Electro-Voice ELX118P Sub-Woofer Amplifier Repair, Test & Review. Designed by whom?

[@kaigunfan]

The power supply is an off the shelf hypex unit. Hypex will not sell you one, but you can purchase all of the PCBA from EV (at least in the United States). The Power supply is P/N F.01U.306.756, The UCD modules come in a pack of three (the full range speakers use three of these, where the sub amp uses 2) is F.01U.306.760. The control board and input boards are also available, but vary model to model. I worked at a factory authorized independent and we did see these come through time to time (as well as the ZLX series). They made tens of thousands of these according to the rep (and something like a million ZLX series) and these old analog style ELX are finally out of production iirc. I cannot say Mackie is any more reliable than EV, about the same from what we say come through the shop (in terms of electronics) however the woofers and HF drivers in the EVs are light years ahead of Mackie or JBL, in my opinion.

[@JohnB-2021]

Thank you for the info, I appreciate it.

[@JuneTeenth-n5k]

can i get all the numbers for the ELX 118 riser boards?

[@Reploidservices]

Thank you for sharing this! You helped me a lot!

[@JohnB-2021]

You're welcome. Thank you for your comments.

[@heidertorres843]

Q bueno tengo varios modulos de eso para repararlo

[@icsmartbot]

Good job, amazing details.

[@JohnB-2021]

Thank you

[@antonyarchibold6127]

Hi john i repaired an elx115 full range speaker that uses almost an identical layout to your sub amp, i had 2 bad hypex modules out of 3, it used 2 for low and one for high, the two low are strapped in bridge when both installed but to my surprise when i removed the bad one the good one functioned properly on its own and played a test track fine! one module was repairable with just the two fets and resistors needing changing (treble module) the module from the bass was toast but i found a cheap enough replacement from fbt audio uk i think around £60 which customer was happy with 👍🏻

[@JohnB-2021]

Thank you Antony Archibold, Just found the amps, none in stock.🙂 So when you say 'toast' more than just 2 fets and a few blown resistors? I found a 100 ohm in the current sense also blown, makes no difference. It's odd that I can't get the same 280 watts into 4 ohm.

[@antonyarchibold6127]

@@JohnB-2021 Hi john by toast i meant it burned the board pretty badly around the underside of the fets, im sure it also took out the fet driver as i had no gate signal even with the bad components removed! im glad you dyno tested the amp as i have never tried to work out the rms after repair, its quite interesting to see how overrated the specs really are!

[@JohnB-2021]

@@antonyarchibold6127 Interesting, you certainly have more experience with Hypex amps than I. Thank you for your comments.

[@antonyarchibold6127]

@@JohnB-2021 i dont have a lot lol only the one speaker but i had a little play around to try familiarise myself with the way the work! quite powerful little modules really, i managed to get the pinout from hypex and have a video of the amp module running on a bipolar supply with a phono in il post a link for you to check it out 👍🏻 thanks for posting this video was a good watch 👍🏻

[@antonyarchibold6127]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4Ooo56Epa2BpLM

[@adrianmircea4474]

STP80NF12 seems a good replacement

[@djphilmiller1]

Hi, I’ve a hiss on my EV ETX15P just wondering if this is normal. Thanks Phil

[@JohnB-2021]

I think it is normal.

[@delatronics]

Thank you for your video, I hae a DAS DR-512A on the bench with 3 Hypex modules and the same SMPSU as your EV one. I too have no output from the PSU but didn't try unplugging the output yet to see if the voltages return. I don't feel comfortable working on SMPSUs even though I have 35 years, experience with audio electronics. I will check things out on Monday morning, and I'm hoping this is a common fault on these. Thanks very much for this!

[@JohnB-2021]

Thank you, you're welcome.

[@Electrolab28Ag]

Hi John, Thank you for sharing your Videos. I have this Same ELX118P Sub-Woofer and I need you help to identify a part which look like a blue ceramic capacitor with Marking code C100 and labled as R95 on the board that is attach to the two mosfet (P17NK40ZFD) (T30 & T31) that I accidently rip off the power supply board while removing those Two Mosfet . Can you tell me if that is a resistor, Capacitor or a temperature termistor? I would really appreciate you help.

