NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

[Tube_Dude]

Re: NAD C320BEE - Smoke Signals

I could always plot the smoke residue under this amps cover.

Don't forget many audiofools let the amp ON day and night, 365 days a year, sometimes even inside closets, for to sound better.

Once a Portuguese guy used a very expensive NAD S300 inside a closet, because of WAF, and obviously you can predict the end of story...

[seanc]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

Yes, the one I had stayed on 24/7 before it failed. In the end, that was the only way you could use it anyway, since it would require a warm-up period of 1-2 hours before it would work.

[Tube_Dude]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

Yes, the one I had stayed on 24/7 before it failed. In the end, that was the only way you could use it anyway, since it would require a warm-up period of 1-2 hours before it would work.

Well. But you have a good reason, the question was not just to sound better, but to have any sound or not...

[amirchick]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

Hello.


Someone know where can I buy JH capacitor for my NAD c370?

[lexwalker]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

Hello.

Someone know where can I buy JH capacitor for my NAD c370?

Why would you want to use crappy capacitors? Replace them with better capacitors instead

[starcrouz]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

I fixed a NAD320BEE for a friend recently. There were 2 different problems one of them was a bad cap on the protection circuit. I explained as precisely as possible the fix in this article (http://stephane-rouilly.blogspot.fr/...nad320bee.html) with as much picture as a can (maybe enough if you don't understand french). Hope it could be usefull for some of you.

[zeuzas]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

Hi,

Can anybody suggest replacement for those big 15000uF power supply capacitors? I have NAD C320 (not BEE) and both of these have bulging tops and are wobbly. The amp is still working but I wonder how much that effects the sound quality of an amp.

I've seen quite inexpensive Rubycon MXR 15000uF capacitors on ebay, but they are quite smaller in physical size (I think that's important for audio, no?) so i wonder what affect can they have sound quality. Are these substandard for audio?

By the way I've replaced almost all mainboard capacitors with Panasoic FCs. The sound has improved a lot.

Any advice is appreciated.

[stj]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

the 15000uf caps are not for audio, they are for power smoothing.

dont trust ebay btw.

[seanc]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

If they're the main power caps, I had some Jamicons I used in a C320, otherwise some Panasonic in the C320BEE I think.

[retiredcaps]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

I've seen quite inexpensive Rubycon MXR 15000uF capacitors on ebay,

Highly likely to be fake or counterfeit capacitors sold on ebay.

[zeuzas]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

OK, thanks for the warnings and the recommendation!

I am aware of the dangers of buying stuff on ebay, but i thought I'd risk it. Yet since you advice against it I'll try looking for a more reliable source.

Yes, they are the main power caps. I've just found a local source of Jamicons and they are about 17$ US each. A bit more pricey than ebay, but much more reliable. Panasonics, i suspect, would cost even more.

[stj]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

i wouldnt touch jami's

[retiredcaps]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

I am aware of the dangers of buying stuff on ebay, but i thought I'd risk it. Yet since you advice against it I'll try looking for a more reliable source.

Personally, if I value something, then I will spend more to get quality components for repair. For example, I do have a NAD receiver at home and if mine were broken and since I like and enjoy the NAD, I would spend more to get the right quality component.

If it is something I don't really care about, like a 17 inch monitor, then I will generally use used capacitors or whatever I have on hand. Recapping an entire 17 monitor might cost me $10 in new quality parts + $10 s/h from digikey. A working used 17 monitor might cost me $10 to buy.

Like everything on the Internet, advice from strangers on the Internet is to be taken with a grain of salt. You are free to choose whatever meets your own personal values.

PS. I'm probably going to be fixing a friend's TV in the future. I will definitely be changing out all the capacitors with new Panasonic FC/FM/FR from digikey.

[zeuzas]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

Personally, if I value something, then I will spend more to get quality components for repair. For example, I do have a NAD receiver at home and if mine were broken and since I like and enjoy the NAD, I would spend more to get the right quality component.

If it is something I don't really care about, like a 17 inch monitor, then I will generally use used capacitors or whatever I have on hand. Recapping an entire 17 monitor might cost me $10 in new quality parts + $10 s/h from digikey. A working used 17 monitor might cost me $10 to buy.

Like everything on the Internet, advice from strangers on the Internet is to be taken with a grain of salt. You are free to choose whatever meets your own personal values.

PS. I'm probably going to be fixing a friend's TV in the future. I will definitely be changing out all the capacitors with new Panasonic FC/FM/FR from digikey.

I can't agree with you more. I bought this amplifier in a pretty beaten up state. It has some heat damage for example and I had to patch solder PCB's paths in some places because they were separated from the board and barely in contact. I also replaced the mainboard capacitors to Panasonic FCs, as i mentioned before, and increased the power transistor's idle current (to produce even more heat ). This resulted in a much more pleasant, clearer and more detailed sound. I've actually sold another more expensive amplifier that I bought new to replace the this NAD before the modifications were made.

So currently the main problem (or not?) with it is these bulging smoothing capacitors. The amplifier is working, there is no 50Hz buzz or anything like that coming from the speakers, but I wondered how much these failed power caps could be influencing the sound that's produced. If I'm not mistaken, in an AB class amplifier (which NAD is) the power caps does not only do power smoothing but also functions as a power reserve. So the quality of these might be important for sound and I wondered if I should replace them. I was not looking at super expensive components for high-end audio use, but relatively inexpensive new caps like the Rubycons or Jamicons. This amp had a tough life and I don't think that investing in quality components is worth it because something else might fail that won't be able to fix (my skills in repairing electronics are almost limited to cap replacement )

[ChaosFlower]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

I thought I would bump this thread because I am soon going to attempt to fix a C370.. the caps is the easy part.. it's trying to find a suitable transistor to replace Q712 2SB649A that is causing me the brain ache..

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/attach...2&d=1407703892

The NAD was bought in 2003 and failed three times before taking out a resistor and a transistor in 2010. It was fixed two times by Lenbrook. They did not do a good job. ALL the caps are bad. I have Technics and Arcam amps still going strong from 1996/1998.

JH is Jianghai.. they are a Chinese manufacturer (surprise!). Interestingly they are a Chinese manufacturer dating back to the 1950's that has western distribution (you can buy them from Rapid Online). So they should be good right? And yet...

Imagine how long NAD items would last if they specified Panasonic, Rubycon etc. I just don't get why they specify lower tier capacitors. Surely it's pennies?

[spandrel]

Re: NAD C320BEE - JH Capacitors

ChaosFlower
A bit late but there are a few recommended replacements for the 2SB649A and 2SD669A
Fairchild KSA1220 and KSC2690
2SA1381/2SC3503 or KSA1381/KSC3503
also
2SB649-2SA1249, 2SD669-2SC3117
The MJE243/253 pair are popular drivers as well.
These drivers are operating at high voltage driving three paralleled o/p transistors, which is asking a bit much of them.
------------------------------------------------
Now back to the capacitor issue. I have a C320 with DC offset drifting gradually +ve until the protection relay drops out. I also have a C340 doing the same thing but it doesn't trip out the relay, just a lot of crackle and pop. I'd like to track down the offending component but after reading this thread it's probably best to replace all the caps. I do this on the older NAD amps but don't expect to have to do it on these later ones. It must really annoy designers having their decent designs messed up by management cutting corners.

Alex Nikitin (designer with Mike Creek etc) is happy enough with Panasonic FC series.