Bel Canto left channel cutting out with distortion


I am hoping someone can give me advice in regards to my Bel Canto eVo2i GenII integrated amp. I bought this amp used about a month ago and for the first couple weeks it worked perfectly. Last week I changed all my cables, and for the first time, hooked my CD player up using Balanced.

At first, I did not have any problems. Then one day while doing some listening, out of nowhere the left channel cut out and became heavily distorted. At first I thought it was the tube in my CD Player, so I replaced them. No fix. I made sure the speaker cables were secured and tight. No fix. Then I unplugged the XLR from the back of the amp, and plugged it back in. It began to work again... This occured about three more times within a few days (The problem seemed to be resolved after unplugging/replugging the cables multiple time), then worked fine for a week straight.

The other day it went out again, and is out for good. No matter what I try it will not come back. The reason I think it is the amp is that if I switch the L and R cables only at the amplifier end, it always stays in the left channel. I know for a fact the right channel from the CD player is working, because it works in the R input on the amp. So this must be an amp issue right?

Also, since this has been happning. When I turn the amp off using the rear switch (Not standby) there is a huge thump/pop when turning the unit back on. I am afraid it is going to ruin my speakers. It never did this before...

Any info on what this might be? I talked to Bel Canto and they quoted me over $900 after shipping and labor to replace the Amplifier Board (if this is the culprit).

I live in Orange County, CA. Are there any local techs that can solve this sort of problem?
rtilbury
Don't fool around, un plug it quickly and ship it back to Bel Canto for repair. They know their product, all others will be learning at your expense.
I had the eVo2i gen1 and encountered a similar problem. One channel had low level when I used the balanced input. Disconnecting and reconnecting the cable would fix it temporarily. My problem wasn't as severe as yours.
Bel Canto replaced my input board at a very reasonable price (nowhere near $900) and did some other upgrades while it was in. The amp came back better than ever. If it would've cost $900 I would not have done it. I would have used it with RCA connections only as it worked fine that way.
Good luck.
I have been using XLRs with my eVo2i II for the last 6 months and have had no problems, hope it doesn't do that.

On the bright side I live 12 miles from Bel Canto...
I have decided to just bite the bullet and send the amp to Bel Canto. I am hoping it won't cost me an arm and a leg to fix... How nice to live so close incase something happens to your evo. : )
Sorry to hear that a couple of you have had this issue with your eVo2i integrated amp. I've always had a soft spot for this piece. As a dealer I've had opportunity for a lot of different pieces to listen to in my system, but I always felt this one was special and that's why it was a stable piece in my system for quite a while(especially Gen II with the capacitor upgrade). Hopefully it doesn't cost you much to fix and you get years of enjoyment from it. Good luck.