[@djgrandauto8541]

Great video. Following.

[@JohnB-2021]

Thank you.

[@voodootattoo9057]

I watched most the video but did you ever find out what the trim pots on the modules do/affect? I have an ELX118P I am having trouble with. The audio is cutting out and when it does the front LED also goes out briefly along with the audio. I am not a technician but know enough to be dangerous. I have not looked at the modules yet but did replace one on one of my ELX 112P's a month or so ago where the HF module died. That one is working perfectly now. I see it is labeled "TT Adj" which obviously the ADJ means adjust but even looking at whitepapers and such I cannot find what it does,

[@JohnB-2021]

There are no schematics so no idea what the pots are for.

[@mguarino1967]

Hi John, Great Video especially considering I have two ELX118P subs that somehow got damaged last night hooking them into a house PA System to test for a potential buyer. Now I am deciding to either spend the money to replace the entire Amplifier Module or figure out which component module PCBs are bad and just replace them. Replacing a bad module would be the least costly. I am not an electrician or electronics guru such as yourself. However, with your video, I was able to determine that the power supply on both units was providing power at the red, blue and black wires. Also there was power to the low voltage red and black wires going to the input PCB. Considering this, does this mean that the power supplies on both units are good and do not have to be replaced? I am asking because the Power Supply Module is the most expensive component of all the PCBs. If I don't need to replace the Power Supply then I could replace the two hypex amp PCB modules, the amplifier interconnect PCB and the input PCB assembly for almost half the cost of a complete new Amplifier Module. Is there anything else that would need to be checked on the Power Supply Module to determine that it is functioning properly? Thank you. Michael G. Hope to hear back from you soon.

[@JohnB-2021]

Hi Michael, If your power supply measures the same as the one in my video then it would be safe to assume the power supply is ok. I’m wondering how a simple test could have blown both amps. Maybe the input on both amps is blown? It’s difficult to say which part is faulty.

[@justsomeguy7547]

I was looking at a pair of these subs and the mentioned 12 tops but would you recommend to avoid them?

[@JohnB-2021]

I wouldn't say avoid them, just listen to them before you purchase. If they sound ok to you then go ahead and buy them. I wouldn't buy any EV product.

[@pauljacques4157]

Hello, i have a problem on my ELX118P because at 30% it makes sound cuts. I swapped the power supply and the pair of small amplifier modules with the ELX112P preamp card, I can go up to 100% of the power, so it's the ELX118P preamp card that is defective? Which component would do power limiting?

[@JohnB-2021]

No idea, EV do not supply schematics

[@pauljacques4157]

I did another experiment with an input board that didn't work, I replaced two NE5532s with generics, and it worked again, but also at 30% like the other card without modification. When I replaced these two generic NE5532s with originals, it didn't work anymore again!@@JohnB-2021

[@christovandyk]

Hi did you solve your problem? I have similar problem

[@rafeeqeppkrafeeqeppk6584]

Price ?

[@ВячеславМорозов-ц8ж]

hello, please tell me the marking of transistors T30, T3 and resistors R11, R49. thanks!

[@JohnB-2021]

Sorry I do not have a schematic for this amp.

[@MrMehmet1965]

Hi John, thanks for your video, I bought an Electro-Voice EV ELX118P amplifier module and wanted to build a subwoofer. I have some doubts about how powerful the speaker should be, 8 ohms but what is the minimum and maximum limit for watts (RMS). Thanks in advance. I will be happy if you guide me a little

[@JohnB-2021]

The answer is in the video, I tested it with a 4 ohm and got the results shown.

[@MrMehmet1965]

@@JohnB-2021 Thanks for your prompt reply. I'm not good at English, I'll be quite happy if you can write me the output power of the amplifier at 8 ohms, Rms watts, peak watts. I can buy the driver from that. I can't find it online, thank you very much

[@MrMehmet1965]

@@JohnB-2021 I have used the amplifier for it, my passive subwoofer from skytec smw18, 8 ohm, power 300W, power max 600,w, peak 1000w 20 mhz-300hz. I have used only once 5 hours, now the driver is broken, I have the measurement with ohms no result. That is why I would like to buy the right driver for it, and avoid the same error. Many thanks

