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Repair amp, or buy new?

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 6:26 pm
by bean438
So, my bash 300s from parts express crapped out.

Is it worth fixing, or should I buy new forn160? I only got just under 2 years out of it so I'm not convinced of its quality.

Maybe the larger model, or another brand?

Thoughts?

Re: Repair amp, or buy new?

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 6:33 pm
by Grant Bunter
They are relatively cheap.

Does it power up?
If not, it may just be power supply...

Re: Repair amp, or buy new?

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 8:08 pm
by bean438
It powers up, but no sound goes to the sub.

Re: Repair amp, or buy new?

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 9:19 pm
by Dan30
bean438 wrote:It powers up, but no sound goes to the sub.
Are you positive it's not the sub?

Re: Repair amp, or buy new?

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 9:38 pm
by bean438
Positive. I swapped it out with my stereo receiver, and the sub was working.

The amp turns on, and the auto turn on works, so it is getting a signal, but not sending it to the sub.

Re: Repair amp, or buy new?

Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 4:57 am
by Grant Bunter
If you're not electronically minded, it might be worth buying a can of Co2 spray to check for dry joints.

Failing that, get a quote from your local electronic tech. If the quote is more than half (or likely to be more than half) of a new amp, buy the new amp.
It's likely to be a few dollar part, it's just a matter of finding which one...

Re: Repair amp, or buy new?

Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:13 am
by Chris_Allen
When they fail, you don't know what else has been damaged. The number of things I've had 'fixed' that have failed again is quite high.

There are plenty of variables such as who repaired it, the original design etc which are huge factors.

Re: Repair amp, or buy new?

Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:13 am
by Bill Fitzmaurice
Repair it if you have the chops to diagnose and fix it yourself. Amps these days are designed to make building them as efficiently as possible, which also translates into being very difficult, ie., expensive, to repair. Most techs will charge a hefty bench fee just to diagnose what's wrong, which you have to pay even if they end up telling you that it will cost more to fix than to replace.

Re: Repair amp, or buy new?

Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 8:05 am
by Ron P
I had to return 2 of those units for the very same reason. Thankfully PE's customer service and return policies are very good. I ended up getting one of the Dayton plate amps and haven't had any problems since. It was cheaper too!

Re: Repair amp, or buy new?

Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 11:35 am
by bean438
I am not electronically inclined, so I guess it's time for a new amp. Maybe I'll go with a Dayton plate. Not too happy with the lifespan of the bash.

Thanks guys.