HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

I have been sent to repair a a Magnum A100.
The mess inside is beyond understanding.
The bodge on workmanship and added useless bit badly is disgusting you who did this should be shot.
It was a older version with H PAK FETs so that is no easily fixed additional PCB to convert TO247 to H PAK would be needed.
The bodge work included addition useless add on and a bloody stupid ON/OFF power switch now smashed due to bad packing I suspect.
Additional badly added speaker terminals crap soldering is a shit of a mess the time to fix and restore exceeds the value.
Please guys if you send me Inca Tech, Magnum, TOCA or TQ kit make sure it is as was when new no added crap or crap workmanship.

Wonfor14 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 12, 2022 4:48 pm I have been sent to repair a a Magnum A100.
The mess inside is beyond understanding.
The bodge on workmanship and added useless bit badly is disgusting you who did this should be shot.
It was a older version with H PAK FETs so that is no easily fixed additional PCB to convert TO247 to H PAK would be needed.
The bodge work included addition useless add on and a bloody stupid ON/OFF power switch now smashed due to bad packing I suspect.
Additional badly added speaker terminals crap soldering is a shit of a mess the time to fix and restore exceeds the value.
Please guys if you send me Inca Tech, Magnum, TOCA or TQ kit make sure it is as was when new no added crap or crap workmanship.

I looked at buying a second Quad 405 but most seem to have been modified, really annoying as I would be using it with a Quad 34 pre-amp so I would have to reverse the modifications. It is bad enough removing modifications that have been done well, bodges take it to another level entirely.

Keep smiling Colin, it makes them wonder what you've been up to!

For anyone not familiar with vintage amplifiers, there is trend to reduce the input sensitivity (gain in reality) to make them more compatible with modern source components. The output of a CD player is around 2V but older components are more likely to be 100mV, 250mV or 300mV with tape recorders delivering up to 1.4V. Clearly these older source components need/needed an active pre-amp and generally the power amp provided more of the gain than is common with more modern units.

In my example, above, people wanting to use a Quad 405 with a CD player or streamer with find the volume control on their passive pre-amp is set to a very low level. Reducing the gain of the power amp restores “normal” operation of the volume control.

The people who design the modifications claim reduced noise too, which is technically correct only if we consider the power amp in isolation. The fact is that if a source, say a moving magnet cartridge, needs 50db of gain for an acceptable listening level it needs that much gain. The gain has to come from somewhere, either in the phono stage, the pre-amp or the power amp. Reduce the gain of the power amp and you must increase the gain elsewhere. The system gain remains the same and, most likely, so does the noise.

Anyone wanting to use a vintage amp with its original pre-amp needs either an unmodified example or the time and patience to return a modified one to its original condition. Unfortunately many earlier amps didn’t use phono connectors so these will probably have been added, my policy with modifications is that they should be reversible, not everyone shares that view. As a result there are units out there with all sorts of bodges to allow them to be used with newer sources. Sometimes the only way forward is a complete rebuild, Colin has my sympathy and, if he goes ahead with the repair, my administration. Personally I would be tempted to send it back as unrepairable, on receipt of a suitable payment for the estimate.

It's an I scream Magnum.

Well it is cold and dead and I could have killed the bugger who did this crap,shit, abortion, but I forgive him now as not all apes can solder, IQ is to low see.

Now this owner of this amp has said on a email within 7 days he want the switch replaced has he has accused me of breaking it,this is no true the switch was broken due to either bad packaging or the original bodger. All I did was to glue the bits back together to allow me to switch it ON, for my efforts of trying to find a cheap solution I charged zero pounds.
I felt sorry for this man and now he accuses me of the bodge, WRONG
PIctures

https://seca.freeforums.net/thread/351/ ... -on-magnum

His email

You broke the on of switch ,can’t accept your bodge you should be ashamed please supply a new s witch within 7 days . Charles

There's always some bastard looking for an angle, Col.

What an asshole. Tell him to GGF.

Don't take it to heart Col.... some people are just complete dickheads, and whatever you do it will be always be wrong.

Colin, you could advise the customer that, as the amplifier isn't as it left the factory/workshop the only way to repair it is to restore it to its original condition. Other manufacturers would simply refuse to touch it. I think you are within your rights to do likewise.