Modding Azur 640A

[mikesnowdon]

"High fidelity means the possibility to listen to the playback of people’s applause and not to confuse them with rain’s noise falling over a zinc roof ..... Nor to confuse the noise of dissolving waves when touches the beach sand, thinking you have eggs frying in hot oil there"

Funny and true. Fortunately my system meets these requirements! (It didnt when it was standard though. LOL!)

I have the 340A service manual with schematics and B.O.M. if your interested?

[darian]

Hello,

I am interested! I would like to do some mods as well. My email is maziere_jeanyves@yahoo.fr

Many thanks!

[jaycee]

Uhh what, the 640A is basically a Gainclone!! I guess Cambridge are cheaping out, even though most of their previous amps were SAP15 based. I don't know how they can charge what they charge considering!

Cambridge Audio's quality has gone very much downhill. I recently serviced a Cambridge Audio A5 amplifier - the internal construction was abysmal. The PCB's had all been hand soldered, there was flux and solder spatters everywhere. Cheap capacitors were used throughout and the potentiometer were very very cheap and nasty.

The fault turned out to be a poor PCB that had led to the right channel input signal being shorted to ground. Despite thoroughly cleaning the PCB I was left with no choice but to cut the track that was shorted to ground and replace it with a wire.

Destroyer X, you are most likely thinking of the "Class XD" based amplifier - the Azur 840A. The idea is basically to shift the crossover point away from 0V. Personally, I don't see what difference this would make at all.

[rabbitz]

No, that's the 340 in the pic with the chip. I'm sure the 640 is completely different.

The A5 is a much older generation and I've had the 840A V2 for a short period and still have a 840C and the PCB and workmanship looks good.

[mikesnowdon]

My amp looks nothing like you described. All solder joints are neat and clean. Only criticism would be the use of very cheap caps but hey, this is a 200 quid amp. Your right about its simmilarities to the GC. In my opinion this is no bad thing. Ive read of DIY GC's sounding totally amazing.....

[destroyer X]

and he was evaluating it... soon i will have a result.

Mikesnowdown.... make me calm down.... i just cannot wait to see the schematic... send it to me, please.

Yes..of course... can be another Marketing thing... having nothing very special into the circuit...also may not sound special...but i have to listen to be sure.

thank you folks,

regards,

Carlos

[mikesnowdon]

Carlos, service manual should be in your inbox.

[rabbitz]

Don't get too excited Carlos as mikesnowdon's is the 340A SE (chip based) and not the 840A (Class XD) that you are trying to find details on.

The 840A V2 I tried was faulty and I sent it back to the distributor so I will never know what it was supposed to be like.

[destroyer X]

Ahahahaha.... i have conclude those days that to 35 watts output, nothing can be better idea than to use those chips... clapps does not sounds as rain over the zinc roof when using those amplifiers.

I am happy i have not made wrong conclusion about.

Yes.... i could not know the "system" used to avoid crossover distortion.... one day i will know.

thank you folks.

regards,

Carlos

[mikesnowdon]

Ahahahaha.... i have conclude those days that to 35 watts output, nothing can be better idea than to use those chips... clapps does not sounds as rain over the zinc roof when using those amplifiers.

The 340A is rated at 40 w/pc and the 340A SE 45 w/pc according to the Cambridge audio.

So are you going to make a clone then?