Lexicon Blues (Blew up)

[misterdoggy]

I was watching Sat Tv when I hear this noise that sounds like a rock hitting the windsheild of my car.

I'm thinkin one of the Glass shelves holding the htm2d or fpb400cx has cracked, but it was the Lexicon 12b blew up !!

Something in the power supply. I may not have had enough air space stressing the system or who knows. I will get a report tomorrow hopefully with the damages.

Thank goodness the Pass Labs X1 came in, so I can still listen to fantastic stereo.

The combo of Pass Labs X1, Krell fpb400cx and 2x 802d's being fed by the Ayre D-1xe is so pleasing. It added just enough warmth to almost sound more like tubes.

Piano pieces are so realistic, lots of detail, definition is the word.

[Kevin P]

Ouch... sorry to hear your Lexicon blew up. Is it under warranty?

BTW, I moved this into the Club B&K/Harman area on the forum, since it has nothing to do with B&W Speakers.

[Lex]

Ouch! Lexicon should take care of it unless they can prove it was your fault, assuming it's under warranty, which I think it is, right?

[comeup]

My DC-1 did the exact same thing, thats why I have the B&K now.

[krellfan]

Doggy,

My guess is that a capacitor blew in the switching power supply in which case, the whole power supply will be replaced. The power supply should cost less than $100.
I think Lexicon should use better quality power supply given the price of their products. I am pretty familiar with the power supplies used in the DC1 and DC2 since I have used them in a network device.

[misterdoggy]

Well its not under guarantee as I am the second owner and its about 4 years old.

They fixed it and I'll get the damage report tomorrow. Its $300 for a power supply. He said it really blew up. Affected 3 cells or something like that. Lexicon USA said the earlier models had a less tuff power supply.

My concern is what caused it.

I had just changed the shelf arrangement and probably did not leave enough air space above and it it was warm in the house. Maybe the heat stressed the power supply to its limit.

I was trying to keep the TV as low as I can and with all the components piling up the screen keeps going higher and higher.

[Lex]

I think I've seen your setup before, but do you have a picture of what we are talking about?

I make sure the back of my cabinet is completely open, but other than that, I do not have a huge space for my MC12.

Doug

[misterdoggy]

Lex,

Its open ALL around the sides, just sitting on glass shelves. The problem of heat my be that I have the fpb400cx on the shelf below it. There is a lot of space above the krell but the shelf the mc12 sits on is "warm", but the space above was only 1/2 inch, otherwise open all around.

The repairman said the damage to the Power supply section was extensive and could not say what really caused it. He did said indications appeared at the "low voltage" end of the power switching. so it was not the initial arrival of current but after.

Here in France we work on 230v. I was not using a protection as they were causing more problems "monster" boxes which are crap. I will probably buy a PC protection line.

[misterdoggy]

Lex,

here's an updated image with the Lexicon on a new shelf with plety of air space above and around it. I also moved it to be above the X-1 Preamp which creates less heat than the fpb400cx.

all things considered, I just think it was the luck of the draw that it happened.

[RNKC]

Misterdoggy - any idea why the Lex blew up in the first place? Was it really just a power surge? Or was it something else?

[misterdoggy]

we'll never know

[Lex]

I like the current layout. You should have no system heat issues from that spacing. That is one fine looking system, that's for sure.

Doug

[misterdoggy]

Lex,

I have since installed a Furman Voltage Regulator and Shunyata Hydra 6 Linde conditioner and top notch power cords.

I noticed the furman showing a "low" voltage input sometimes as low as 201V when it should be 230v. This may have been the cause. The Furman will keep the current steady at 230v now.

So if that was it then its solved. If it was overheating the new postion has solved that too. And lastly if it was the older power supply of the lexicon which was fragile it has the new updated power supply so thats solved too.

As John Lennon said....There aren't any problems, there are just solutions !!