2. amps-preamps
  3. 181722-96

Don’t buy used McCormack DNA 1990s amps

This is a public service announcement.  There are some yahoos on other sites selling 1990s McCormack DNA amps, sometimes at ridiculous prices.  While they’re great amps, and I happily owned a DNA 0.5 RevA for 20 years, they’re all gonna fatally fail.  Why?  Because their input board is at the end of its useful life, and when it fails your amp is dead and not repairable by anyone — not even SMcAudio.  It’s a boat anchor.  The only option is to sell it for scraps or get an SMcAudio upgrade that’ll cost around $2000.  Given my love of my amp I chose to do full upgrades given what else I could’ve gotten for the same same price and just got it back and will forward thoughts if anyone cares.  But the purpose of this post is to warn off any prospective buyers of a circa 1990s DNA amp that it’ll fatally fail soon, so unless you get a great price and plan on doing the SMcAudio upgrades just avoid these amps on the used market.  You’ve been warned. 

soix
kchamber
9 posts
 

@jetter 

Sorry I should've been more clear on that. What I meant is that CJ is still repairing and restoring amps that are sent to them. I only contacted CJ for schematics and they offered a full rebuild in response. For my own DNA1 amp and another unit brought to me by a local audiophile, I've done the repairs and upgrades myself.

jetter
2,968 posts
 

@kchamber Ah, I see, thanks for the clarification.

Was the repair you performed on the "self destructing" motherboard that was more or less the subject of this OP or something else?

kchamber
9 posts
 

@jetter 

The one amp brought to me was fully functional. It had been back to CJ about 20 years ago for the input board replacement. That was just prior to the current owner purchasing it. It's worked perfectly for him during his time with it. He just wanted it refreshed and upgraded. 

The amp I bought as non-functional was killed by someone that tried to upgrade it. I was told "it smokes when it's turned on"  They broke a couple of traces and with their botched repairs ended up burning up the voltage reg circuitry. The DNA amps are not a good amp for a beginner to try and modify, especially when it comes to the input board.

So no, neither of these amps came to me due to the protection error from the input board problem. But it sounds like the first one I mentioned had been repaired for that issue prior.

​​​​

musicaddict
370 posts
 

My older DNA-1 was running last I checked but the message wasn't hopeful.

I have talked with Steve perhaps twice over the years with and thought he was a straight shooter when he was helping me for free on small stuff on my amp.

Always hung onto it as a 'bullet-proof' backup amp, but maybe not...  :-(   Still a great amp but almost always sounds too warm on Raidhos, so sitting in storage.

 

 

mitch2
3,711 posts
 

So, to summarize, 

  • It is not unusual for 30+ year old amplifiers to have problems, that in the case of the McCormack Audio amplifiers could be related to boards, capacitors, and/or other things.
  • The board issue affects the older DNA-0.5,1,2 series amplifiers and not the newer DNA-125,225 amplifiers.
  • McCormack Audio Corporation of Virginia maintains a website but no longer manufactures McCormack Audio amplifiers. 
  • Repairs of existing McCormack Audio amplifiers, for the purpose of restoring operational function, can be obtained through Conrad-Johnson Design, Inc., i.e.:  "Service for McCormack products, including model and capacitor upgrades continues to be offered through our sister company, conrad-johnson design, inc."
  • If you want your McCormack Audio amplifier upgraded to a higher performance level than when it was new, the most experienced and best-regarded company to perform that work is SMc Audio. 
  • You can also have other people do stuff to your amplifier, or you can do stuff to it yourself, if you choose.
  • Some people who have done stuff to their own amplifier have screwed it up.
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