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Thread: My HK AVR 630 just died

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Bloomfield, CT
    Posts
    291

    Unhappy My HK AVR 630 just died

    I bought an HK 630 from Dave & co. when I got my 340 mains and center (in the fall of last year) and unfortunately(!!), it looks to be dead at this point. Yesterday, during routine operation (my kids were watching a movie via HTPC, audio connected to the 630 via optical) the unit just kicked off. My first thought was overheating (though I wasn't driving it hard at all, it was a little warmer out than it had been and the unit is kept behind plexiglass in an entertainment center with an open rear), so I let it cool down a bit, turned it back on and it seemed to operate fine... until today. Once again, the unit shut off during routine operation. But this time, after killing the main power switch, letting it sit for a bit and then turning it back on, it immediately cut off and went back into standby. So this time I checked for shorts with the speaker wires (none), tested the plug in another outlet, reset the processor, and finally took it off the rack and removed absolutely every wire attached to it. Nothing helped. The receiver simply won't retain power for more than a split second before reverting to standby. Just to be clear -- there have been no electrical storms or outages, it has always been plugged into a decent surge protector, and I have never driven it hard at all (never turned it above -25, actually).

    The truly weird and downright frustrating thing about all this is that the exact same thing happened to an refurbed HK 3475 (stereo) receiver that my mother and I purchased for my father for Christmas after finally convincing him to jump into quality components. I ended up having to drive nearly an hour each way to a repair shop and wait 5 weeks for the repair to get that one back to my father. Needless to say, our experience, coupled with some other horror stories (and at least one exact duplicate of my current situation posted of AVS) that I've read about on the web, does not speak well for for HK's quality control. I have definitely enjoyed the sound of the 630 when combined with the Ascends, but I am truly bummed out by the outcome of my first foray into "quality" hi-fi.

    The one bright spot in all of this is that when I hooked up my 10-yr.-old low end Denon (AVR900) to the Ascends, they still sounded great!! Certainly not as rich or clean as with the HK, but not bad, not bad. Now that's a sign of a quality speaker...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Syracuse, New York
    Posts
    1,222

    Default

    I know a defective speaker wire can cause the receiver to protect itself by shutting down. I'd also try a different DVD player if one is available. It may be the receiver but there's sometimes other causes.
    It's a bummer no matter the cause.

    David

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Bloomfield, CT
    Posts
    291

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    Thanks for the reply David. There are currently no speaker wires or cables attached to the unit at all and it is still shutting down immediately.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Bloomfield, CT
    Posts
    291

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    Well, the saga continues...

    I just got my HK 630 back from the shop, must sooner than anticipated. They said the problem was just a couple of bad solder joints. When I first hooked it back up (25 connections later), it went back into standby again and my heart sank. I rechecked my connections and actually found one speaker not properly attached. Fixed that, and it powered on beautifully. My heart leapt!

    Until... I discovered I wasn't getting any sound out of my surround channels. Rechecked my connections a second, third, and fourth time. Ran the test tones a couple dozen times each, reset the processor, reversed the front and rear speakers (to make sure it wasn't wiring or the speakers themselves), and still no joy from the surround channels. So I threw my old Denon back in and all five channels working fine.

    I'll take the HK back to the shop, but this time I'm not holding my breath...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    335

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    I give electronics one shot, no repairs. If something happens I demand a new one. If the second one busts I return it and bad-mouth the entire company to everyone I know.

    I have very little tolerance for shabby build quality at these prices.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    1,066

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    It is still under warranty isn't it?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Bloomfield, CT
    Posts
    291

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    Yes. And I just got finished writing a scathing email demanding an upgrade, or at least a replacement. I also asked them to pay return shipping (this thing weighs a ton). That's only fair, right?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Birmingham, Alabama
    Posts
    462

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    If it's under warranty, I wouldn't think you'd be responsible for shipping.
    - EVH III

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Bloomfield, CT
    Posts
    291

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    I thought the typical deal was you pay to send it back and they pay for the replacement...

    Just got my automated reply... my web rep it out of the office until Sunday. Man, this just keeps getting better and better...

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Little Rock, AR
    Posts
    134

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    Unfortunate incidents like this really emphasize why I like supporting businesses like Ascend and SVS. Customer service is second to none.

    While I've never had a problem with either of the Denon receivers I've owned I shudder at the thought of my 3803 having problems. I'm sure it would be a nightmare to get it repaired. I'd probably end up just buying a new one.

    Perhaps should my Denon ever die (please God no!) I could find a company like Ascend or SVS offering a replacement. I hope I'll need to upgrade long before the 3803 offers any problems. Can't see why that won't be the case.

    Heck, since dealing with SVS and Ascend I've begun looking for smaller companies for all my purchases. I recently bought a King bedding set from a small company based out of St. Louis. Couldn't have been happier with the service or product.

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