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To repair, rebuild, or toss?

I have a Rotel RB 1080 amplifier which I used to power golden ear Triton one speakers.  I had the amplifier repaired once before, It needed replacement of a capacitor in the right channel. Now there is asymmetric output with respect to the right and left channel. I received a quote to repair the issue for $300 or rebuild the amplifier for $600. The question is, should I repair or rebuild the amplifier? The rebuild option entails a visual inspection and replacement of parts that look like they need to be replaced., I’m a newbie at this game, so I’m not sure what else is out there. Would the money be better off spent on a new amp, if so, which one?
 

Thank you for your input.

amplifier11
jl35
4,458 posts
 

You also might be surprised how much you can sell it for on ebay...I’ve sold a few problematic or not working pieces and was surprised at the offers...probably guys who can fix it themselves and make a profit...my preference for the Vidar and Khartago over your Rotel is based on having owned all three...and I like Rotel, have had a RMB-1095 amp in my home theater for 20 years...

richardbrand's avatar
richardbrand
1,389 posts
 

@lanx0003 

Unfortunately, compromises in tonal balance and subtlety are sometimes encumbered as well, and the resulting tonal inaccuracies are often flaunted as a distinctive "character."   ~ Stereophile

Your quote seems to have been taken from the same Stereophile article referenced by @westcoastaudiophile .  It is immediately followed by

No such compromise was evident in the Rotel RB 1080.

Does this change your conclusion from not worth it to worth it?

ghdprentice's avatar
ghdprentice
9,465 posts
 

@soix 

@jl35 

+1 It was a budget amp long ago. Not worth fiddling with. You can get a great / better sounding component now. 

travelinjack's avatar
travelinjack
301 posts
 

Don't add too the landfill if it can be fixed. It's just an amplifier. 

jl35
4,458 posts
 

I'm not saying to toss it out, but rather sell it to someone who can fix it cheaply themselves and enjoy it...for $600 you can get better new or almost new...

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