Amplifier servicing

[Blacksabbath25]

When and how often do you service a amplifier and when it’s time for a service where do you send your amplifier for a service in the UK that services probably with good parts if needed .

does Yamaha have a service centre in the UK ?

 

[Electro]

When and how often do you service a amplifier and when it’s time for a service where do you send your amplifier for a service in the UK that services probably with good parts if needed .

does Yamaha have a service centre in the UK ?

If it ain't broke don't fix it. *smile*

If it's more than 10 years old and you don't know it's history then it might be worth getting it checked over.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I was thinking more about my own amplifier my A-S2100 when to service it as it’s a keeper for life so just want to look after it so it’s every 10 years you service a amplifier then .

 

[chebby]

To the manufacturer and just before the warranty expires because then it’s free.

 

[macdiddy]

designed and built to be long lasting (just looking at the specs on the Yamaha website) using high quality components in a well built case.

as long as you keep the top of the amp free of dust and it has plenty of ventilation around it then I don't think you need to "get it" serviced at all unless it develops a problem.

I have recently put together a simple two channel system using an old yamaha amp I had in the loft for at least the last 10 years, it was still in its original box, plugged it in and it still works perfectly, giving a good quality of sound but I won't be rushing to have it "serviced" anytime soon.

*music2*

 

[Gray]

I've never had any hi-fi component serviced.

Though I have done the odd, rarely needed, repair myself where necessary (but that:'s different)

 

[Vladimir]

If it works doesn't mean it's not broken, as has been demonstrated with recent Cyrus kit.

The achilles heel of amplifiers like all electronics are the electrolytic caps. Good quality Japanese caps should soldier through 10+ years in a Class AB amp with no problem. More heat means less longevity. After 10 years of regular daily use, one should consider general checkup of state of electrolytic caps, cracked solder joints, heat spots and other possible ills.

Maintanance every 5 years should be simple cleaning dust, cleaning open type switches, relays and potentiometers (closed type not as frequent). Bias and DC offset should be checked and reset if its off. Such process doesn't take more than 1 hour.

Speaker cable and interconnects should be plugged/unplugged once a year to clean oxidation. Cleaning with isopropyl alcohol or specialty sprays is also a good idea. If the speaker cables are bare wire, it's good idea to cut and strip fresh ends say every 2 years. Shouldn't take you more than 5-10 mins.

Western culture has moved to disposable goods. Cars are bought, abused for 10 years and ditched, typically with no maintanance inbetween. Electronics flood garbage disposal sites. The profession of electronics repair tech has essentially dissapeared. In economies of scale everything is made to survive the warranty period and no more.

Due to this new way of thinking about material goods, I see how my suggestion about maintanance might sound waste of time and pedantic OCD rituals of no benefit. But since the OP asked I thought I'd share my practice.

 

[Gazzip]

But my speaker cables cost £9000 per metre. Should I be stripping away 2cm on those every year? That would be a loss of £180 per cable per year.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

If it works doesn't mean it's not broken, as has been demonstrated with recent Cyrus kit.

The achilles heel of amplifiers like all electronics are the electrolytic caps. Good quality Japanese caps should soldier through 10+ years in a Class AB amp with no problem. More heat means less longevity. After 10 years of regular daily use, one should consider general checkup of state of electrolytic caps, cracked solder joints, heat spots and other possible ills.

Maintanance every 5 years should be simple cleaning dust, cleaning open type switches, relays and potentiometers (closed type not as frequent). Bias and DC offset should be checked and reset if its off. Such process doesn't take more than 1 hour.

Speaker cable and interconnects should be plugged/unplugged once a year to clean oxidation. Cleaning with isopropyl alcohol or specialty sprays is also a good idea. If the speaker cables are bare wire, it's good idea to cut and strip fresh ends say every 2 years. Shouldn't take you more than 5-10 mins.

Western culture has moved to disposable goods. Cars are bought, abused for 10 years and ditched, typically with no maintanance inbetween. Electronics flood garbage disposal sites. The profession of electronics repair tech has essentially dissapeared. In economies of scale everything is made to survive the warranty period and no more.

Due to this new way of thinking about material goods, I see how my suggestion about maintanance might sound waste of time and pedantic OCD rituals of no benefit. But since the OP asked I thought I'd share my practice.

I just wanted to no as I was planning on keep my amplifier for good as I am not interested in changing it ever so when the time comes I wanted to no when to take it in for a service as it does get used every day .

i obviously want to look after my amplifier and when it came to the time of a service where would be the best place to take it for a service so I got like for like quality parts so I didn’t have crappie parts put in .

 

[Vladimir]

But my speaker cables cost £9000 per metre. Should I be stripping away 2cm on those every year? That would be a loss of £180 per cable per year.

Oxidation is indiscriminate of price.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

I’d recommend checking out if the firm services old amps as if it’s not sounding right to you and you think it needs a service it may well be that the really old model is no longer serviceable etc. I know cyrus don’t Service really old 10 plus years old amps.

But I agree with you if you think sq could degrade year after year, When is service due? As always apply common sense.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I’d recommend checking out if the firm services old amps as if it’s not sounding right to you and you think it needs a service it may well be that the really old model is no longer serviceable etc. I know cyrus don’t Service really old 10 plus years old amps.

