Ever wonder what fried circuit boards smell like? [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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kexodusc
04-21-2008, 02:54 PM
Rough weekend. In the span of 5 days I've lost three of my best friends.

2 days after I sold my trusty ol' Rotel RB-980 power amp and NAD 3140 integrated to clear out some of the less frequently used goods for the impending move, one of my Adcom GFA-535 s died.

Poor guy...not sure what happened exactly, I was playing some music moderately loud and next thing I knew one channels stopped playing. Checked connections really quick - nope, all seemed well. Then it hit me - the scorched scent of epoxy and pvc.

Took the amp in, and sure enough the left channel is toast. Cost of repair far exceeds the value of the amp. This really bums me out.

I feel like I just buried two children only to come home and find another had passed away...
:cryin:

Now my HT is severely crippled. I have one GFA-535 left. Still running the front mains. I've had to move an idle AudioSource Amp One that was about to have a for sale sign hung on its window (excellent little amp by the way) into surround duty. The Yammie is pulling triple duty on the center and rear surrounds. First time I've had to use that many channels on it. And I think I can hear my wife laughing every time I glance at my a/v rack...

That poor little 60 watt/channel Adcom was a beast of an amp for over 2 decades. And it still sounded better to me than any 100 watt a/v receiver today. His twin brother looks awfully out of place on my rack now. I'm going to have to find another use for him somewhere. Probably my workshop system where a lonely NAD 3020 could use a friend.

The Yammie holds its own on HT and multi-channel music in the meantime but things just aren't the same. 3 different amplifiers, 3 different sonic spins. That's no good, and now it's bugging me both audibly and visually.

Losing the NAD wasn't so bad - it was a pawn shop find that I never did use much. The Rotel was purchased just to see if a Rotel amp sounded much different than previous NAD amp I had. (I think it did) Still, got some use out of it, nice piece that is going to a good home...Heck it was a killer amp that I liked alot. Except I like the Adcoms better Gonna miss all those guys...

But life goes on and this gives me an excuse, nay, a REASON to perform a little experiment I've kinda been wanting to do for a few months now...more on that in 5-10 business days.

L.J.
04-21-2008, 03:48 PM
Dude, that comment you put in about your wife is soo funny. Kinda sounds like my wife when UPS lost my C-3's.
http://forums.audioreview.com/showpost.php?p=132804&postcount=23
What's up with these women man :lol:

Umm...soo...you gonna have a nice lil review coming out soon huh?

kexodusc
04-21-2008, 04:04 PM
Dude, that comment you put in about your wife is soo funny. Kinda sounds like my wife when UPS lost my C-3's.
http://forums.audioreview.com/showpost.php?p=132804&postcount=23
What's up with these women man :lol:


Certain future plans necessitated the liquidation of a few pieces of gear, against my better judgment, much to her interior-decorator-wannabe glee. She's been nag--err..relentlessly suggesting the reduction of inventory for some time now. The untimely demise of another amp just made her day.
I'm pretty sure she's wishing a few tweeters would blow too.
:rolleyes5:

JohnMichael
04-21-2008, 04:18 PM
I can share your pain. I loaned a friend my Rotel RA 970BX and he hooked up three pairs of speakers somehow. Now he says it looks all melted inside. I asked him to save me the pain and not return it. I am sure he knows what fried circuit boards smell like. Sadly he does not know the smell of firing neurons.

kexodusc
04-21-2008, 04:23 PM
I can share your pain. I loaned a friend my Rotel RA 970BX and he hooked up three pairs of speakers somehow. Now he says it looks all melted inside. I asked him to save me the pain and not return it. I am sure he knows what fried circuit boards smell like. Sadly he does not know the smell of firing neurons.
3 pairs of speakers? Didn't he read the memo "not stable into 1 ohm loads"...
Send him your Krell next time.
That's aweful JM...with friends like that who needs feng shui wives?

bobsticks
04-21-2008, 06:19 PM
That's aweful JM...with friends like that who needs feng shui wives?

Who needs either?

Sorry gents. I now know there are two kindred souls out there who can relate to my feelings upon opening my last Mac package to find a twisted mass of broken glass and steel. If I can do anything just let me know. I'll be there through the trying times.

