# Amp failure in storage?



## Flyinbanana (Feb 2, 2008)

I pulled my 2-channel Arc out of climate-controlled storage (ie, my closet) where it had been for about three years. Worked fine when I uninstalled it but now has static on one channel only. Any ideas why it might suddenly fail?


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## ChaunB3400 (Dec 12, 2009)

open it up and check for dust, bugs, etc


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## ollschool (Nov 21, 2008)

I do know if you let some sit too long, SOME can fail, and i have had that happen. I have had some amps sit for a few years WORKING only to be grabbed again later and go into protect when benched.


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## Flyinbanana (Feb 2, 2008)

Thanks for the replies-- I did look inside and didn't note anything out of the ordinary to my untrained eyes, no bugs, nothing loose or burnt, etc.


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## daveds50 (Jun 10, 2011)

ollschool said:


> I do know if you let some sit too long, SOME can fail, and i have had that happen. I have had some amps sit for a few years WORKING only to be grabbed again later and go into protect when benched.


 Hi Kevin ! 

true. it all depends on the amp. 

a lot of quality old school gear were built with quality capacitors that lasted a long time. for example, i have some old 90's Soundstream and ADS amps in my collection that i have not re-capped, and they still work perfectly. but eventually, they will dry up and go bad if not replaced. 

bad things can happen when a cap goes bad, depending on what circuit it is on. can be as little as noise like you are seeing, or can be as bad as Magic Smoke being let out. 

on the other hand, the latest trend i have been seeing on new school amps, is even from reputable companies, some use cheap garbage Chinese caps to keep production costs down. some last as little as a year before problems start to happen. 

quite often, it is a small cap that fails too. example: rather than them paying 5 cents per cap, they cut costs and use 3 cent caps. ironic thing, is they are using them on critical circuits that only have a couple of caps. personally, if i was still in the manufacturing business, i would gladly pay... say... 10-20 more cents per amp if the customer gets something much more reliable. 

anyway, sitting in a closet for 3 years can do it. it may have just been time for it to happen.


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## Audiophyle (Aug 8, 2009)

Have you tried cycling the dials & pots back & forth repeatedly? Could be just a little dirty or oxidized. Humidity can play a huge part in storage issues, which few HVAC systems even address.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

You have to place it in a soundproof bag, or the sound will evaporate in storage.....

Does it feel lighter in weight?


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## Audiophyle (Aug 8, 2009)

daveds50 said:


> if i was still in the manufacturing business, i would gladly pay... say... 10-20 more cents per amp if the customer gets something much more reliable.


I bet the designers & engineers would agree with you 100%, however I would venture to guess the decisions to value-engineer the amps always comes at the hands of a pencil pusher with only a single goal in mind, max profit margin with the cheapest acceptable parts that will survive it's warranty period.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Audiophyle said:


> I bet the designers & engineers would agree with you 100%, however I would venture to guess the decisions to value-engineer the amps always comes at the hands of a pencil pusher with only a single goal in mind, max profit margin with the cheapest acceptable parts that will survive it's warranty period.


Welcome to Instant Yeehaw


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

You need to recrank the transistors, put warming blankies on the resistors, and top off the caps. :smart:


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

and check the RCA fluid.


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## t3sn4f2 (Jan 3, 2007)

chad said:


> and check the RCA fluid.


True, snake oil tends to evaporate.


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## ChaunB3400 (Dec 12, 2009)

Audiophyle said:


> Have you tried cycling the dials & pots back & forth repeatedly? Could be just a little dirty or oxidized. Humidity can play a huge part in storage issues, which few HVAC systems even address.


this as well


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## daveds50 (Jun 10, 2011)

Audiophyle said:


> Have you tried cycling the dials & pots back & forth repeatedly? Could be just a little dirty or oxidized. Humidity can play a huge part in storage issues, which few HVAC systems even address.


 usually, amps with lightly corroded pots only do it when you are moving the pot. from his description, seems it is doing it all the time. that is what is making me think it is not the pots. 



Audiophyle said:


> I bet the designers & engineers would agree with you 100%, however I would venture to guess the decisions to value-engineer the amps always comes at the hands of a pencil pusher with only a single goal in mind, max profit margin with the cheapest acceptable parts that will survive it's warranty period.


 i would always override the bean counters... never lost any of those battles. but that was in the day where amps were designed and built in the USA. now days, it is not usually the bean counters at all... it is the Korean and China manufacturers substituting parts for cheaper ones. while that can easily happen in the larger companies, it is more controlled in smaller companies. but it still happens before people notice. you would be surprised about what i have found as a cause of failure in a lot of very highly regarded amps lately.


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## Audiophyle (Aug 8, 2009)

daveds50 said:


> usually, amps with lightly corroded pots only do it when you are moving the pot. from his description, seems it is doing it all the time. that is what is making me think it is not the pots.


I agree, however I have had a couple amps with constant static that went away after cycling the pots, and with the somewhat vague details figured it couldnt hurt to give it a try.


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