2. amps-preamps
  3. 137179-10218

Bel canto problems

Looking for guidance. I have several bel canto 600 ref m amps in a home theater set up. Two of the amps have had intermittent output problems which I ascribe to either overheating in the cabinet or a short internally. One of the amps actually is off more than on. (Btw the amp led is always on)
i have sent amps back to the factory and the problem amp back twice. Bel canto always says they are fine and then the problem starts right back up.
at this stage I would love to get out but the factory does not seem to know or care how to fix the amp (s). The amps were bought q4 2015 and have not worked right in two years. Any suggestions other than cursing the gods would be welcome. I used to be a big bel canto fan but this is pretty bad for amps that are considered high end.
emster
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,198 posts
 
I have BC C5i in a cabinet for several years, no problem.

I also have ref1000m amps running fine for years, not in cabinet.

Neither ever heats up much so I would not expect cabinet to be a problem normally.

I bought ref1000m amps used and I found one had a problem with a peeling input stage circuit board. Sent to BC for repair, which they fixed quickly and reliably for a very reasonable price.

Just offering another case for reference. I have no experience with the ref600m amps specifically or BC service in teh last few years, but I have nothing but confidence overall in teh company and products based on experience to-date.
mlsstl
1,436 posts
 
Besides temp issues, there are two other things to check.

One is the speaker wiring and speaker load. A bad connection, short, or an internal fault in the speakers could be causing the amps to shut down.

The other issue is high frequency oscillation that is out of your range of hearing, but the amp is having to deal with it, causing protection circuits to trigger. The most likely source of this would be one of your source components, a nearby source of RFI, or a poorly shielded or faulty  interconnect. The best way to check is have someone with test equipment check things out in your actual setup. You can also try swapping out or moving equipment (both amps, source & speakers) and see if the problem disappears or moves to new equipment.

Good luck!
tkompass
3 posts
 
I have two 600m in a cabinet under my Oppo for 6 months and never even turned them off since purchase. So far no problems. They just get warm never hot. Just try swapping them around to help isolate the problem. If one is really bad I can’t believe that Bel Canto would not step up to help you figure it out. Intermittent problems are really a pain sometimes. Good luck.
celander's avatar
celander
1,503 posts
 
I never heard of Bel Canto not stepping up their game to resolve a product defect for a customer. I recommend having a friend test the suspected amp in his system. If he confirms the suspected defect, then get on Bel Canto to resolve the issue. If he can’t confirm the suspected defect (that is, it performs normally as Bel Canto claims), then it’s something about your home theater setup.  
1graber2's avatar
1graber2
303 posts
 
Agree with colander 

which power cord are you using? 
Using any power isolaters? Power Conditioners? Etc 
wall outlet ok? Using the same outlet for other uses that may interfere?
are the impedances b/w amp and preAmp a goood match?
etc etc
More to discover