...sniff...it sucks to lose a friend.

kexodusc
04-21-2008, 06:28 PM
I now know there are two kindred souls out there who can relate to my feelings upon opening my last Mac package to find a twisted mass of broken glass and steel.
A quick death is one thing, but to witness a bloody mutilation, oh the humanity!
I thought mac glass was bullet proof....

bobsticks
04-21-2008, 06:48 PM
Not when the asswipe who loads the truck thinks he's Zidane Zidane.

Ol' boy thinks he's got some fancy footwork, I'm hoping karma bites him in the ass and he gets a little of this action...


<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7jLyRt7vumM&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7jLyRt7vumM&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Mr Peabody
04-21-2008, 07:31 PM
I had a power supply burn out on an Arcam amp, it smelled so bad I thought I caught the house on fire. Did I ever mention I had an Adcom 5400 I was willing to sell?

pixelthis
04-21-2008, 11:25 PM
I had a power supply burn out on an Arcam amp, it smelled so bad I thought I caught the house on fire. Did I ever mention I had an Adcom 5400 I was willing to sell?

I have been looking at a new Adcom 5400.
Did you like yours?

pixelthis
04-21-2008, 11:28 PM
HOOKING UP "CAN" capacitors backwards is fun.
We sent more than one metal case through the roof in class.
Getting up all of the paper insulator was a chore tho.
Stay in this hobby and you will smell that smell sooner or later :1:

audio amateur
04-22-2008, 01:43 AM
Not when the asswipe who loads the truck thinks he's Zidane Zidane.

Ol' boy thinks he's got some fancy footwork, I'm hoping karma bites him in the ass and he gets a little of this action...

Damn that guy needs to drink more milk. Video has made me cringe more than once

Rich-n-Texas
04-22-2008, 04:15 AM
Damn that guy needs to drink more milk. Video has made me cringe more than once
I almost lost my breakfast.

Rich-n-Texas
04-22-2008, 04:18 AM
HOOKING UP "CAN" capacitors backwards is fun.
We sent more than one metal case through the roof in class.
Getting up all of the paper insulator was a chore tho.
Stay in this hobby and you will smell that smell sooner or later :1:
We're not in high school anymore pix. :Yawn:

Rich-n-Texas
04-22-2008, 04:21 AM
I can share your pain. I loaned a friend my Rotel RA 970BX and he hooked up three pairs of speakers somehow. Now he says it looks all melted inside. I asked him to save me the pain and not return it. I am sure he knows what fried circuit boards smell like. Sadly he does not know the smell of firing neurons.
:lol: This is good. So the next time a nit-wit engineer here gets me pissed off, I'll tell him: if you start to smell burning neurons, you better BACK OFF!

Rich-n-Texas
04-22-2008, 04:28 AM
The irony here Kex is the fact that you were getting ready to replace your receiver, just about the only component that hasn't suffered an ill fate one way or the other.

And I think I can hear my wife laughing every time I glance at my a/v rack...

Dude, that comment you put in about your wife is soo funny.
I have to agree. That's the only part of your post that I didn't feel sympathetic towards. :smilewinkgrin:

kexodusc
04-22-2008, 05:04 AM
The irony here Kex is the fact that you were getting ready to replace your receiver, just about the only component that hasn't suffered an ill fate one way or the other.


I have to agree. That's the only part of your post that I didn't feel sympathetic towards. :smilewinkgrin:
Yeah. Had I known my amp was going to just die I would have planned things a bit differently. I asked the tech dude about what I can expect for the other Adcom since it's the same age/model. He seems pretty sure this was just an act of god, so to speak and hasn't seen an older Adcom in his shop in years. Stuff happens.
Just my luck.

