Tantrum longetivity

Damo95 · Post by **Damo95** » Sat May 15, 2010 10:50 pm

Guys..

I have a few PG Tantrum amps i have sourced and planning on using in my current install..

amps are:
1200.1
2x 600.4
500.2
300.2

I plan on running a morel 3 way front active using 3 of the amps (600.4, 500.2, 300.2) and an IDMAX12d2 off the 1200.1...

i had a look on the backs, and the build month was Dec, 2003...

My concern before i use the amps in the new install is the longetivity, or life "expectancy" of the Tantrum amps before things start going wrong..
Things i mean are the "tripath" chip in the 1200.1 and the caps in others..

are the Tantrum amps prone to blowing caps like the earlier ones, or is it just the tripath that has issues?

Will i be safe to use them, or am i better off keeping them in storage and getting new amps?
i'd prefer to use them though!

thoughts?

Post by **Eric D** » Sun May 16, 2010 9:25 am

I doubt you will ever have a cap problem. If you install the 1200 correctly, I would guess the Tripath chip will not fail for some time. But, I don't really know what cases these to fail.

shawn k · Post by **shawn k** » Sun May 16, 2010 1:11 pm

I'm not sure what causes the Tripath to fail either, but I know of several 1200.1's that still work great today. I have one actually that's still working like day one. Possibly a manufacturing defect? Bad run of installing the chip, or a bad run directly from Tripath could be plausible? The Tripath chips are still being used in home audio class T amps, so I would believe the design is sound. But for whatever reason, PG certainly had a problem with these, at least for a certain period of time.

Damo95 · Post by **Damo95** » Sun May 16, 2010 2:25 pm

anything is possible..

Thanks for your advice guys... might bite the bullet and use them..

Tiger · Post by **Tiger** » Mon May 17, 2010 4:37 am

5 amps later.. you'd WANNA keep them! :p

Damo95 · Post by **Damo95** » Mon May 17, 2010 3:31 pm

with a possible 6th if i can source it... another 500.2...

dako · Post by **dako** » Tue May 18, 2010 11:49 am

the 1200.1 is the only once I've had a major problem with, relating to the tri-path. i had to have a 600.4 sent in a couple years ago to have the pots and the ribbon cable replaced, but it's been a brute ever since, never exhibiting a single issue. the 500.2 is a miniature tank. i love it.