SDG

Repair and teardown of an Acoustic Solutions SP101 Integrated Hi-Fi amplifier with error code U52 and U53. The damaged rotary encoder on the front panel is also replaced.
SDG Electronics: sdgelectronics....
Equipment used:
Metcal MX-5200 www.okinternati... #ElectronicsCreators

[@guineafowl8029]

You have a particularly clear presentation style which walks us through the innards of a device very nicely. I really 'get' how the thing works after you've explained it, more so than with some of the more well-known YT electronics presenters. Please keep up the good work.

[@qviewq2071]

I have one of these! - I bought it from Richer Sounds about 20 years ago. Still works. Great VFM. My display is much brighter than the featured unit. Well made for a budget device I would say. Sounds great too.

[@fixitall100]

just had one of these off my local freecycle group .did not get the error codes ,but the volume was uncontrollable the soldering of Con 5 was ok so I striped and cleaned the encoder now all works fine thank for this clip

[@robswain1166]

I came across your video whilst looking for references to help me out with an issue on my SP101. I hadn’t taken the amp apart as it’s up on a high shelf and I’m lazy, but your video showed me what I wanted to know. What I hadn’t been prepared for when I finally did take it apart was how absolutely appalling the whole thing is manufactured, with almost every solder joint worse than I have ever seen from former students back when I was an electronics engineer for a living. I think the only form of QC on the units was did it work when powered on - if yes, then that’ll do, ship it and hope.

[@MichaelBeeny]

A clear and well made video, logical fault finding. Nice you use a tripod, so many uTube video, need travel sickness tablets! I look forward to seeing more soon, well done.

[@sdgelectronics]

Michael Beeny Thanks Michael!

[@davefarr7552]

Clear and concise. The best repair video and the clearest I have seen

[@BM-jy6cb]

For a budget amp it looks very nicely laid out. Those header joints looked as dry as a bone though. Another lead-free triumph. I think I would have wicked the solder off and put some good old 60/40 on there.

[@EastAngliaUK]

always see these selling really cheap on my local FB page or on gumtree but I have never got one before think my other amps are just a lot better though good the video shows what its like. Looks really interesting channel here. Actuality the inside looks really good there.

[@OrbiterElectronics]

Enjoyable video again Steve.. Thank you

[@mohimadvani6425]

good job. I like your explanation about each part, and how it functions. this is your first video which I have seen. subscribed to your channel. 👍👍👍

[@IncreasingVoltage]

Great video! What still bothers me is the relay for the LCD backlight. The only reason I could think of would be because the forward voltage of the LED array is way to close to the 5V supply, so transistors would have an effect on the brightness when the temperature changes. Also these things need a fairly high current for reasonable brightness, I guess 100mA.

[@sdgelectronics]

IncreasingVoltage It is quite odd, the backlight is not even bright - you can hardly tell when it's on.

[@JellyMonster1]

An excellently thorough technical video - thanks. I'm going to open mine up, as I sometimes get the same error. Also, my treble setting has to be set on max (+14) and bass around -4 to get a decent quality of sound. Might that be a speaker problem?

[@robertcalkjr.8325]

Good job Steve. Bad solder joints have been the majority of the faults that I have found in devices.

[@sdgelectronics]

Robert Calk Jr. It used to be about 80% of the repairs I used to do on CRTs when I was younger. It seems to be reasonably rare that something fails and is unfixable by basic fault finding methods. Unfortunately, most people just throw things away thinking the fault looks like something serious has happened. Thanks for watching.

[@robertcalkjr.8325]

SDG Electronics I know. A lot of the problem is that repair shops don't advertise - at least here where I live in the USA they don't.

[@Roy_Tellason]

That relay to supress a turn-on thump does not speak well for those power amplifier ICs. Usually that's more of an issue with single-ended power supplies, where you have a fairly large capacitor in between the amplifier output and the speaker. And speaking of which, "acoustic" (lower case like that, yeah) and "percussive maintenance" reminds me of a repair I did many years ago. It was a guitar amp, and the capacitor feeding the speaker had a broken solder joint just like the ones you show here. Interestingly enough, it was for a UK band, too...