GMichael
04-22-2008, 06:39 AM
Sorry to hear (read) about the loss of your friends. But this does give you the chance to try out that Emotiva amp you were spying. Oh wait! This wasn't planned was it? OH NO! You killed your amp just to see it die? Say it ain't so!
Sniff sniff... I can't believe it.
I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

Rich-n-Texas
04-22-2008, 06:41 AM
Yeah. Sounds like a stunt L.J. would pull. :rolleyes:

GMichael
04-22-2008, 06:48 AM
I think I smell a few neurons firing.
(wife won't let me buy a new amp. How about if I just fry this one? Yeah yeah, that works:idea: )

audio amateur
04-22-2008, 07:25 AM
I know what smoked voice coil smells like:ihih:

kexodusc
04-22-2008, 09:25 AM
Sorry to hear (read) about the loss of your friends. But this does give you the chance to try out that Emotiva amp you were spying. Oh wait! This wasn't planned was it? OH NO! You killed your amp just to see it die? Say it ain't so!
Sniff sniff... I can't believe it.
I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT!
Aww c'mon GM...I may have kicked a few kiddies out of the house to make room for the next batch of buns in the oven but I ain't no murderer...

:devil:

Rich-n-Texas
04-22-2008, 09:31 AM
Aww c'mon GM...I may have kicked a few kiddies out of the house to make room for the next batch of buns in the oven but I ain't no murderer...

:devil:
WHAT? Your wife's pregnant with twins? Hey! Congrats Kex! :thumbsup:

GMichael
04-22-2008, 09:44 AM
I must not read English very well.

GMichael
04-22-2008, 09:45 AM
Aww c'mon GM...I may have kicked a few kiddies out of the house to make room for the next batch of buns in the oven but I ain't no murderer...

:devil:

Amp killer.:mad5:

oaqm
04-22-2008, 02:37 PM
Is this the beginning of some sort of "Amplifier Right to Life" movement?

Mr Peabody
04-22-2008, 03:59 PM
Pix, I liked my 5400, it drove a pair of Dynaudio Audience 60's without a flench. It has a slight mid bass hump which is fun for Rock and Pop. The down side is it can be a bit bright. If you can go the money it's worth the difference for the 5500 though. More power, better bass with more control and the mids/highs are improved. Both amps will require good ventilation although the 5400 could live with less than the 5500. For the price of the 5400, and especially now used they are a steal.

pixelthis
04-22-2008, 11:15 PM
Pix, I liked my 5400, it drove a pair of Dynaudio Audience 60's without a flench. It has a slight mid bass hump which is fun for Rock and Pop. The down side is it can be a bit bright. If you can go the money it's worth the difference for the 5500 though. More power, better bass with more control and the mids/highs are improved. Both amps will require good ventilation although the 5400 could live with less than the 5500. For the price of the 5400, and especially now used they are a steal.


Thanks.
This emotiva that GM is pushing looks nice, but they have a 2.1 preamp with bass management, which I consider a compromise, hey GM is that emotiva a discrete
amp? DOES IT HAVE PROCS IN the main audio line? They dont worry me in auxillary
functions, but they have no place in a decent amps main stages :1:

f0rge
04-23-2008, 04:55 PM
kex why didnt you just hit ebay for another 535? they can be had for like $150...

i have a gfa-555 that's served me well over the years, i think it was originally built in 84 lol

kexodusc
04-23-2008, 05:33 PM
kex why didnt you just hit ebay for another 535? they can be had for like $150...

i have a gfa-555 that's served me well over the years, i think it was originally built in 84 lol

I could, thought about it. But I'd end up paying $50 in shipping, $20 in taxes and duty etc...over $200 for a 20 year old amp. Nah. I might try something else....

Mr Peabody
04-23-2008, 06:05 PM
Kex, where do you live?

Rich-n-Texas
04-24-2008, 05:15 AM
He's living in Canada these days, that's why all the extra costs. Despite the lack of an ocean separating the two countries, purchasing something on e-bay would still be considered an overseas shipment.

kexodusc
04-24-2008, 06:33 AM
He's living in Canada these days, that's why all the extra costs. Despite the lack of an ocean separating the two countries, purchasing something on e-bay would still be considered an overseas shipment.

Shipping cost isn't unreasonable and taxes and duty are a fact of life everywhere, but these shipping companies should be charged with extortion for the brokerage fees they nail us with.
Anyway, all this to say it's not always economical to order goods of low value from the USA because Fed Ex/UPS have to take their pound of flesh. Grrr....

f0rge
04-24-2008, 10:37 AM
true story, i'm from canada too

bought some camber adjustment bolts for my car once, $25 part, 2 bolts, about 2lbs, small box, UPS charged me $22 in duty.