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Noisy Superfly


Nick80
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Does anyone else have this problem with the Ashdown Superfly head? Basically, a few minutes after switching it on, it develops a high pitch whistling sound. This is at a constant volume, irrespective of the volume or the eq. Indeed, it doesn't go away or decrease with the volume at zero and all the eq parameters turned right down. This is a separate sound to the idle hiss most amps have. I did take it back to the shop but the guy who sold it to me seemed to think this was normal. I think the problem was I didn't leave it on for long enough for the noise to get to really irritating levels. It really is noticeable.
Has anyone else had a similar problem? Any suggestions on what I should do?

Thanks in advance,

Nick.

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It it always in the same location and/or with the same bass and cab plugged in to it? I'm just wondering whether you've isolated every other variable before deciding that it is a fault with the amp...

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MB1. :)

Id take it back ,but check its nothing else first,dimmer switch?flourescent lights?.try it in another room,if its still doing it, take it back.However watch out for SODS LAW,which basically goes, the minute you plug it in, in the shop, it doesnt make the offending sound and makes you look rather silly.This has happened to me previously.

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It just doesn't seem normal (or acceptable!) to me. I'm going to set it up elsewhere to see if it could be something interfering, but I doubt it. The sound is at a constant level, irrespective of the gain or output volume or eq settings. Sounds to me like a fault. I have already taken it back but I may have to be more insistent next time.

Any other Superfly owners out there with this problem?

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[quote name='Nick80' post='26728' date='Jul 3 2007, 09:42 PM']It just doesn't seem normal (or acceptable!) to me. I'm going to set it up elsewhere to see if it could be something interfering, but I doubt it. The sound is at a constant level, irrespective of the gain or output volume or eq settings. Sounds to me like a fault. I have already taken it back but I may have to be more insistent next time.

Any other Superfly owners out there with this problem?[/quote]

Yes. Same problem on one channel. It went back to Ashdown to be repaired. They sent it back 'repaired' but the fault was still there. Now taking it back to Soundcontrol for a full refund.

Hamster

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[quote name='Hamster' post='26746' date='Jul 3 2007, 10:24 PM']Yes. Same problem on one channel. It went back to Ashdown to be repaired. They sent it back 'repaired' but the fault was still there. Now taking it back to Soundcontrol for a full refund.

Hamster[/quote]

Ah nuts, this doesn't sound good...

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[quote name='bassbloke' post='27730' date='Jul 6 2007, 07:32 AM']Do Ashdown actually have a testing department?[/quote]

Yes - a very soflty spoken chap called Guy works there. I had a chat with him today and he confirms he's had a few in with the same problem. They've identified a fault with one of the power boards and it seems to be a bad batch from the production line. I don't think Ashdown have a load of spare power boards laying around as the Superflys are all made in China and shipped over.

Hamster

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  • 4 weeks later...

As soon as I read the original post (rather late in the day, alas) it was pretty obvious where the problem lay. The Superfly has a Class 'D' power section, doesn't it? Oh dear. Not good. Class 'D' power supplies are very efficient and very light, but unless they're also very carefully (read "expensively") designed, they spew out copious amounts of high frequency/RF noise. In my opinion this should effectively disqualify them from use in an any serious audio environment. And yet, they're becoming gradually more common in instrument amps - even in some valve amps (MarkBass, for example), despite the fact that high impedance valve circuitry is naturally more noise-sensitive than SS. I can't understand why the manufacturers are doing it.

Oh, wait a minute... I get it: they're CHEAP! :)

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I just got my Superfly from Sound Control. Apart from the fact that 1 o/p channel doesn't work at all, the one that does produces the whine immediately. The only way to get rid of the whine is to turn off the tweeter in the cab. To be fair to Sound Control, they've been as helpful as they could possibly be, by immediately offering a replacement or full refund, and arranging collection of the faulty unit. I have agreed to try another. I'm not sure if the whine will be an issue as it doesn't increase as the master volume is increased, although it is annoying at practice volume levels. I'll post back when I get the new one and let y'all know how it pans out.

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[quote name='Kurt' post='42390' date='Aug 7 2007, 06:34 AM']I'm not sure if the whine will be an issue as it doesn't increase as the master volume is increased, although it is annoying at practice volume levels. I'll post back when I get the new one and let y'all know how it pans out.[/quote]
Mine has 60 Hz hum in both channels, not loud enough to be a problem and no worse than any other $300 amp, but at the original price it would have been unacceptable. Mine also has whine in one power amp. It is very high frequency, and turning the tweeter off gets rid of it. I suspect owners of cabs without tweeters would never notice it. The source is undoubtably a defect in the low pass filtering on that power amp, and may be a basic design flaw. If all those who do have whining amps have tweeters and all those who's amps don't whine also don't have tweeters it would explain why not everyone has a problem.

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  • 8 months later...

Just got one in the post - a bit noisy on switch-on, but as mentioned not enough to be a problem - BUT... a minute later, the dreaded boiling kettle, and in a sort of square-wave tone. The courier's picking up again straight away.

Potentially a nice amp, but totally useless with this fizzly noise coming out of it.

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"If all those who do have whining amps have tweeters and all those who's amps don't whine also don't have tweeters it would explain why not everyone has a problem" - don't know about yours, but this one was not at a frequency that would be eliminated by disconnecting a tweeter. It's like 2 or 3 octaves above middle C, well within most bass drivers. Also the fact that it starts after a while suggests it's a fault rather than a design flaw - low-pass filtering that didn't work wouldn't work from the start, however this amp sounded great for the first minute or so, [i]then [/i]started whining.

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[quote name='Hamster' post='29066' date='Jul 9 2007, 01:12 PM']Yes - a very soflty spoken chap called Guy works there. I had a chat with him today and he confirms he's had a few in with the same problem. They've identified a fault with one of the power boards and it seems to be a bad batch from the production line. I don't think Ashdown have a load of spare power boards laying around as the Superflys are all made in China and shipped over.

Hamster[/quote]

MB1. ;)
NAY!...NAY!....and Thrice NAY! :huh: ......Were we not previously told the ASHDOWN LABS Gear is MADE IN THE U.K?
SUPERFLYS are MADE IN CHINA?????????? :)

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[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='173769' date='Apr 10 2008, 11:04 AM']I suspect the problem maybe that the amp is overheating. I had a similar issue with a Warwick combo years ago.[/quote]

MB1. :)
Could be its......"insides are all wrong!" :huh:
+1 for the Tubbs avatar! ;)

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[quote name='MB1' post='26463' date='Jul 3 2007, 12:43 PM']MB1. :)

Id take it back ,but check its nothing else first,dimmer switch?flourescent lights?.try it in another room,if its still doing it, take it back.However watch out for SODS LAW,which basically goes, the minute you plug it in, in the shop, it doesnt make the offending sound and makes you look rather silly.This has happened to me previously.[/quote]
Haha been there done that got the tshirt :huh:

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