Speedball LED

StevePL · 3376

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Offline StevePL

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on: October 17, 2017, 09:23:58 AM
I have a small issue with my Speedball.
The Crack is 1.0 2016 vintage.
The LED at position D1 on the A side of the board does not illuminate.
Here are the voltage check for the Small Circuit Board
OA      66.7V
IA      172V
B-A/B   0V
1B      171.9V
OB      78.4V

Here are the voltage checks for the Large Circuit Board
OA      102.4V
OB      96V
G      0V
B+      173.5V

All the voltage checks on the crack before the Speedball were within operating range.


Crack Speedball, HD600, HD 25 300ohm.
Audirvana +, Schiit Modi Multibit, Smash-Smash Up Clarity MR, Rotel 956 bridged 2x Mono, Revel Performa F30.
Fiio X5ii, Quickie, Quicksand, Blumenstein Orca


Offline fullheadofnothing

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Reply #1 on: October 17, 2017, 09:31:57 AM
Did you do the voltage check on the small board before installing the large board?






Joshua Harris

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Offline StevePL

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Reply #2 on: October 17, 2017, 09:45:30 AM
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Did you do the voltage check on the small board before installing the large board?

Yes. A&B sides were pretty much identical and and the LED in question illuminated the same as the other three LEDs. The problem arose when I connected the Large Circuit Board.

Crack Speedball, HD600, HD 25 300ohm.
Audirvana +, Schiit Modi Multibit, Smash-Smash Up Clarity MR, Rotel 956 bridged 2x Mono, Revel Performa F30.
Fiio X5ii, Quickie, Quicksand, Blumenstein Orca


Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #3 on: October 17, 2017, 10:06:36 AM
Can you verify that this is the case in a dark room?  Your voltages look spot on, and if one of the C4S LEDs wasn't illuminating, that shouldn't be the case.

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man


Offline StevePL

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Reply #4 on: October 17, 2017, 12:59:41 PM
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Can you verify that this is the case in a dark room?  Your voltages look spot on, and if one of the C4S LEDs wasn't illuminating, that shouldn't be the case.

Yes, in a very dark room. I know it's odd as the voltages are all close enough. I've been listening to it for quiet a while like this and it's a wonderful amp paired with the HD600s.
I had a knee surgery recently so I'm killing time by finding projects to keep myself busy. This was one of them.

Crack Speedball, HD600, HD 25 300ohm.
Audirvana +, Schiit Modi Multibit, Smash-Smash Up Clarity MR, Rotel 956 bridged 2x Mono, Revel Performa F30.
Fiio X5ii, Quickie, Quicksand, Blumenstein Orca


Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #5 on: October 17, 2017, 02:44:15 PM
It's actually possible to measure the DC voltage across the LED that's dark while the amp is running.  , with the black probe on the banded end and the red probe on the unbanded end.

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man


Offline StevePL

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Reply #6 on: October 17, 2017, 03:23:32 PM
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It's actually possible to measure the DC voltage across the LED that's dark while the amp is running.  , with the black probe on the banded end and the red probe on the unbanded end.

The three bright LEDs are 1.5V The one dim LED is 1.3V

Crack Speedball, HD600, HD 25 300ohm.
Audirvana +, Schiit Modi Multibit, Smash-Smash Up Clarity MR, Rotel 956 bridged 2x Mono, Revel Performa F30.
Fiio X5ii, Quickie, Quicksand, Blumenstein Orca


Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #7 on: October 17, 2017, 03:33:53 PM
I'd flip the little PC board over and look for incomplete solder joints or solder bridges, especially around the PN2907.  You can also post a photo of the bottom of your board here and we can check it over.

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man


Offline StevePL

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Reply #8 on: October 18, 2017, 08:04:17 AM
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I'd flip the little PC board over and look for incomplete solder joints or solder bridges, especially around the PN2907.  You can also post a photo of the bottom of your board here and we can check it over.

I reflowed the solder joints, no difference in the voltage readings. I also checked the large PC board on the A channel and it all looked good (to me).

Crack Speedball, HD600, HD 25 300ohm.
Audirvana +, Schiit Modi Multibit, Smash-Smash Up Clarity MR, Rotel 956 bridged 2x Mono, Revel Performa F30.
Fiio X5ii, Quickie, Quicksand, Blumenstein Orca


Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #9 on: October 18, 2017, 08:24:00 AM
I would reflow all of the joints in the red circles.

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man


Offline StevePL

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Reply #10 on: October 18, 2017, 10:07:16 AM
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I would reflow all of the joints in the red circles.

Done and still the same voltage readings.

Crack Speedball, HD600, HD 25 300ohm.
Audirvana +, Schiit Modi Multibit, Smash-Smash Up Clarity MR, Rotel 956 bridged 2x Mono, Revel Performa F30.
Fiio X5ii, Quickie, Quicksand, Blumenstein Orca


Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #11 on: October 18, 2017, 10:24:02 AM
Did your Speedball kit hang around long before you installed it? Do you live in a humid climate? (or was the unbuilt kit stored in a humid area if applicable)

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man


Offline StevePL

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Reply #12 on: October 18, 2017, 11:38:09 AM
It's been installed for over a year. It's always had this problem. As I said earlier I'm on sick leave so I'm trying to sort out things that aren't quiet right around my home. The amp sounds fine. I've just always know that LED isn't properly illuminated.

I'm in sunny Burbank,CA so humidity isn't so much of an issue here.

Crack Speedball, HD600, HD 25 300ohm.
Audirvana +, Schiit Modi Multibit, Smash-Smash Up Clarity MR, Rotel 956 bridged 2x Mono, Revel Performa F30.
Fiio X5ii, Quickie, Quicksand, Blumenstein Orca


Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #13 on: October 18, 2017, 06:44:54 PM
Yeah, you could certainly replace it and see what happens! Seeing 1.3V across that LED is really odd.  Usually if there is a problem, they open up.

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man


Offline StevePL

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Reply #14 on: October 19, 2017, 06:58:00 AM
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Yeah, you could certainly replace it and see what happens! Seeing 1.3V across that LED is really odd.  Usually if there is a problem, they open up.

I've replaced that LED with no change in the voltage reading.
I think I'm just going to leave it well enough alone and continue enjoying the amp and ignore the dim LED. With my hearing the amp sounds pretty dang good as it is.

Crack Speedball, HD600, HD 25 300ohm.
Audirvana +, Schiit Modi Multibit, Smash-Smash Up Clarity MR, Rotel 956 bridged 2x Mono, Revel Performa F30.
Fiio X5ii, Quickie, Quicksand, Blumenstein Orca