[@crocellian2972]

Cold joints on a header - lucky guy. I vacuum desolder cold joints and resolder with some RA flux. Lasts years.

[@ajayrao69]

Nice video ,Thanks ,please can u make videos with diagnosis and troubleshooting with test equipment ,with your vast knowledge surely will be great learning experience

[@sdgelectronics]

Ajay Rao Thanks - I'll continue to upload repair videos as and when I come across faulty equipment.

[@gfx2006]

I'm a new subscriber. Great videos in your channel! And I'm not sure anyone has said it before but you have a GREAT clear voice! Do you host any radio shows??

[@sdgelectronics]

gfx2006 Thanks for the kind comments. This is my first go at any recordings or anything like this.

[@davecooke914]

Amazing video quality clear picture and sound

[@becin2107]

I am pretty sure that this ampifier was made by Cambridge Audio. Acoustic Solutions used to be Argos' own brand, but usually pretty decent quality.

[@zx8401ztv]

lol from the second you showed us the front panal i thought "that display looks like the type a pic chip is typically nailed to", and it was, i had to laugh :-D Hmm i would have liked to see another secondary winding for the regulators, also it would isolate the logic from the jumping hv p.a supply. (cheap) Smashing repair, lucky owners :-D

[@leppie]

Actually useful error messages! If I saw correctly, the error on startup was U53.

[@sdgelectronics]

leppie Oops, yes it was U53 in the video. Earlier on it was U52 so comms to both ICs were lost. I wouldn't have expected a useful error message, so it took me by surprise!

[@RedRider2001]

Very good repair video. Even though I have an EE degree it's all theory so it's great to see people getting their hands dirty so to speak and I get to learn how different companies design and manufacture their products. Very good explanations as well. The toroidal transformer is a nice feature but it was odd to hear the front panel had so many screws which are labor intensive on a presumably low cost product. A few questions: 1) I noticed you did not clear the old solder. Would it not be better to clear the old solder first then re-solder the connection? IIRC I've only seen people clear old solder first. I'm thinking this could potentially be an issue if you are mixing different types of old solder and new solder which may be of different composition, e.g. if they dry at different rates could the solder crack again in a few years? Just thinking out loud really. 2) What the heck are those large white objects on top of the amplifier at the beginning and end of the video??? 3) My I suggest playing some music through a repaired device at the end of the video.

[@sdgelectronics]

In general it is a bad idea to mix alloys, but it was clear that this was 60/40 solder so it's no issue to mix old and new. With lead free it is best to clear the old solder first. The two white things are speakers. Thanks for watching, more teardowns coming soon!

[@nickpelov]

I don't understand the lack of cheap optical rotary encoders on the market. I used to buy PC mouses with a ball and 3 optical encoders for $5-10 - two for the axis and one for the weel. The mechanical fail over time, regardless if they are used - the contacts oxidate. The expensive ones probably last longer, but you still have sliding contacts - not as good as optical. I would pay 3-5 times more for consumer grade optical encoder.

[@lilsafmusic]

SDG Electronics I have the sp100 and after using it, it starts to make a crackling noise? Any idea on what it could be?

[@T2D.SteveArcs]

That first pin looked like it might have been reflowed before, it seemed to have a lot more solder on it

[@TheRustAdmin]

The remote which came with my one of these successfully emits IR when I press the buttons, but it has no effect on the amp. I cleaned the purple-tinted, clear plastic in front of the IR sensor to the extent that I can see the sensor through it. I assume the IR is reaching the sensor, but why isn't the sensor responding?

[@WesTheHunter]

I wish my second hand one was as clean as that.

[@bienvenuebolufe9047]

please what's the TDA number?

[@WesTheHunter]

I've tried a Denon and Aiwa from the same time qnd the SP101 is leagues better, and the SP101 pissed over everything from 2007 - 2023 for a similar price that the RRP was for the SP101 (About £120) and now you can get them for between £20 and £50 although be prepared to need repairs.

[@jostanley7647]

Bro I have a problem, the amp on my sp101 no sound is coming out of the speakers. But the amp is on

[@gabrielmadrid8698]

I'm a new subscriber, and I really like your channel

[@sdgelectronics]

+lil saf - It looks like you've turned off replies to your posts. Does it crackle through the speakers? Crackling is almost certainly a dry joint.

