Hi guys.
I received a reply form Alpar yesterday regarding the power supply issues that have been brought up here.
As promised, I emailed our importer and he, in turn, forwarded my (our) concern to the manufacturer.
This is the email received from Alpar:
Hi Dan,
Here we go, my (our) reply.
You can forward it to Headfi on behalf of Zsolt and me. If you wished to
complement or amend it, just feel free to do so.
Best,
Alpar
With this, I submit without censor:
Sorry to have taken so long to address the recent questions raised here about the CanAmp, but I wanted to be able to provide the best possible answer directly from the source—that being my brother Zsolt, our designer and production manager.
However, this meant that I first had to translate relevant information and posts into Hungarian for him to properly reply. Then, we had a few other, non-CanAmp related issues that demanded more immediate attention, as well as a couple national holiday weekends…so the time flies!
And finally of course, I had to translate Zsolt’s words from Hungarian back into English for you all to read.
So here’s Zsolt:
"...One of the reasons was a transformer availability problem and that an alternate source would be used. I expressed concern that the amp might not sound as good as the originals that Pinky and Mr. Arroyo had raved about if the transformer was different. I was assured that it would be just as good as the original.”
Yes, there was a transformer availability problem and yes, we had to find an alternate source. It only meant, however, a different wholesaler, and not a different transformer. A new one?? Far from it! All CanAmps for the US from the very beginnings until April 2007 were built with the same transformer, and were fitted the same way into the PCB as objected to in JohnH’s post, to boot. Since April, we have a new transformer which fits better into the PCB but it plays no role in regard of product quality, it simply means a certain ease in production procedure.
"...There was a thread of a wire jumpering the primary and one of the high current secondary transformer windings was bent over and tacked to a thin trace rather than jumping it to the heavy section of the trace that connects to the filter cap where it should have gone.
Frankly, we don’t quite understand this to be any kind of problem whatsoever. A piece of wire – to our opinion – is not inferior to the signal conductivity of the PCB itself (if anything, it is better – ask the advocates of point-to-point wiring). In other words, this solution doesn’t deteriorate the quality of a product, neither electro-technically, nor soundwise. Besides, this wiring under such hysterical scrutiny lies
entirely outside the signal path!
And let me emphasize herewith another consideration: Heed, just like any other hi-fi manufacturer delivers a ’closed’ product, and not a component part package for DIY hobbyists. As a legally liable manufacturer, we are to account for quality assurance of a finished product, a sealed unit, if you like. As such, we reserve the right – just like ALL other manufacturers – to implement partial changes at our discretion within the specification and topology of the product.
"...A jpg of the "rework" is attached to this post, the picture is of the CanAmp as I received it BEFORE I ever touched it with a sodering iron.
God forbid us to get arrogant, but where on earth is a customer entitled – by reason of life protection, as well as warranty – to open electronic gear, let alone to take it to pieces? Needless to say, in such a case the warranty gets forfeited automatically.
So the posts on Head-Fi speculating about earlier CanAmps being somehow superior to those that have been delivered recently, are just that—idle speculation entirely without substance. As a matter of course, if a CanAmp owner happened to establish a measurable alteration, or discover a clearly perceivable sonic difference to another serial CanAmp, we are going to provide him every possible assistance – via our distribution/retailers chain – to get the matter straightened out and assure absolute consistency in our product.
But just one final word about modifications. Branded products, after modifying them, are no longer ’those’ products. The various mods of the CanAmp, as presented and discussed on this forum, are different entities, the CanAmp plays only a rudimental role in them – these are not "Heed Audio” CanAmps any more.
Though the end of this note seems a bit stern, it is my opinion (suggestion) that the reader take into consideration the concern that manufacturers have of any liability exposure resulting from such modifications (in the hands of the unqualified - not to imply too much here) might bring, such as electrical fire, damage to other components and/or heaven forbid, personal injury.
I, for one, have simply gotten tired of that burning smell my fingers give off from the soldering iron and the ensuing pain involved in such projects.
As you all know by now, I tend to ramble, so while I do have my own little bit to share with you on the topic of hot rodding components, I'll spare the readership a much longer thread and submit through this link, just a small personal story on the subject:
Of Gibson Les Pauls and Audio
