talked me into calling round repair stores, though I do have reservations about using them when I literally have no idea how much audio repair can cost, and lack any personal recommendations of a store to go to. I work with computers, and I have built and repaired several in my time. If I took one to a store to be fixed, and they failed to repair it, I would then not be at all tempted to give them more money for one on a shelf. But perhaps that's just me, and HiFi is a different beast. I have never been to Best Buy (apparently it only open in the UK this year), but from what I understand it's the HiFi equivalent of PC World - which I wouldn't recommend to anyone, except to dismissively suggest that they didn't know any better, and shouldn't be allowed near a real computer. Again, perhaps Best Buy doesn't have that reputation in the US, but that was why I questioned Nuck's reply. If I want to buy another amp; there's a specialist hifi store down the road from me, or I know how to find a cheap one on eBay. |
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Gold Member Username: StryvnWisconsin Post Number: 1226 Registered: Dec-06 | I'll remind you of your question, Alex. My question is; how likely is it that I've fried the amp? Should I try cleaning it with a residue-less isopropyl cleaner, take it to an electrical store to be repaired, or abandon as a lost cause? I think Nuck's advice was directly related and pertinent to your question. There's plenty of good pre-loved stuff on the shelf...I've purchased nice equipment from there myself. Lastly, you won't buy a used unit off the shelf of a brick and mortar store but you'll buy "a cheap one on eBay". Might I suggest an i-pod and some ear buds? |
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New member Username: KilinraxPost Number: 6 Registered: May-10 | I'm sure there are plenty of good pre-loved units on the shelf. In fact that's the sort of thing I'd be looking for from eBay - by cheap I mean good value, second hand; not cheaply-made. In fact I do already own an iPod and some ear buds, they're great for drowning out commuter noise, but not a suitable replacement for home cinema. Apologies to you and Nuck if I came across as abrasive; the issues I have with repair stores are my own, and I concede that his original response was pertinent, if not the direct response to my question I wanted. I would ask you to consider how you'd feel if you posted on a PC enthusiast forum asking for advice when it wouldn't power up, and were told to buy an iPad. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 14964 Registered: Dec-04 | Let me recap... "Should I have the unit repaired" unspoken then was, at a repair shop that I do not know, would not buy from, have a generic distaste and distrust for, and would rather not see. Then the possibility of buying ebay, from someone that you do not know, but may buy from, have no taste but seemimgly some trust of, and could never see. That's what I am reading, mate. Yes, please do visit the local shop, that's where the real goods happen, you are correct. But the chap may have some used or tradein stuff on the shelf, which was likely serviced by the local shop...so.... |