But I agree with you if you think sq could degrade year after year, When is service due? As always apply common sense.

my amplifier only 16 months old and still Yamaha’s current model so not that old

 

[paulkebab]

switches cables and caps. However I have seen odd-shaped square waves from tired transistors so it depends how deep you want to go. My amp has a 5 year warranty and if I can wangle a full inspection of soldered joints and a recap before it's up, trust me I will. Im tempted to try some tube rolling but I need to see if this will dump on the warranty.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

I’d recommend checking out if the firm services old amps as if it’s not sounding right to you and you think it needs a service it may well be that the really old model is no longer serviceable etc. I know cyrus don’t Service really old 10 plus years old amps.

But I agree with you if you think sq could degrade year after year, When is service due? As always apply common sense.

my amplifier only 16 months old and still Yamaha’s current model so not that old

thats a comfort then, definetely.....

 

[Blacksabbath25]

switches cables and caps. However I have seen odd-shaped square waves from tired transistors so it depends how deep you want to go. My amp has a 5 year warranty and if I can wangle a full inspection of soldered joints and a recap before it's up, trust me I will. Im tempted to try some tube rolling but I need to see if this will dump on the warranty.

I’ve got a 3 year warranty on my Yamaha so half way though it

 

[paulkebab]

but at say 30 months you could always claim there's a distortion issue at med/high volume. Personally I think Yamaha are excellent, as are others, in regards to quality and integrity so I couldn't go down that avenue. What you could do is just have a full recap at some convenient time after the warranty runs out then you've eliminated the major cause of problems in modern electronics.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

It’s good to point out that sometimes these amps are baddies from day 1, so if you can argue that, get one that’s a ‘goodin” from day 1

 

[Blacksabbath25]

but at say 30 months you could always claim there's a distortion issue at med/high volume. Personally I think Yamaha are excellent, as are others, in regards to quality and integrity so I couldn't go down that avenue. What you could do is just have a full recap at some convenient time after the warranty runs out then you've eliminated the major cause of problems in modern electronics.

yep Yamaha amplifiers are good work horse and cross fingers no issues with my amplifier so far but you never no so it’s good to no where to send it if a problem happened with it .

i might buy a second Yamaha A-S2100 for backup as I really like this amplifier a lot

 

[Vladimir]

but at say 30 months you could always claim there's a distortion issue at med/high volume. Personally I think Yamaha are excellent, as are others, in regards to quality and integrity so I couldn't go down that avenue. What you could do is just have a full recap at some convenient time after the warranty runs out then you've eliminated the major cause of problems in modern electronics.

yep Yamaha amplifiers are good work horse and cross fingers no issues with my amplifier so far but you never no so it’s good to no where to send it if a problem happened with it .

i might buy a second Yamaha A-S2100 for backup as I really like this amplifier a lot

That one will deteriorate and will need maintanance even if not used. You just take good care of this one. Yamaha will produce plenty more nice amps.

 

[paulkebab]

I get the feeling you're overreacting or you've got money to burn, buying another amp for spares seems a bit OTT. Most of the parts inside would be surface mounted therefore not easily if at all repairable, meaning a Yamaha supplied module swapout. Discrete components will be high quality easily replaceable so no problems there, and IMO it is these that will cause most issues not modules laden with SMC's. I know where you're coming from as I love my amp too but if it dies it dies, as one day it will which is when I get the next model up

 

[Blacksabbath25]

but at say 30 months you could always claim there's a distortion issue at med/high volume. Personally I think Yamaha are excellent, as are others, in regards to quality and integrity so I couldn't go down that avenue. What you could do is just have a full recap at some convenient time after the warranty runs out then you've eliminated the major cause of problems in modern electronics.

yep Yamaha amplifiers are good work horse and cross fingers no issues with my amplifier so far but you never no so it’s good to no where to send it if a problem happened with it .

i might buy a second Yamaha A-S2100 for backup as I really like this amplifier a lot

That one will deteriorate and will need maintanance even if not used. You just take good care of this one. Yamaha will produce plenty more nice amps.

at least Yamaha do not bring out a new amplifier every 5 seconds like other companies do and they just end up making little changes I like a company that’s been making great hifi for the last 80 years that’s important to me and the Yamaha A-S2100 is a cracking amplifier and it’s well engineered

 

[paulkebab]

[/quote]

That one will deteriorate and will need maintanance even if not used. You just take good care of this one. Yamaha will produce plenty more nice amps.

[/quote]

+1

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I get the feeling you're overreacting or you've got money to burn, buying another amp for spares seems a bit OTT. Most of the parts inside would be surface mounted therefore not easily if at all repairable, meaning a Yamaha supplied module swapout. Discrete components will be high quality easily replaceable so no problems there, and IMO it is these that will cause most issues not modules laden with SMC's. I know where you're coming from as I love my amp too but if it dies it dies, as one day it will which is when I get the next model up

it wasn’t for that purpose i was think of a second one as a stand in amplifier while my main one was sent of for a service so I would not be without music for ages that’s all I had no intention of using one to rob parts for .

 

[Vladimir]

I get the feeling you're overreacting or you've got money to burn, buying another amp for spares seems a bit OTT.

I know exactly how he feels. After a long and expensive search, just about when you thought the rabbit hole never ends so you might just as well give up, you find the right ONE. And its true love. You want to pamper it, keep it clean and healthy, perserve it, clone it.

Happy owner paranoia, a rare sighting in this hobby.

 

[paulkebab]

I know exactly what you mean and how Sabbs feels. We've spent a lot of time earning disposable income to be where we are and it can sometimes make us feel insecure. The dreaded 'what if' situation - it's not nice at all to imagine your investment go pop and either

a) cost you a lot of money OR

b) cost you a serious amount of money.

Be positive, it's a quality amp that will last longer than most and like you say it's not Yamaha philosophy to make changes every 5 minutes. They make something good, and stick to it. Just use and enjoy