Crackle, pop, poof of smoke....Spec 4

SBinLilRock

SBinLilRock

Active Member
A few nights ago my Spec 4 went out of commission. I was listening to some records at fairly high volume when I heard a crackle and pop and silence. There was a little puff of smoke coming out of the right amplifier assembly. I took it to a local electronic repair shop that I've heard good things about but have never had use for until now.

He was a little backed up, so I haven't heard back from him yet. I hope to hear some news today. I temporarely installed an Emotiva UPA-200 that I use for some outdoor speakers with the Spec 1. It sounds pretty good and seems to have a bit more muscle than the Spec 4 which tells me thay maybe the Spec 4 has been a little ill for some time now?
 
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I hope the shop knows what they are doing with the older gear. If you know how to solder you might be able to fix it yourself with the help of some of the Pioneer forum guys.
 
Happened to me back in 1998. SPEC-4 I had just gotten not even 30 days old switched from Aux to Phono with my TT powered on and left channel blew just as yours did with crackle and poof of smoke out the top.

I decided to exchange it for a SPEC-2 and have never looked back.

Nowadays I make sure the volume on both the pre-amp and amp is completely down and speaker selection is off before I switch to phono.
 
"Ditto" to what the architect said.

That said, if the guys in the shop are familiar with fixing vintage stuff (good techs, not hacks) and you are not, then it's probably better to let them work on something as nice as the Spec 4. Either way, that baby is definitely worth repairing and keeping "alive"! :music: :yes:
 
Hmmm, what madpioneer posted (while I was typing my post, more slowly it appears) raises an interesting question: is there a design weakness in this amp? Is this a repeatable risk that can be avoided by using the gear controls with more care? I don't recall hearing this about any of the Spec gear, and it's a little surprising if true, given the overall quality of the gear... but it wouldn't be the first time. On further thought, there is a proper sequence for turning any gear on/off, for good reason... even if that was not the cause of the OP's incident (which I'm sure it wasn't, from what was written).
 
It didn't occur while changing records, inputs or anything else. It happened in the middle of the record. My wife and I had been listening to records for about 3 hours probably--the volume tends to gradually increase as we're listening. I am fairely careful to turn the volume down when changing inputs or records.

I heard back from the shop--not good news. He said the right channel is cooked and needs a rebuild. Also, two of the big electrolytic capacitors are leaking and have been for a while. I'm now looking at sinking more money into it than I bought it for. This is a major bummer. On the one hand do I proceed with repair and know that it should be in good shape for a while, or do I sink my money into a Spec 2, or do I buy something new?. I have really efficient speakers, but I'm running four--making a 4ohm load on the amp--maybe this was part of the problem.

I think the left channel was worked on by the guy I bought it from, so If I proceed then the left and right will have been repaired.
 
Arkay said:
Hmmm, what madpioneer posted (while I was typing my post, more slowly it appears) raises an interesting question: is there a design weakness in this amp? Is this a repeatable risk that can be avoided by using the gear controls with more care? I don't recall hearing this about any of the Spec gear, and it's a little surprising if true, given the overall quality of the gear... but it wouldn't be the first time. On further thought, there is a proper sequence for turning any gear on/off, for good reason... even if that was not the cause of the OP's incident (which I'm sure it wasn't, from what was written).
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I wouldn’t necessarily say a design flaw. Probably a bad cap, dried out thermal compound or this:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=6304322&postcount=8
 
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Just read the post above my previous one. Looks like I wasn't far off.

As far as spending money to have it fixed or something new, you would likely spend thousands to get something new of the same quality. I recapped mine and know it pretty well. The quality is very good and it's definitely worth fixing.
 
originally posted by SBinLilRock It didn't occur while changing records, inputs or anything else. It happened in the middle of the record. My wife and I had been listening to records for about 3 hours probably--the volume tends to gradually increase as we're listening. I am fairely careful to turn the volume down when changing inputs or records.
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Yep I got that your situation was not exactly like mine, but thought I would share anyway.

Some say the SPEC-4 has a warmer sound than a 2. For me I never got to compare them together at one time. I just decided I wanted the 2 for more power and the extra headroom. My Mach Two speakers that it runs are pretty efficient and I have more power than I can realistically use.

I am still happy with my decision those many years ago. Using my SPEC-2 for music is the ultimate highlight experience for me but It also powers my fronts in combo with my surround receiver/amp when watching movies and video media and that extra headroom really helps in both applications.

So if you really don't require more power than the SEPC-4 was already giving you may want to stick with it.

For me the SPEC-2 was a better choice for what I wanted to do, but could have easily been fine with a 4 too. It was really a case for me having to have the biggest, baddest dog they had to offer.
 
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One of the best, if not THE best, techs with LOTS of Pioneer SPEC series experience is AKs own Echowars. If you want to have the confidence that your quality piece of equipment will be restored and returned to you in like new or better condition, Echowars is the man for the job.
 
BruceRPA said:
One of the best, if not THE best, techs with LOTS of Pioneer SPEC series experience is AKs own Echowars. If you want to have the confidence that your quality piece of equipment will be restored and returned to you in like new or better condition, Echowars is the man for the job.
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I thought about that. I'm not sure what the process is--I guess I would need to send him a PM. I know that he is very backed up and turn-around could be lengthy, but I have read a lot of praise for his work on here.
 
xlbee said:
I wouldn’t necessarily say a design flaw. Probably a bad cap, dried out thermal compound or this:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=6304322&postcount=8
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Was just going to mention... :thmbsp:

Sounds like what mine did.. worked right up to POP no sound (protection mode) and smoke before I could power it off. Took out a half-dozen resistors and several transistors including the finals in that channel. I blame it on failed cracked factory solder joints.
 
BruceRPA said:
One of the best, if not THE best, techs with LOTS of Pioneer SPEC series experience is AKs own Echowars. If you want to have the confidence that your quality piece of equipment will be restored and returned to you in like new or better condition, Echowars is the man for the job.
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SBinlilrock..so sorry to here about that. As a Spec 4 owner myself, I usually pay attention to threads that mention it and the related gear. Please keep us updated on the progress of the repair. I agree that the Spec 4 is worth saving, but I also understand the economics when the technician informs you about repair costs that rival other options. I hope this repair works out for you...Good Luck

My pride and joy is my Spec system. Although it currently has no issues that am aware of, I would love to drop the money to have everything restored to the point that these pieces would outlast me. I am no longer on the hunt for any other systems. I could never do this type of work myself and Echowars seems to have what it takes. I would even drive the gear out to him and pick it up when done to ensure no shipping snafus. Hmmmm. :scratch2:
 
SBinLilRock said:
I thought about that. I'm not sure what the process is--I guess I would need to send him a PM. I know that he is very backed up and turn-around could be lengthy, but I have read a lot of praise for his work on here.
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SB...I'm way behind in answering my PM's and emails. Seems everyone wants a piece 'O me this week. Gimme a day or two and I'll get back to you.
 
Well I can send it to Echowars and get it repaired (fix what is broken) and get it back quickly, or I can let him do a full restoration which will take quite a while. Quick fix or patience:scratch2: I will likely go ahead with the full restore.

I was wondering about my spec 1 preamp. I've never had any issues with it (I've had it a little over a year), but how do I know that it is performing at its best? Everything on it works as far as I can tell. I mostly just use the phono 1 input.
 
I have decided to go the full restoration route on the Spec 4. It will take a while but I think it will be worth it in the long run.
 
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