There's something wrong in Colorado...

[Aura]

hmmm....I could be sympathetic a few months ago when there were alot of people waiting and giving him the benefit of the doubt...who knows, he might turn the corner...but it's been a while and he continues to do the same things...maybe in Tom's case, getting a little worse.

Just seems to be a little too much.

Completely agree. 2 or 3 months back, I was indifferent, if not slightly forgiving, of Mikhail's long delays and curious demeanor when it came to repairing/upgrading/building his amps. So long as the final product was a quality piece, I basically had the mindset of "hey, it will take a while to get a new or upgraded Singlepower, but at least you can have faith that it will sound good".

But with Tom's situation, the game is altered. Holding an amp for an extended period of time and ultimately turning out garbage is an entirely different manner.

Hopefully this latest dilemma is the only one of its kind. Only time will tell.

[Icarium]

I would love to know why he had to replace all of the transformers anyway

Dunno... I fried it by hooking up the umbilicals incorrectly which is why it was in for repairs. That is probably why some had to be replaced. Also he said that Fedex dropped the hell out of the boxes and shook transformers loose as well (Kinda wish he mentioned something like when he first opened it up rather than 3 months after the fact :/).

[spritzer]

Just as soon as you've heard your first SinglePower amp this statement about converting them into something better might have at least a shred of credibility. Why do you insist on making statements about something you don't know about? The supposed list of non-functional SP amps or the schematics simply do not give you a basis to make such judgments in my book.

There isn't a list of broken amps somewhere but I'll tell you the back story of those 13 I mentioned. There is an ES-1 for sale over on HF and in the listing the seller says he knows of an individual in the US that will repair SP amps. There is no truth to this but it's not hard to work out who he's talking about and last I heard there were 13 owners that had asked for help with their units.

[luvdunhill]

Dunno... I fried it by hooking up the umbilicals incorrectly which is why it was in for repairs. That is probably why some had to be replaced. Also he said that Fedex dropped the hell out of the boxes and shook transformers loose as well (Kinda wish he mentioned something like when he first opened it up rather than 3 months after the fact :/).

my question is why would you run the noisy digital signal for the display through the umbilical...

[jp11801]

Dunno... I fried it by hooking up the umbilicals incorrectly which is why it was in for repairs. That is probably why some had to be replaced. Also he said that Fedex dropped the hell out of the boxes and shook transformers loose as well (Kinda wish he mentioned something like when he first opened it up rather than 3 months after the fact :/).

I would have to say that designing and building an amp with a power cord umbilical that could be hooked up in a fashion that could melt down the amp is an unmitigated design flaw. Maybe I am wrong here but should a good design for a separate power supply contain umbilicals that could only be connected one way (the correct way) and not in a fashion that could blow the freaking thing up?

While I understand some people's leniency towards SP, take any of these situations and apply them to a car mechanic and then tell me would you still be forgiving. If you heard a story a person dropping a car off to a local mechanic for repair and the mechanic was 2 months late in the repair, did not offer an estimate, did unauthorized repairs, used parts from other cars for your repairs and the car had to go back multiple times for repair you might be livid.

[kevin gilmore]

For stuff priced at these levels, A single set of mil-spec amphenol connectors

should be what is used. No way to plug it in wrong.

Here is a better one though.

How about every single box has no ventilation whatsoever, and some of

the units internally dissipate 30 or more watts. Its the reason the circuit boards

are turning brown from heat.

[tyrion]

There isn't a list of broken amps somewhere but I'll tell you the back story of those 13 I mentioned. There is an ES-1 for sale over on HF and in the listing the seller says he knows of an individual in the US that will repair SP amps. There is no truth to this but it's not hard to work out who he's talking about and last I heard there were 13 owners that had asked for help with their units.

I'm sorry, but I don't understand this. The guy on HF is lying that there is someone in the US that will repair SP amps? How do you know he is not telling the truth about this. That is a pretty strong accusation. According to Purk, there is at least one person he knows of that is willing to and can repair a SP amp. Why can't there be others? I hear 13 others being mentioned and that you are going to share the back story. So far we've heard about one person who you claim is not telling the truth and that you heard there were 13 other owners that have asked for help. Again, this is all pretty speculative until those 13 come forward and disclose who they are. I'm all for hearing what those involved have to say about there experience with SP. I'm not sure what good it does to discuss these 13 others without independent verification, other than to fan the flames.

Jp, great post.

[spritzer]

I'm sorry, but I don't understand this. The guy on HF is lying that there is someone in the US that will repair SP amps? How do you know he is not telling the truth about this. That is a pretty strong accusation. According to Purk, there is at least one person he knows of that is willing to and can repair a SP amp. Why can't there be others? I hear 13 others being mentioned and that you are going to share the back story. So far we've heard about one person who you claim is not telling the truth and that you heard there were 13 other owners that have asked for help. Again, this is all pretty speculative until those 13 come forward and disclose who they are. I'm all for hearing what those involved have to say about there experience with SP. I'm not sure what good it does to discuss these 13 others without independent verification, other than to fan the flames.

