My Arcam Alpha died again the other day.  When you turn the volume knob it crackles and the volume goes all eratic.

I have a Rega Planar 3 (for LPS) and Celestion 5 speakers  (as you can see I still live in the 80s).  Can anyone recommend a good Amp that

a) would work well with the turntable and speakers
b) would be OK in a loft conversion that can get hot in the summer and very cold in the winter
c) doesn't cost the earth

2nd hand recommendations are fine - I'm not nesc after anything brand new

Cheers

Tommo

Tommo,

It sounds like the volume pot has gone on the Arcam, which shouldn't be a very difficult or expensive repair: after all, since you've been so generous in other fields , the least we can do is save you as much as possible! If you should decide to go for new, then have a look at the Cambridge series from Richer Sounds. A couple of years ago, I installed an azur 640a for a friend in his nineties to whom I'd first sold hi-fi in 1978; he was always quite a demanding customer, so the amp was strictly on approval. I made sure than it was run-in before he heard it, and he was chuffed to bits, really loving the overall 'tone' and presentation; you'll need their separate phono pre-amp for your LPs, but the combination is amazing for the money (around £360 for the two). There are less expensive Cambridge amps available, too, but the azur oozes class.
But I'd still check with Arcam and your local hi-fi repair person first...

Ron

Thanks All

Sorry - I forgot to mention that it has happened twice before.  I think they did say it was a potentiometer the last time.  They also said that next time round it would probably be worth getting another amp.

But having read what you say, I think they were probably pulling a fast one.  I'll go down the repair route - thanks for the guidance.

Tommo

This reply is probably well out of date. Also it seems there are plenty of people on this forum who really know their stuff when it some to hi fi.


But I feel I have something useful to say.


If you have a good amp and the volume pot goes, provided you or a friend have a little technical facility or there is a local shop that still does repairs, this is often an opportunity for a cheap upgrade.

Amplifiers are, as are most hi fi electronics, mostly boxes of air. This is not a bad thing as the less you have in the signal path between sound source and speaker the more open and transparent your sound.

Volume controls are most often potentiometers. This means your sound at this point goes through a disc of dodgy carbon/plastic film. And it gets downgraded.

Upgrading the potentiometer will improve any amplifier, as good cables improve any sound system.

For example Japanese firm Alps makes a range of potentiometers, all of which are good for hi fi work. All you need is one which has the same specification as the one that has stopped working. It need not be the best pot they make and there are other relatively inexpensive potentiometers available that are far better than those used in most amplifiers 

If you are really nifty and adventurous and the space the volume pot occupies is big enough, you can replace your volume pot with a rotary switch and high grade resistors.