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Arcam Alpha 9 input select switch

arcamguy1

arcamguy1

Active Member
Hi group,
If you are reading this, you probably already know about the well-documented issue with the input select on the old Arcam Alpha 9: the sound breaks up, there's static...the switch is faulty; my Alpha 9 has just returned from a trip to an Arcam authorized service center, and the switch was de-oxidized;it should work fine now.

Other than that, my amplifier is in great shape: new capacitors, mint condition; but I expect that switch to give me trouble again a few years down the road, given the age of the unit.

Interested to find out how other Alpha 9 users have handled this problem....

Thanks much,
Jeff
 
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Jeff, I have a love/hate relationship with Arcam. I love the way it sounds but hate the way it falls apart. I gave my DV79 to my son and it still works fine but he mostly listens to music on his laptop. My DV135 sounded great when it worked but that was on and off. My AVR300's digital circuits died and I could only use the analog section for stereo - it did sound good that way but I wanted to use it for HT. My left front RCA output on my AVP700 processor doesn't work but my XLR does. When I got my P1000 7ch amp the center amp didn't work. Had that fixed under warantee and has been working great since. Last week I compared my McIntosh MC7106 to the Arcam P1000 and to my suprise, I much prefered the sound of the Arcam.

I won't spend any money to have any of my units repaired since I believe I will just be wasting it. I don't think I will purchase any more Arcam units unless I want to get another processor to visually match the P1000 amp. I have an Oppo 95 wired via anolog outputs into the AVP700 so I am using the Oppo's newer dacs.

Hense my love/hate relationship.

I hope your repair lasts until you are ready to upgrade. All the best.

Paul
 
My Arcam Alpha 9 has a sometimes noisy input selector and i guess the day will come when a shot of deoxit wont clear it again for a month or two.

Shame the little things spoil an otherwise fab amp.
 
PMCH, Cogsinister...thanks for your responses.
It's too bad Arcam's build quality isn't better on some of it products. I have two Alpha 9 amps - an integrated and a power, which I bi-amp with B&W speakers. They've come back from a trip to a service center, all "tuned-up." They sound great.

PMCH...sorry to hear about your issues; I was researching the AVR600, but frankly got scared away from purchasing because of the known reliability issues. I do like Arcam's sound so much....I wonder if build quality has improved in newer models, and why the issue with build quality in the first place.

Cogsinister - the service center cleaned and deoxidized the switch. It's working fine...for now! I'll keep my fingers crossed; long-term: I'm saving up to replace my Arcams in a few years.

Thanks again guys for your input,
Jeff
 
Quick update, months later:
I bought that input switch on Ebay seen in the pdf; I had Audio Doctor, an Arcam service center install it (as he told me, the replacement was a very good switch) and it's doing fine. I brought the Arcams out of retirement and will rotate them with my Rega Elicit-R. The old Alpha 9's sound pretty damn good.
 
I had one for repair and did not really want my customer to have to pay an additional $ 200,-- for a new/custom made switch (besides, they are sold out), so I just had a look at the possibilities of repairing the original switch.

It took some effort to dismount it, but in fact it was rather straightforward to clean the internals and put it back together. This amp did not give any sound at all before the repair, now it is playing like new.

The rumour goes that repairing does not make sense, because the quality of the (Alps) switch is inferior, but although indeed Alps made better stuff in the old days, I am convinced this switch will be ok for the next fifteen years.

This same switch btw I have seen in a Yammie amp, same issues, I think there must be a lot of other amps from around that time (this one was from 1997) that have this (kind of) switch and suffer from the same problem.
 
Perhaps Not what you may wish to hear :-)
My Arcam 9 inty and power amp pair.
Bought new for mo' $$ than I'm willing to admit.
Sounded like a Kids' Toy Radio when I experimentally substituted a DIY Lm3886 based Amp.
Sparking Highs, Bass like NEVER before in realism / depth and a 3d soundstage that simply was.. not there.. with the Arcams.
A Totally Startling Difference. On MY Tannoy GRF's
Sooo ..take Heed Kids.
Others had inferred that the Arcams were crappy units.
But I didn't believe.
I certainly Do .. now.
Short answer Do Not spend large on patching the Arcams.
It's Not coin well spent when a $50 Lm3886 based DIY amp completely outclasses a Pair of Arcams.
 
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