And so it begins...

[topspeed]

As most of you know, when I recently bought a Cambridge Audio Azur 540a, my biggest concern centered around the quality and durability of the product as the previous gen. 500a developed a rather infamous history for going bye-bye (a fact admitted to by AudioAdvisor).

Well, here we are 3 or 4 months into ownership and the right channel just dropped its output quite noticeably. I haven't taken my spl meter to it but I'd guess it's in the 5dB range. After switching the speakers, wires, and interconnects back and forth, both I and AudioPlus Services, the distributor, have decided it is indeed an amplifier problem and it is now packed and on it's way to New York.

Great.

Maybe I shoulda paid the extra $150 for the C320bee after all?

Oh well, you get what you pay for.

[kexodusc]

Sorry to hear about your troubles, Topspeed.
I'm not sure that particular NAD would have necessarily been any better for you. You can get a lemon in anything. I owned two popular 90's models, the 214 amp and 314 integrated, both gave me a few problems. Thank goodness for warranty. On the flip side I've also got a a 20 something year old NAD 3140 that I inherited from my dad's office that just recently started giving me power switch troubles...12 bucks later it's running as good as new. The thing must have ran at least 5-6 hours a day for 10 years before I got it.

I seem to recall you putting ALOT of time into this decision, this is just a case of cruel irony. Hopefully it will be something very minor and a complete fluke.

Just curious, ever think it might be something else in your setup giving these amps grief?

(Wishing your integrated a speedy recovery)

[Geoffcin]

Well, that sucks. At least it happened while under warrenttee. You still got the PS Audio amp.

I'm thiking about getting a "spare" amp myself, as it's always good to have one just in case.

[topspeed]

ever think it might be something else in your setup giving these amps grief?

Thanks for the kind words KC. I switched out both the speaker wires and the interconnects as well as changing left/right interconnects so no, it's nothing in the rig. All I've got is the 540c cd player, the integrated and my Missions. What else could it be? AudioPlus said it's vacation time so expect a 2+ week turn-around once they receive the unit. At least I've got my computer to listen to while I work

You still got the PS Audio amp.

Ah yes, but that is in my main rig at home my good man and I'm loath to dive into my rack to pull it out. Nah, I'll make due with the tiny computer speakers until it returns. Who knows, maybe I'll be more productive . I guess I've been spoiled by the dead reliability of my PSA and B&K stuff, but shouldn't this stuff last longer than 3 or 4 months?

[kexodusc]

You could always drop $100 on a Nad 3140 or 3020 or something...those things are legendary, and in abundance on ebay and audiogon.com. Ugly than some of my old girlfriends, but they'll do the trick.

I like the idea of a spare amp...that's basically what my 3140 is. I have an old H/K receiver and a Marantz stereo receiver in my garage too just in case my Rotel and NAD fail... next to some Wharfedale Emeralds I spent too much money on to be sitting in a garage...

[Geoffcin]

I've even got a spare set of Magnepan III's, just in case. Actually it was my idea the do an all maggie HT setup that never panned out. My buddy has a second system NAD intergrated that's hooked up to some Polk towers. I think he paid like $150 for it and it rocks with those speakers.