Jp, great post.

In the post he pointed to the individual being a respected designer so while the guy that sorted the amp out of Purk is willing to do repairs, he wasn't referring to him. Any competent repair guy that knows about tubes can fix SP amps as the basic schematics are all out there.

As for those 13 stepping forward, you know damn well why that will never happen. I've asked most of the individuals that contact me about issues with any component to come forward and tell others about it but they all fear retaliation. The best way for those people is to offer them a way out by posting the contact information of somebody willing to repair their amps.

Btw. JP, your post is spot on

[tyrion]

In the post he pointed to the individual being a respected designer so while the guy that sorted the amp out of Purk is willing to do repairs, he wasn't referring to him. Any competent repair guy that knows about tubes can fix SP amps as the basic schematics are all out there.

As for those 13 stepping forward, you know damn well why that will never happen. I've asked most of the individuals that contact me about issues with any component to come forward and tell others about it but they all fear retaliation. The best way for those people is to offer them a way out by posting the contact information of somebody willing to repair their amps.

Btw. JP, your post is spot on

Is he referring to KG as the person? If so, how is it you know this? Did the guy who posted the FS thread on HF tell you he was lying about it? I guess what I'm getting out is why post about all this mystery? I don't see how it adds anything to the discussion. I know that the guy that did Purk's repair was not the same guy. I was just pointing that there are probably many people that are willing and capable of repairing SP amps so why lie about it.

[Icarium]

Hrm yeah I guess that's a good point regarding a noisy digital signal through the same umblical. Beyond that change supposedly he did some stuff that would make it so it would be very difficult to hook it up wrong... something beyond mere color coding I'd hope but color coding frankly will be enough. It isn't that hard to hook up right, but yeah I don't think it would be too hard to idiot proof this shit. I mean some things are confusing enough like amps with 6 tube sockets without any sort of label as to what goes into what... or dials that dont have a function labeled next to them.

Meh.

[Pars]

Are there multiple umbilicals on this or just one? Even with multiple cables, Amp makes many different connectors, so it would be quite possible to use different ones for each cable to make it impossible to do it wrong. A little thought into the cable wiring (pin 1 to pin 1 on each end, etc.) will also make it immune to putting the cable in in the wrong direction. Little things like that. Little things that I would expect in a $1000 ANY amp.

[tyrion]

I'm pretty sure that with the Raptor, ZD and WA5 there was only one way for the umbilical to go in. The worst that could happen is if you forced it in the WA5 and ZD you might push one of the pins in.

[Voltron]

My SDS-XLR has the same issue with two identical umbilical cords with connectors of the same type on both ends. I have not had any problems connecting them correctly but I sure as hell do think about it every time. I have the proper placement written down and a note in my wallet even so if I am at a meet or something I wont screw it up.

My Doshi preamp has two power supply umbilicals but they are completely different types and they only can be attached in one direction because of male/female or different pin-outs on either end unlike Mikhail's which can be plugged in either way on either cable. It would be easy enough for him to do something to identify them or for the owner to do so, but it should probably be there in the first place. I don't have such a strong reaction to it as some of you do, but it would be the kind of thing expected from a professional, commercial product.

[Icarium]

Yeah my amp had 3 of the same type. Normally I just hooked in one at a time like top port of amp section then top power supply then second most top of amp section second most top of power supply, etc. But I think I had just moved it back upstairs because of a mini meet and was hooking it up fast and did like top to bottom for one or something.

It was really just a stupid mistake on my part. Something I've done dozens of times with no problem, but then I rushed for no reason.

[spritzer]

He's also using Speakcon connectors for the umbilicals which aren't designed for these voltages. They can take them though but there are so many other options which are probably cheaper too. On the KGSS amps I built a few years ago I used the Powercon connectors which are very similar but one was blue and the other one gray with the sockets to match. Today I'd use the same connectors as Justin is using on the BHSE.

Is he referring to KG as the person? If so, how is it you know this? Did the guy who posted the FS thread on HF tell you he was lying about it? I guess what I'm getting out is why post about all this mystery? I don't see how it adds anything to the discussion. I know that the guy that did Purk's repair was not the same guy. I was just pointing that there are probably many people that are willing and capable of repairing SP amps so why lie about it.

He's referring to KG (probably due to my pulled thread listing the ES issues and KG's offer to repair a few amps) and it was KG who told me. I wasn't claiming that there wasn't anybody willing or able to repair SP amps out there as I was merely pointing out that KG wasn't willing to do so without dragging his name into it all. I should have included his name in the first place to eliminate all confusion but the fact is that no one has stepped forward and said, "I'll repair SP amps". You may very well find somebody to do so locally but not everybody is that resourceful.

As for why this issue of unrepaired amps matters, well many have been sent in for repairs and Mikhail has done nothing. Kane's was probably the worst case, shipping the amp all the way from Africa, having the amp held hostage by Mikhail for months on end and then sending it back without fixing a single thing. If somebody did that to your car then you would probably sue them but the amp can cost more then a car and is many orders of magnitude less complicated.