[@JohnB-2021]

@@MrMehmet1965 How has your driver got 3 measurements? 300 max, 600 peak and then 1000? I would say the driver is poor quality. Go for 600 watts Rms

[@MrMehmet1965]

@@JohnB-2021 Thank you very much for the answer. It must be a bad subwoofer, as it is burnt after 5 hours of music playback with the ELX118P. I am buying a sub with 600 rms just like you recommend. Thanks again, have a nice day :)

[@lagranfuerzalatina6093]

I have 2 amplifiers, they turn on but you can't hear them, no audio is coming through

[@davidstone1579]

Woops the maths it a bit wrong! The p-p voltage is about 135, so the peak power is v2/r = 2.2 kw and RMS is about 800W. (peak 2.2000/2 x0.707) = 800 ish. Thats why the resistor is very hot very quickly!

[@АлексейШ-ы7н]

Why did you choose STF15NM65N transistors for replacement?

[@JohnB-2021]

Maybe that’s what came out or maybe just because I had some.

[@АлексейШ-ы7н]

@@JohnB-2021 Did you not take into account the parameters of the transistors? Just because they were?

[@JohnB-2021]

@@АлексейШ-ы7н yes

[@АлексейШ-ы7н]

@@JohnB-2021 One of the modules UcD180LP turns off the signal at maximum power. Generation is interrupted. Has this ever happened to you?

[@JohnB-2021]

@@АлексейШ-ы7н yes, I mentioned it in the video.

[@_pesky_7215]

Hi John, Hope your well. I found your video on the Electro-Voice ELX118P Sub-Woofer Amplifier Repair very thorough. Unfortunately it highlighted how little I know about this area of electronics. I have one of these amps that has stopped working, powers up and has no obvious signs of damage. Can I send it you for repair?

[@JohnB-2021]

Hi, you will see in the repair I could not establish if it was working correctly into a 4 ohm load because the schematics are not available. For that reason I don't repair EV amps. Sorry.

[@_pesky_7215]

@@JohnB-2021 Thanks for the prompt reply. That's fair enough. Looks like I will have to replace the whole unit. Do you think the issue is more likely to be the amp rather than the speaker on these units?

[@JohnB-2021]

@@_pesky_7215 It is usually the amp or part of the power supply.

[@QuicksilverSG]

All current EV power specs are inflated by a factor of four times the RMS ratings. This power amp is from a previous ELX generation, before the upgrade to DSP controls. The current ELX200 subs are rated at 1200 watts "peak-to-peak" power, which is consistent with your measurement of 300 watts RMS power at 8 ohms. Unlike EV, most other pro audio manufacturers rate peak power at only double the RMS power, but EV's inflated specs are partially justified by the superior efficiency of their speakers, which require less power to produce comparable peak SPL than their competitors. As you discovered, this power amp is not built to drive loads less than 8 ohms, which suits EV's use of them as built-in amps for self-powered 8-ohm speakers. The ELX200 subs are the lightest pro audio plywood subs around, at just 42 lbs for the 12-inch sub. As such, they're designed primarily for portability, but are quite durable so long as they're not abused.

[@TpGreene10]

Hi John, where can I send my amplifier for you to repair

[@JohnB-2021]

What make of amplifier?

[@rafeeqeppkrafeeqeppk6584]

H This Bord price ?

[@cyrusgreat7988]

Thank you ?!? Replacment stp14nf12 irfb4019

[@JohnB-2021]

Sorry I thought the comment was on the other EV video. If the voltage and current are similar, yes give them a go.

[@murraysanders7779]

Thanks John , EV don't tell the truth with where the speakers are made or the true RMS values , no wonder they don't share the schematics

[@JohnB-2021]

Thank you for your comments.

[@rafeeqeppkrafeeqeppk6584]

Smps Bord price

[@FulPibe507]

Como ase mos

[@audiodoctor2999]

That black adhesive on all the components is crap. As it ages it sucks in moisture, becomes conductive, and causes whatever is under it to corrode. Ths is where most of the problems stem from.

[@JohnB-2021]

@audiodoctor2999 Thank you for your comments. You have a cool logo

[@mguarino1967]

@John B please see my message below. Thank you very much.