Old Arcam Alpha One amp - can it be repaired?

ean25

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I have a 2000-vintage Arcam Alpha One amp which started to develop crackle and fade out on the right speaker channel a few years back whenever the volume control was moved. Over time this got progressively worse to the point where the fade/crackle would appear spontaneously even when the volume control wasn't touched. Moving the volume control up and down repeatedly and using air duster on the potentiometer gave only temporary fixes. I also tried a small amount of contact cleaner which again gave only temporary relief. Eventually I persuaded Arcam to sell me a replacement volume potentiometer which I successfully replaced myself. This fixed the problem completely for a couple of months but it's now returned worse than ever and is becoming unusable. I gather that potentiometer and switch problems are common on older Alpha amps. Everything else on the amp seems to be working OK. Is there anything else I could try before throwing it out and replacing it? Its used value appears to be in the region of £50, so I don't feel it's worth the £150+P&P Arcam repair fee. Thanks!
 

MajorFubar

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Arcam - like most manufactrers I must add - are of course there to make money, and they don't do it by fixing your old kit,they do it by selling you new stuff.

It's a strange predicament because wherever you go, you're going to spend more to repair it than it would cost to buy another used one. But if you really like the amp I would recommend talking to someone like Amplifier Repair Services aka ARS, who will possibly be able to repair your amp, obviously for more than the cost of another used one, but as a sweetner they will offer a guarantee for their work. I had them service my old Cyrus II and I was absolutely delighted.
 

ean25

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Thanks. I understand that professional repairs will always cost, and I don't blame Arcam especially as they agreed to sell me the faulty part so I could do the repair myself.

Given my (short-lived) success at a DIY repair, I was hoping that someone could provide some pointers around other components to check and replace if necessary.
 

MajorFubar

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there's rarely much goes wrong with amps other than crackly pots/switches, blown output transistors and leaky electrolytic capacitors. Blown output transistors give rise to silence, leaky capacitors give rise to hum. You do seem to have correctly diagnosed the problem as a crackly pot. Unless you live in a very dusty environment I don't know why your new one has become crackly so soon, mind you, you can't possibly know how long it's been sat around. You could try some Servisol in it. I'm not an advocator of WD40, often recommended in these circumstances: first and foremost it's a Water Displacer (the clue is in the name) not a contact cleaner, and the film it leaves behind is an insulator.
 

mond

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Why not just buy yourself something else for a change, you may be pleasently surprised ....

There are a few nice Audiolab 8000A amps on the bay at present, I used to love mine years ago, sure to be lots of other interesting options out there....
 

ean25

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Thanks for the comments. I couldn't think of anything else to try other than replacing the volume control again, so in the end, I decided to retire the Arcam. Based on recommendations elsewhere on this forum and reviews, I ordered (unheard!) a discounted 'open box' Marantz PM6006. The sound is a clear improvement on the Arcam - what it lacks in warmth it makes up for in clarity (and it works properly, of course). I was also delighted to find that it has breathed new life into my CD48 - the built-in DAC accepts the CD's coax digital output and I can even control CDs using the PM6006's remote! Considering it cost around 60% of what I paid for the Arcam in 1999 (inflation adjusted), it's excellent value.
 

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