The Hegel H30 power amplifier was originally introduced around 1999-2000. It is now a discontinued model. This amp is old and if you repair it, something else will break later. I recommend you purchase a new amp.
Should I repair Hegel H30 amp which has low level buzz in one channel
I seek your advice. I have had some bad luck with amps. I have a Krell FB 300 CX that sits in my back bedroom which overheated and I don't believe in Krell's ability to repair it for anything resembling long term. So I bought this Hegel H30 used and it was portrayed to me as lightly used. The first delivery it arrived from Pyramid Audio in texas DOA. Back it went and I waited months to get it back. It lasted about 9 months before the fuse blew (i don't know why). Pyramid Audio sent it back in their usual incompetent way by banding it in only one direction on the pallet and it wasn't even secured tightly. When I turned it on, lights were on in the interior but there was no sound. Pyramid called it a lemon and I call them incompetent and rude. They said it couldn't take shipping and I pointed out that the shipping issues came from them. I couldn't find anyone in Wisconsin that i felt had the expertise to repair so I paid a guy to drive it to Illinois...5 hour round trip. The issue was that the power transformer had dislodged in the interior, taking some wires with it.
I discovered one night that there is a low level buzz coming from the right channel and I confirmed it's the amp. When you turn the system on you have to be about 6 inches or less from the midrange/tweeter (Thiel CS6) to hear it. By the time 8 hours have gone by you might hear it at about a foot but no further. You can't hear it when music isn't playing and you are a couple of feet from speaker. I thought it would get worse...it hasn't. I sense no impact on the music, no buzz but it irritates me to think it's there. However, it would entail probably two five hour drives to get it "fixed." I know that finding the source of a buzz can be hard for a tech. Owner of repair shop was nice (Deltronics) and agreed to look at it again. My question to all you experts: would you live with the buzz seeing as it's inaudible from listening position and seems to have no effect on any aspect of the sound reproduction or would you take months again without the amp and a long drive twice to try to get buzz fixed? Thanks for your thoughts in advance.
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This amp using the serial niumber was sold new in 2021. Yes, they discontinued the line in 2022. That doesn't make this an old amp. It is a four year old amp. My question which could be applied to any amp is: if the buzz is inaudible both in silence (from seated position ) and when music is playing as well, should one do a repair which doesn't seem to affect the music. |
Helomech: i never read that Hegel amps have a high noise floor Where are you getting this info from? AI response to your comment is: |
My monoblocks both have a transformer hum when powered up. I can hear it if I am standing next to the amps but it is very low level. At my listening position it is really inaudible, but if the room is really quiet and I strain I have been kind of aware of it once or twice. Never audible if music is playing. It bugs me a little that it exists, but I live with it and never really think about it except at times like this when this thread made me think about it. Not really a problem for me. Bill |
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