Quiet Penta

8 replies

Hi,

I have recently been playing my BS 3000 through a set of Beolab 4500🙂 which sounded great. I decided to

try my Pentalab 1's but to my horror only one worked. I have tried different wiring combinations, including the line

-in (which works with the 'good' speaker) but to no avail. The amp light goes red and then green but no sound. Any

ideas before I send it for repair?

Thanks,

Phil 

I can't say I have any repair advice but one of my 20 year old pentalabs had the same problem a few months ago (lights normal but no sound). For some reason if I left them running the sound would magically appear from the dead speaker after about 20 minutes. It would then work perfectly and continue switching on/off ok providing the gap between use was not too long. Recently there have been no faults at all, they are working perfectly normally.

Out of interest both speakers developed faults after we moved house and moved them for the first time in 12 years. My dealer repaired them and said that the amps develop dry joints after a time which only affect their operation after the speakers are moved. That may be the same for you if the speakers had been stored elswhere for a time.

Best Wishes

If one works and the other doesn't, despite using the same cable, and making sure all the switches are set the same way, then the amplifier in the Penta has a problem. Slightly surprised that the light stays green though. You have checked all the switches are set correctly including underneath? (I am sure you have!)

My B&O Icons:

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I had same problem in past. Amp needed to be fixed.
Removed bottom then the amp and shipped to be fixed to avoid shipping whole speaker.

I know what you mean. Maybe that's where the saying, "lights are on but no one is at home?"

It's so annoying that a simple problem is not so easily fixed?

Phil

The repair may be as simple as replacing the muting relay in the bad amplifier. Over time these develop oxidation and pitting and cause intermittent sound/ no sound, and yet the status lights appear as normal. The penta amplifier is tricky to work due to it's compact size and shape. Have a technician look at it, and while it is apart have the trimpots replaced at the same time - these are also known to fail due to age, much like the ones in Beomasters.

Thanks for the advice. I'm sending it in next week so will include this in my todo list!

Thanks

Hope the repair goes well. 🙂
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