Power amp worth repairing?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sir_Matthew
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Sir_Matthew

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I've been mixing with a Hafler TA1100 ever since I got the recommendation on this board 10 years ago. It's been a real trooper, but now I'm getting weak signal and distortion on both channels. Do you have any idea how much it would cost to fix it? Trying to weigh that vs. buying a new one. I saw one on eBay for $50 plus $20 shipping, but I wonder if a repair would be any less.

Thoughts?
 
I can hardly see a bench charge that low... I'd get the replacement.
 
I struggle with the same sort of issue, often.

I find it cheaper to buy replacements used, but one advantage to a repair is you get some sort of warranty. A used piece of gear could crap out after one day, perhaps, and then you are back where you started.
 
Yeah most repair guys charge at least $50. just to pt in in their shop then the repair charges.
One thing you could do is at least open up your old unit and Clean it out I'm sure that there is a ton of dust bunnies taking up residence there. Not that it's the problem but should be done from time to time.
 
True, most repairs cost anywhere from $25-$50 an hour. Some can find the issue in a hour and fix it and some others will squeeze you for a couple of hours of work or more. Some shops will evaluate what is wrong, let you know what the cost would be and then you decide if it's worth it. Like MS said "Clean it out". Dust can insulate components and cause them to overheat, attract moisture, cause poor contact (relays, switches, connectors) and conductive which can cause arcing. These are just a few of the demons that plague electronics. Talk to your friends and see if any of them have any experience with servicing electronic equipment. It's possible the caps might be leaking on your amp.
 
Found one on eBay for $50, decided that'd be the least painful solution. But since I'll have an operational amp, I'll have the liberty to poke around in the old one and see if I can get it working. If so, it never hurts to have a backup.

Thanks for your advice. :)
 
Half of the stuff I take apart works when I put it back together again... without finding a single original problem
 
MOFO Pro said:
Half of the stuff I take apart works when I put it back together again... without finding a single original problem
Click to expand...


This has happened to me more than once. :confused:
I used to do repairs and when this happened I would just shake my head and send it back with no charge and told them all I did was to clean it.
 
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