Fluctuating volume in one channel: Part II

Hey 914. I could rant endlessly about UPS and FedEx screw-ups as I was at their mercy to deliver $120 Million annually in aircraft engine hardware. They delayed my engine lines countless times over the years.

Bryston must indeed be a class act based on the service you received and the testimonies of many other A'goners.

Ketchup, you cracked me up with the Home Depot/U-Haul story! LOL. Had you already made the rounds prior to my post, or was their some kind of mental telepathy going on here? ;)

Based on my experience, overkill packaging is always worth the peace of mind. Classe's original box and internal packaging is probably of superb quality. However, I would offer to pay extra for double boxing.

I like Counterpoint's return policy. They require that you ship your amp in a wooden crate and they will return your amp in the same crate. They supply decent crates for $80 plus shipping.

I design and build gorilla proof crates myself, that I plan to market to A'goners. I think they are good for several shipping cycles of serious abuse. Sorry I don't have anything already built that would suit your needs.

Regards,

Earnestmoney, I had already gone to the stores before you replied. I'm a few steps ahead of you :) I actually ended up going to Lowe's and found a different 4 x 8 sheet of foam. This stuff was actually white styrofoam and offered a little more cushion than the stuff that my Home Depot had (very hard yellowish looking stuff). It was a few more bucks, but worth it.

After a few hours of sculpting foam I ended up with 4" above and below the amp and 3" on the sides. This is all inside a double walled box. Then, I wrapped the box in thick carpet underlayment and encapsulated that with another box cut to fit tightly around the padding. I did this to offer some shock protection in the event of a fall. Overkill? Probably, but at least I'm not going to worry about it.

If anyone wants to ship me a loaner amp for the time being feel free!

Hello Ketchup,

I have a similar problem. I have Classe CAM 200 mono's. I have narrowed the problem down to one of the amps. In my case the volume doesn't entirely cut out, but when it goes, it goes down to about 1/4 of the normal amp's volume. It just started a few nights ago, and doesn't always happen (sometimes volume and quality are just fine from the amp). I was wondering what model you had, and what had happened with your repair.

thanks, Bill

Good news!
I got my ca-200 back from Classe a few days ago. Including shipping time it was gone for about 2.5 - 3 weeks, but I figure Classe only had it for about one week.

I called them to find out exactly what was done to the unit because it's been working perfectly for the past few days and even seems to sound better.

They went over the whole amp and did necessary repairs.
One problem was the shield wires, which connect the input boards to the main boards. A third party used to terminate them and apparently weren't doing the best job, so they were replaced (this is now done by Classe). They also replaced the RCA jacks (probably due to normal wear) and made some updates. The updates included changing some output resistors, 2 caps, and a few diodes. The updates were, according to Classe, intended to improve reliability and stability.

They did the repairs at no cost and even sent it back to me free of charge... that's at least 50 bucks right there. I was very impressed with the whole experience and am now putting Classe up there with Thiel for unsurpassed customer service. I should also mention that I am not the original owner of the amp and it's warranty had already expired.

Bill, that's how my problem started... slight volume level changes now and then followed by more drastic level changes more often. I would call Classe and ask for Arman in tech support. If you can be helped he will help you.

Ketchup,

thanks for your reply. Good to hear that everything worked out with Classe- it is nice to know that they stand behind the product!

In my case I am using the XLR inputs, not the RCA's. I suppose the input board/shields that you mention are common to both RCA and XLR. My units are 2 1/2 yrs old.

I'll be darned but the amp has been running great for the past 48 hours. As soon as it acts up again I will be giving Classe a call.

thanks, Bill