[tyrion]

It's not that I don't think it's important but without knowing any details about these 13 they really are meaningless to the discussion. I don't know if there are 13 out there that need repair or not. All I know is that some unrelated people claim there are 13 out there.

[kevin gilmore]

this is the post in question

FS: Singlepower ES-1 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

tyrion should contact that person directly and see what his answer is.

then i will post what others have said that person said.

But here is one of them

Hello Sir,

The text below is from a for sale post on Head-Fi:

6. On the off chance that even after my time with the amplifier- something goes wrong in the future you will not be stuck with a 6-10 month (or longer) wait by Singlepower. I know an extremely qualified technician in the USA- and expert amplifier designer who has already repaired many of Singlepowers amplifiers in the past for customers who don’t want to deal with Singlepower due to their delays and customer service issues- who will do any repair work for a minimal fee. I cannot announce his name publicly. He guarantees his work and has a turnaround time of one week. He is completely reliable and has a proven track record.

When I asked the seller if he would share the contact information for the person to whom he was referring, he gave me your name. I have a Singlepower MPX3 Slam SE that is need of repair. It makes a "clicking" sound at random, and there is a very faint smell of something burnt, but no audible deterioration that I can hear. Even so, something is obviously wrong.

Would you be willing to have a go at repairing the amp? I would really be appreciative of any help you could provide, and would expect to pay the appropriate fees for your time and expertise.

Thanks for your consideration.

Best Regards,

That amp, like all the other ES1's out there definitely does have a problem

and will need repair for sure.

The person above is giving out my name, work, home and car phone numbers, and mailing address.

Without my permission. Jude received a copy requesting that this person cease and desist, but if he

has done something it has had no effect.

In any case, circuit board mpx3 versions where the parts have burned most of the way thru the circuit board

cannot be fixed reliably. Pictures can certainly be provided.

Looks like i'm in the singlepower repair buisness. People are evidently getting a great deal.

[tyrion]

this is the post in question

FS: Singlepower ES-1 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

tyrion should contact that person directly and see what his answer is.

then i will post what others have said that person said.

That amp, like all the other ES1's out there definitely does have a problem

and will need repair for sure.

I've seen the post. My issue was with discussing 13 amps that allegedly have issue for which we know nothing about. My point is who cares unless we know from those that have the problems.

I would have to take your word on the above and I'm not prepared to do that.

[Sherwood]

The person above is giving out my name, work, home and car phone numbers, and mailing address.

Car phone? Nice

[Elephas]

Hehe, I didn't know people still have car phones. I remember using one of those things in the late 80's, but then I got a giant luggable "mobile" phone that looked and weighed like a brick. That phone was a weapon.

I received my ES-1 in early Oct. 2008 after a long and frustrating wait.

There are two identical power umbilicals and Mikhail's instructions were to connect them in parallel, inner to inner and outer to outer. With two umbilicals, I don't think this is too complicated and I don't expect that I'll ever switch them accidentally.

The four umbilical plugs are all identical Neutrik Speakcon NL4FC.

I've had the amp for more than two months of almost daily use and have had no problems. I tried two sets of EL34 quads that had one tube that couldn't bias right and a pair of super microphonic Bendix 2C51 tubes that were unuseable, but several other sets of EL34 quads worked fine as well as several other 2C51 pairs.

I believe my ES-1 is point-to-point. I would like to open the case to see, but the screws are a hexagon type which I don't have a tool for and I don't know which of the many screws on the top cover need to be removed.

The ES-1 sounds very good and I'm very pleased with it.

[kevin gilmore]

Hehe, I didn't know people still have car phones.

Its called ONSTAR. More than a car phone. In your neck of the woods, on

every single SAAB for the last few years.

The point to point units are really the only ones easily repairable in the future.

Elphas, where is your second amplifier...

[Elephas]

Yes, I'm still waiting for a Supra-XLR.

I requested a new faceplate, because I thought that it looked very bad after Mikhail added a second volume knob and an additional single-ended headphone output.

I blame Mikhail for doing the bad job with the faceplate in the first place, but I don't blame him for this delay because I'm asking for the additional modification.

I think the Supra-XLR is also Point-to-Point. Based on the photo of an ES-1's internals posted in another thread, it seems that all the internal parts are mounted on the bottom of the top cover. If this is also the case with the Supra-XLR, then replacing the front faceplate/top cover will not be a simple matter. So I'm prepared to wait.

Anyway, I've been enjoying listening to the ES-1 and Aristaeus, and recently made final payment on a BHSE which seems to be almost ready, so I have plenty to listen to.

Other than massive amounts of patience, extremely forgiving natures, eternally sunny dispositions and the ability to absorb deceptions and disappointments, I think that SP owners need to own second and third amps. This should be a sticky.

[spritzer]

Most P-P amps are built so that everything is fixed to the top plate and the bottom plate can be removed for service.

[immtbiker]

I think Aaron moderated my ass in the HF thread.

I didn

[Dusty Chalk]