[@lilsafmusic]

You know what is there anyway of sending you a sample of what it sounds like? And yes it comes out the speakers.

[@lilsafmusic]

+SDG Electronics

[@challengermk2788]

My speakers crackle and sometimes cut out when I play music, how do I fix this?

[@WesTheHunter]

Has anyone found a data sheet for this amp

[@chechebuella3688]

what is the value of this resistor?

[@sherazkhan091]

what components are used in making clock

[@T2D.SteveArcs]

Lead free solder strikes again 😅

[@SNBAD2]

Hey I have a sound bar, could you make a tut on how to add line-out so I can add a amp to it plz

[@bobfuller]

Hi Steve I'm considering buying a Canon Legria camcorder, either R56 or R66. The information online is a bit sketchy. Can you confirm if the camera has an external mic input? Are you using the internal mic for recording? If not, how are you connecting the external mic? Also, is it possible to remotely control the zoom and other functions? Many thanks and liking the videos. Good stuff!! Bob

[@sdgelectronics]

Bob Fuller Hi Bob, There's no external mic input on the R56 or R66. I'm actually using the G30 for most of my recent videos, with the R506 as a 2nd camera, but I record the audio separately on a Zoom h6 and re-sync when editing. There's no IR remote and I'd have to check if there is an external remote jack. Thanks for watching

[@bobfuller]

SDG Electronics Many thanks, Steve. I'll have a look at the G30 spec, too. A lot more expensive, though. Does it have a remote?

[@sdgelectronics]

Bob Fuller Yes, the G30 has most of the features you'd want from a camcorder - IR remote, external remote jack, HDMI, headphone socket, line in, 58mm threaded lens for filters etc. No XLRs though - you have to get the XA20 or XA25 for those. The G25 is another option - half the zoom capability and slightly lower video bitrate but about half the price.

[@bobfuller]

SDG Electronics Perfect, Steve. Thank you.

[@przemysawpawlinski5536]

Somehow I like LM3886 better.

[@GOWTHAMKRISHGowthamShanmugaraj]

Can u do a video on impedance matching?????

[@sdgelectronics]

Sure, I have a few project videos coming up, but then I'll see what I can come up with. It's an interesting topic which more people should know about.

[@GOWTHAMKRISHGowthamShanmugaraj]

i'm waiting ;-)

[@rohandighe5908]

Hello, actually i have the same U52 error on my box. Unfortunately I am unable to spot any loose connections. I have taken a photograph of both sides of the circuit board. I can send it to you too. Would you be able to help me out? Would the chip itself be a problem? How do i make sure I pin point the right problem?

[@sdgelectronics]

Send the images though to the email address on my KZbin contact page and I'll take a look

[@rohandighe5908]

+SDG Electronics Alright. I have sent you the email from my id. Sorry, forgot to put the subject line out of too much excitement.

[@rohandighe5908]

+SDG Electronics Also, i just noticed that i get a Error U53 at the start as soon as i power ON the device and then once i move the volume control knob, it says Error U52.

[@calmos34]

Please i m french and i want to buy and change the rotary encoder ...Where can i find it ? ...Thanks

[@sdgelectronics]

frederic combier You can buy them from Farnell. uk.farnell.com/bourns/ecw1j-b24-bc0024l/absolute-encoder-incremental-120rpm/dp/1607976 uk.farnell.com/bourns/ecw1j-b24-ac0024l/encoder-incremental-2ch-120rpm/dp/1200080

[@krishna34674]

the sp101 is a truly horrible amplifier.. imo...

[@WesTheHunter]

I understand your comment is from 8 Years Ago, But I've tried a Denon and Aiwa from the same time qnd the SP101 is leagues better, and the SP101 pissed over everything from 2007 - 2023 for a similar price that the RRP was for the SP101 (About £120) and now you can get them for between £20 and £50 although be prepared to need repairs.

[@JasonLeaman]

Only thing worth anything in that amplifier is the Transformer, the rest looks like china SHIT! AND WTF chip amps :( BARF !!

[@sdgelectronics]

Don't worry, soon I'll be designing a Hi-Fi amp from scratch.