Conrad Johnson LP66s Problems


Hi All,

I am looking for advice before sending my amp to Conrad Johnson for repair.

I am at least the second owner of the amp and it is all original as far as I know. I have not opened it to look inside.

Recently the amp has been behaving funny:

1. when I go to bias a new set of tubes, a red warning light will flash but not for the tube I am biasing. Used to be only the red light for the specific tube would flash. This can happen on any of the four positions. I keep adjusting each tube and eventually this stops. Is this normal or a sign of a problem? 

2. I start it playing. Occasionally, one channel will go out and then come back on with a thump. A while later, it will do this again. It does this with tubes from three different manufacturers - 6550's and KT88's. I have started trying to rotate tubes and it seems I can move this problem from the right to left channel, but because I only have four tubes from each manufacturer, I cannot figure out which of the two tubes it is. Can 6550 tubes from two manufacturers be intermingled to figure this out?

3. It does not make sense to me that all three sets of tubes would start to exhibit this problem at the same time. All three sets of tubes are used...but I am thinking there is wrong with the amp?....

Advice and suggestions, please. I have tried to contact CJ but get routed through a help desk and then I get a call back a couple of days later from a customer rep and a not a tech. Not making much progress....

Thanks for listening, 

Dsper

dsper

dsper

 

Being a 2nd owner (at least) it is certainly time for a Tune-Up (no pun).

Keep us posted on your experience with Jeff at CJ.

 

Happy Listening!

Jeff is giving you an honest answer. That is how he works. He could guess what is wrong but that would not help you. He needs to put the amp on the bench and determine what is wrong. It could be anything from a simple diode to something in the power supply. It is a good amp. If you want to keep it, it is best to send it in. Happy to have a call with you.

 

What Jeff said is exactly what I would recommend. Audiophile equipment needs to be treated by experts and the behavior you are getting is not normal.

I have replaced all the power and driver tubes and confirmed that they are not the problem.

Jeff at CJ said to send it in and they wll look at it.

 

Okay, the amp is back from Conrad Johnson and running beautifully. 

Talked with, I believe it was, Keith, who advised that I was using small tubes with too low a voltage. Not sure how to explain how this happened except to say operator error while tracking down the problem before sending it in to CJ. I think I had a bad 6922 tube and when I tried a replacement set I screwed up due to grabbing the wrong European version. Stupid me. 

Anyway, new Golden Lion 6992's and EH 6550 power tubes; and order is restored in my universe.