Today I bought a ZPA !

[unbreakabledancer777]

Hello everybody,

I have just bought a ZPA 0.5 today for 399 USD.

Did you think it's a good price for it, someones say that is the best amplifier built by PG, I have a Ms-2125 and a ms-275 as you know and also a qx-4150 and a rsd 1200.1.

To that day Ms-2125 was the best amp of the world for me, I like his dynamic and fidelity but I don't know very much things about the ZPA.

Can you teach me what it represent for the guys who own them?

thanks


this is the one : http://www.befr.ebay.be/itm/32087962352 ... 1423.l2648

[ttocs]

where are you located at and .3 or a .5? They get more overseas obviously so its hard to give a price online. If the caps have been replaced its a fair deal but if they are still stock, then its maybe ok.

[unbreakabledancer777]

I'm located in belgium and it's a zpa 0.5

[ttocs]

yea see that makes a big difference then and with what they get for these pieces in europe you did well. I would not recomend powering it up until you replace the caps. They are known to leak a fluid that will conduct, and make for one heck of an explosion normally taking the board out with the cap.

[jbob0124]

Not a bad price considering the location. They are definitely a good amp. Welcome to the club

Here are two links for some more info on it. But like ttocs said, check the caps first.

http://webfaq.phoenixphorum.com/ZPA.htm

http://download.phoenixphorum.com/Manua ... a2chan.pdf

[unbreakabledancer777]

470 USD with the shipping, thank you , any comment on it?
When I will receive the amp, I must plug it to be sure it works correctly, just for a few seconds, no?

My plan in the future is a ZPA 0.5 for my DLS Ultimate Iridium 6.2 Comp
a Ms-275 for my coax (kenwood)
a Ms-2125 for the sub (Orion P12 D2)
Head Unit Alpine 9835

[ttocs]

even plugging that amp in for 2 secs with out first checking the caps for leakage can result in a big boom.... Take a piece of paper and slide it under the caps and see if it is wet. Then if you are feeling risky go for it but you are talking $20-30 to keep from smoking an amp and if you want we can show pics of the boom that these things can make, it will suprise you.....

[unbreakabledancer777]

i didn't understood xhat you said about 20-30 Dollars

[dvnt88]

i didn't understood xhat you said about 20-30 Dollars

He was stating the price for the new caps if you replace them yourself vs. losing the amp due to a cap leak.

[unbreakabledancer777]

i can't repair myself i 'm going to ask this work to a technician

[ttocs]

thats fine but do that before you power it up. As much as you want to see it power up and come to life I am not joking when I say that when the caps explode, that they really can explode. Electronics runs on magic smoke muck like your car runs on gas with the exception that you can't put the magic smoke back in once it comes out...........

[kg1961]

this is what everyone is talking about
http://phoenixphorum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20675

[ttocs]

and if you think I am joking about the term explosion, well - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akCI_Hm9iE0

That one was popped intentionally by reversing the voltage and turning it up, when they go from leaking there is generally more of a fire with the explosion.

[zeropoint0.5]

I have followed this auction on ebay also, and on the pics i saw that 2 of the twelve ps caps were replaced !!

So that was something i didn't like/understand why they weren't all replaced ?? It is indeed a fact, replace them

all before you power it up, or you risk to have it gone up in fire !!!! And another thing.....

check the whole board , also under the heatsinks, that no nittle tiny copper wire is laying on the board....

It will be smarter to do all before you power it up !!!!

[zeropoint0.5]

I'm located in belgium and it's a zpa 0.5

i'm from Knokke, Belgium ! i have 8 zpa0.5's and 4 zpa0.3's.

i replaced the ps caps myself on my zpa/zx/ms/m amps !!

feel free to contact me at email paul.tavernier@telenet.be or call me, gsm 0476/540241

i prefer to help you, than to read your amp is gone up in fire.

Don't hesitate about it ! because i love the amps, i will help you with it !

it is up to you to contact me.

greetz Paul

[unbreakabledancer777]

ok but when you said "also under the heatsinks, that no little tiny copper wire is laying on the board" can you give me a picture for where I have to check to make all is sure?

I hope I have not made a bad purchase, the seller has nothing but positive feedback and he sells amplifier all the time.

What manufacturer of caps can I choose?


OK I will contact you, do you speak french too? do you have msn or facebook? send me a MP to answer this question please and thanks a lot.

[ttocs]

basically what he is saying, do NOT strip your wires above the amp with the plexi off of it. Both these amps and even the old extant amps had alot of user-made problems that occured from this, the extant you had to take the top off to get to the connections and if a small piece of wire happens to fall in the wrong place and short something its amazing what can happen....

[zeropoint0.5]

the reason i said about checking the pcb for little copper wires is, i had it happened myself with one amp , so smoke came out of it,

and i found one little wire making a short on two print lanes around the output transistors........ I still have no update about it, lucky

it was one of my 'reserve amps' so not the most mint one off all.Nevertheless all the four letter words were too late..... you really have

to check out the whole amp, point.next time i'll have another zpa in my hands other then mine, i'll do this certainly, to be sure !!

Just watch out when you strip cables around the amp, cause the fans can suck it up. I tell you this just as a warning so it doesn't happen

to you. You bought it on ebay, so if the amp would not power up after that, you can always make a claim to be refunded.

About the language, normally i speak Dutch, but i can say more in french then just

je, tu , il, americain preparé, tiens donc alors

so we can do this in French if you want, but my English is better then French.

Contacter moi et je vais essayer de t'aider avec ton ampli......

merci bien,

Paul

[zeropoint0.5]

If you have already a ms275 and a ms2125, they also have to be recapped as well.

the zpa and ms series have the same ps caps, so with your current amps you risk the same of

having them caught fire as well. the 2125 has also 12 caps, the 275 has 3 caps, the zpa0.5 has 12.

So you will need 27 caps. I will advice you, like other people adviced me in the past,

better let them replaced today then tomorrow. These are your amps, so it's up to you.

[unbreakabledancer777]

I have send a mail to you email box

[STROKD]

This amp is going to be RIP in less than 2 weeks.

[unbreakabledancer777]

This amp is going to be RIP in less than 2 weeks.

Why are you saying that?

[STROKD]

This amp is going to be RIP in less than 2 weeks.

Why are you saying that?

because you arent taking anyones advice or understand it.

[itchnertamatoa]

If need be, I can explain it all in French

si besoin, je peux t'aider ... bien que plus loin au milieu du pacifique ....
bel achat, mais comme ils l'ont tous dit, change les condo, verifie qu'il n'y a pas de morceau de fil qui trainent a l'interieur de l'ampli avant de le brancher, ne serait-ce que pour quelques secondes ...
comme on dit, 2 precautions valent mieux qu'une ...

[unbreakabledancer777]

I have taken all advice STROKD !!!!

merci itchnertamatoa c'est ce que je compte faire justement