CA-810 in need of refresh

jamesm77

New Member
I recently purchased a CA-810 in need of some TLC, more than the seller probably suspected and more than I'm prepared to take on with my own hands as I really like the amp and would like to see it returned to its prime instead of becoming a series of Band-Aids and hacks.



I've replaced the lamps with white LEDs (also the appropriate limiting resistor for them) and run some deoxit through the pots and switches to fix the crackles and intermittent left channel. I took a shot at adjusting the bias as it was running really hot, got one channel spot on but the other just wouldn't come into spec, it's been a few weeks now and I want to say the voltage measures between 10%-20% high when dialed all the way down, so something is definitely off.



It sounds really good despite whatever issues it has, currently I'm bypassing the preamp/tone controls and feeding the amp side from the preamp of my Schiit Valhalla 2 (mostly just because I can, but also partly because the volume control is easier to reach) and it has no problem rattling the walls with just a little pair of Definitive Technology StudioMonitor 350s.



Does anyone know if there's anyone who works on these in the Eastern MA or Southern NH area? (or anywhere else in the US, though I'd prefer not to ship it)



Thanks!



James



Sent from my Surface Pro 2 using Tapatalk
 
There is a place in Cambridge but the name escapes me at the moment. Although I've heard they do pretty good work, I've also heard they can be somewhat difficult to deal with...definitely mixed reviews.
Shipping is expensive but there are some high quality techs here!
Avionic did my ca 800; but he is a busy guy and you may have to wait some time; for me it was well worth the wait! There are other high quality guys here...keep asking:thmbsp:
 
If the layout is similar to the CA610II, working on it is relatively easy. The SM is likely available.
 
I found the name; AudioLab in Cambridge.







Thanks I'll look into it, I'm only about a half hour/forty minutes north of there



I also got a PM from Avionic, I've seen nothing but glowing reviews of his work and run across a number of his posts, so I will probably follow up with him as well. Shipping to someone who knows these beasts well and does the job right is preferable to a local shop that may just half-ass it to extract a few bucks from my wallet.
 
If the layout is similar to the CA610II, working on it is relatively easy. The SM is likely available.







It looks relatively easy to work on, I just don't currently have the time or patience to troubleshoot anything too far beyond "is it plugged in?" at the moment.
 
Back
Top Bottom