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Amplifier Output Relays

Hi Goner’s,

Well after way too much time and money in parts and labor, my tech tapped on the right channel relay and discovered the reason for why the right speaker kept cutting out. So he cleaned off the corrosion and sprayed it with Deoxit and it came back. I was gratefully playing the stereo for a few hours when I decided to play the Ayre test CD ‘Irrational but Efficacious’ full glide tone and heard the two speakers drop out for a second and then experienced cutting in and out of the left channel. It’s strange to me that this full glide tone could trigger an issue but that seems to be the case. Anyway, the relays that I need to order are modified for direct inputs. I play strictly through the direct rca’s rather than CD 1, Phono, etc…The technician wants to exhaust all possibilities that the relays can be salvaged but he is overestimating the amount of work involved in changing them. The parts for both sides is a total of 60 euros so I plan on ordering them soon. Any advice from people who are familiar with this headache?
Thanks!

Happy Holidays!

128x128goofyfoot
erik_squires
16,212 posts
 

Depends on how the amp was made.  If the relays are soldered in directly then yeah.  If they are socketed then no, they should pop put in seconds.

goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot OP
1,380 posts
 

I've been In contact with the manufacturer who's been nothing short of amazing since the issue started with the right channel. His comment is that the right channel issue was with the output relay. The issue with the left channel started shortly after the tech cleaned the right relay and got it working again. I will check the headphones since that is a separate relay altogether. I then will try other inputs. Once I check these, then I'll post my findings.

fiesta75
1,378 posts
 

Cleaning of relays do not last and if only the right channel was cleaned, the relays are most likely the same age. Correct? Good idea to check the headphone output, but are they really a different relay? For sure check other inputs!

goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot OP
1,380 posts
 

Yeah, according to the manufacturer, the headphones use a separate relay. His instructions are the same; tap the relay to see if the tone changes, try the headphones and try different inputs.

goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot OP
1,380 posts
 

Also, my tech found two bad solder joints and a loose wire and fixed those many months ago when I initially started having problems. When he found the relay was reacting to his tapping on it, he checked those solder joints and they were good. When the cutting out in the left channel started a couple of days ago, I couldn’t understand why he didn’t do the same to the left relay as he did to the right but that really doesn’t matter at this point. Yes, the relays are the same age. They are the original parts.

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