A400 service/mod in Kent/SE England

Hi, I have managed to find a Pioneer A400 today, which I purchased for £50. The casing is in perfect condition, as are the rear terminals, speaker connections etc. The only slight issues are:

1. A slight crackle on the volume knob when adjusting

2. Balance controls very sensitive

The amp looks as though it's been well looked after, not a single mark on it, appears clean inside too!

Are there any simple fixes I can try (complete newbie here, but willing to learn!) to remove the crackle? Also, I have heard there are mods which can be performed on this amp. I'm not willing to open her up myself and give it a go, so I was wondering if any forum members coud direct me to someone who can, ideally in the Kent area, but SE England woud be fine! (would prefer not to post) Also, what are the mod and how does it affect the amp?

Thanks in advance; have been listening to it through a set of Crestas (short term speakers) and it reminds me of being 18 again! Does anyone have any suggestions for used bookshelfs to pair with the A400, bookshelfs; budget £200 (listen to house music, reggae, hip hop)

 

I live in Surrey, but, to be very honest, dump it and get a decent amp. It'll cost a bit extra... if you get these problems resolved it'll give you more hassle later down the line. It is really a case of "what you give is what you get".

Sorry for being so negative but you'll need to spend more...

What is it with you and thinking everything is knackered cos it's a few years old. This is the second time you've posted poor advice like this, keep it to yourself why don't you.

 

£50 for an A400 is a steal, to start with just buy yourself a can of contact cleaner with a lubricant in and squirt a small (don't saturate everywhere, just a small squirt) amount in the volume pot. Work it back an forth a few times then see if it has improved somewhat. As for moding, try the amp virgin first, if you can't do the mods yourself don't bother you are just wasting you £££££££££.

Thanks for your reply!  I appreciate you get what you pay for etc etc and if I had more money I would buy better kit, but we all have to start somewhere and until I improve my speakers, spending out more money on an amp isn't an option, so i will have to stick with what I have and make the best out of it; at the end of the day I'm not after perfection on my budget, just to get the most out of what I already have!

 

 

Any advice on the original questions?

Thats pretty much all you need to do. I use Comma Contact Cleaner and it works well.

regards

Thanks for your helpful replies!  I am really happy with it, you just  never know until you power up and listen to some music..I guessed it was going to be in good shape by how clean and unmolested it is....and for £50 I don't think I could get a better deal anywhere!! 

 I had one years ago when they first came out. Cracking little amp. Enjoy!

 

The Pioneer A400 was a well respected amp, no need to dump it if it is good working order.

a little contact cleaner and perhaps invest  in a small battery operated vacuum cleaner usually marketed for computer keyboards should work well.

i have a soft spot for Pioneer kit, I've had my fair share of it from amps, CD players, tape deck, car audio (and a CD recorder which is still part of my current system). Always well made, reliable, good features and above all good sound.

 

Not like you PP to post such misguided claptrap which is so far up the poop-o-meter scale. Has someone hijacked your login ID?

As has been very correctly stated, the A400 is an absolute pearler, and a £5 tin (or less) of swtchcleaner will probably 'repair' it.

A can of spray should help but requires that the amp case be opened. I understand that that is not an option.

Sorry for being negative: I appreciate you have a tight budget, however, the truth is you can't expect a Rolls Royce for Mini money. Given that the A400 is around 20 years old, getting it fixed may only highlight or expose other problems further down the line.

For that sort of money you could've purchased Arcam Alpha 7, which I have (produced in the late 90s, along with a plethera of Rotel amps.

Arcam have a repair dept. for older models (subject to parts), so perhaps Pioneer do the same. They maybe able to point you in the right direction. http://www.pioneer.eu/uk/content/company/company/locations.html

Good luck, pp

I think an A400 for £50 is pretty close.

What are you basing this nonsense on.

Which aren't as good as what he has brought

With a £150 flat fee.............Thanks for the useful info PP.

Where did the myth come from that beyond a certain age HiFi products are on their last legs and on the verge of dying. By that reckonng the only thing which should work in my HiFi are my two year old speakers. Almost worth a thread in itself.

Never said it's on its last legs. Anything that has moving parts will eventaully wear out, such as cars, vans, CDPs, turntables...

The point I made is that if you buy an amp that was made in the early-mid 90s with faults, chances are, sooner or later, it will show other problems. I'm just trying to be realistic, and unless the OP has the amp modified, it will keep on costing money.