[AlieN]

Hi All,

I've just joined AVForums to let others know about my experiences with this sub and the retailer...

I've had the PSW2010 for about 4 years, purchased from Sevenoaks Sound and Vision in Reading, who were great at my point of purchase. About 1 year in, the sub went silent and again Sevenoaks were great and replaced the amp quickly with no fuss. Since then, everything had been fine .. until last week...

So, I turn on the input to the sub and it gives a horrible chattering sound - what I now recognise as the famous 50Hz problem. I called Sevenoaks to discuss and was told that I had two options:

1. £175 for a new amp for the sub, or
2. £50 off the price of a new Kef Kube II (they sell them for £400, so would let me have one for £350).

To be honest, I was hoping not to spend that much, so thought I would do a little more research and ended up here.

First off, I was staggered when I learnt that the auto-on feature did little more than disable the speaker. If Kef were selling this feature as a "standby mode" then it is nothing short of bad design. If it was never intended to be used that way, then it is inexcusable that the manual for the sub doesn't make that clear. Either way, Kef are hardly smelling of roses here.

I was tempted to call Kef and see what the repair would cost, but again, the other comments here made the call unnecessary - it was likely to be more than £100 and I wasn't feeling like throwing more money at Kef right now.

Then I started reading about the possibility of a DIY fix - especially the C52 (47uF) capacitor fix (Maplin part DT60). So I collected a couple of capacitors from Maplin today and earlier this evening I dusted off my soldering iron and solder pump.

It's only been a couple of hours so far, but early indications are that replacing just C52 has been completely successful and the sub is now working again.

The whole experience has left me with a slightly sour taste about both Kef and to a lesser extent Sevenoaks in Reading who didn't even seem prepared to try and send the sub away for repair.

That said, I am extremely grateful to the people on this forum who have the expertise to analyse this problem and to post possible solutions. A few days ago I was resigned to having to purchase a new sub for several hundred pounds, so to have implemented a fix for the price of a 37p capacitor is fantastic.

I thank you,

Neil

[majorwedgy]

i tihnk you have to say that sevenoaks cant be blamed here since you have to ask the question - at what point do they stop being responsible for the sub? They replaced it under warranty and offered to replace the amp - that is exactly what KEF would do - only people to blame ehre in my eyes are KEF

[Bluedeep]

Hello,

my KEF PSW 2010 it's gone... (SW only buzzes when it gets a signal).

I sent it to official distributor to an quote: 150EUR, unbelievable!

So i've googled, and find this 3d. I would be try myself now...

I've read the 3d... So to fix it I would be replace the C52 (100V 47uF 105°)

It's right?

Thank you!

[AlieN]

majorwedgy: I've mixed feelings about Sevenoaks and you are right - they are saddled trying to keep their customers happy with a sub-standard product from Kef which is no fault of theirs. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes.

Bluedeep: There seem to be quite a few components that get too hot and fail as a consequence. C52 is certainly one of them and is responsible for the buzzing. Some people (like me) have revived their subs by replacing just C52 but others have required more major component replacement. I would certainly try replacing C52 in the first instance but of course there is no guarantee that it will work. In addition, of course it is probably worth switching the sub off whenever it is not being used, to prolong the life of the other components. Please let us know how you get on.

Neil

[gsman]

You can add me to the list of faulty PSW 2010 owners.

My fault manifested itself as a loud "boop" followed by a 50Hz buzz.

I've measured the output from the power amp's speaker terminals on a scope and see a ~50V output signal with a small amount of mains noise - which corresponds with what I hear when the speaker is attached.

But thanks to the excellent advice in this thread I'm working my way through a fix, removing and testing possible failed components. My C52 cap is fine, but one of the big 12000uF beasties is bulging ominously. I'm pretty sure it's dead, and will remove it for post mortem shortly.

My question to the forum is: Can anyone who has changed these 12000uF caps on their power amp let me know what replacement part they used?

Strangely enough, after I put back all the components I'd removed for testing, the sub worked for about five minutes before going "boop/buzzzz" again. Curiouser and curiouser.

Hi guys, add me to the list. I love the system, the eggs are great and this sub is really nice, bought it in 2004 (xmas) in 2005 my sub went silent but the green light was on, all fixed under warranty plus a warning from KEF to turn it off when not in use, the sub had months of use, i found it strange at the time but i respected it and always done it. Last weekend, i was listening a SACD and suddenly a HUGE WOOOF that made me jump from my sofa, instantly i ran to turn it off cause it was doing another one, i think my walls shaked a bit. Yesterday i gave it another try cause i though it could be the cables or something, after 10 or 15 minutes it did it again. Started to google for known problems and voilá, i have found you guys. I will now try the procedure written on page 15 cause to pay more than 100 € to fix this, is out of the question, although a new one from a diferent manufacturer is a lot more expensive than that, i cant convince myself to spend that kind of money on a device that lasts 1 or 2 years, rather keep the money and in a few months i`ll search for a new one, meanwhile wish me luck to fix mine. I wont even bother to contact KEF.

[A.Lillis]

First time poster, though I've been following this thread with interest for some time.
Got a dead secondhand PSW 2000 with a difference! When its all connected up there's a very faint audio output which doesn't respond at all to the Input control knob. No 50 hz. buzz or relay chatter, so no need to change c52. Everything appears ok on the boards, no discoloration and no burning smells, just a faint hint of the music being fed into it.
Here's another oddity. The poweramp module is actually marked as PSW 2500/2010 rather than PSW 2000, and there's a little white sticker to the right of c34 with 2008/3/8 printed on it .Thinking it might be a manufacturing/repair date stamp(the unit is possibly still under warranty) I rang Kef today giving the serial number to see if the previous owner had a repair done, but the reply was that Kef dont put date stickers on, and that serial number hadn't been back to Kef for repair. They want full payment for repair. No chance!! Will play around a bit more and then might give it away to anyone interested.

[The_Wizard]

I will take it for spares if nobody else wants it

[releaseyourself]

Repaired mine with the c52 cap. fully working again thanks.

[kofsw4]

Just to confirm - the C52 cap fix works with the PSW 2500 too. I more or less followed gsinghesq's instructions (post 221 on this thread) after my sub started making the loud buzz every time it got a signal.

I had never used a soldering iron before but £11 spent at Maplin (£7 soldering iron, £3.50 solder, 37p capacitor) and about an hour being extra careful was all it took to fix.

Access to the capacitor was probably the hardest bit: I had to remove 16 screw (8 that held the amp into the case and 8 that held the circuit board) a couple of wires, then lift the circuit board so it was vertical with the C52 cap at the top, soldering in this position.

Thanks to everybody on this thread for their expertise in finding the fix and for giving me the confidence to give this a go

[runas]

My 5 year old PSW 2010 went about 3 years ago. Kef replaced the amp for free.
Went again about 6 months ago, - did the 47mfd capacitor replacement myself. Used a 100v 105deg C device. Also decided to power the sub through the aux mains supply on my Denon 2803 receiver. Now it goes on and off with the amp., no problem. Although the Denon spec says no more than 120w from the aux output, the relay contacts get a fairly easy life with the PSW's 200w ish load as it is soft start, and the relay drops out after the audio input has gone.

runas

[tazgalsinh]

do you think the Kube 2 will have this kinda problem as well?

[Paolo]

Another one for the (growing) list I'm afraid. Four years in from purchase, but it's not good enough is it...

I get the constant buzz - just like others.

Chris - are you still offering your Wizard service ???

If so, pls can you PM me with an address and a pointer as to how you manage to post such a heavy box for £6 only (cost me that much to send a Mother's Day card to my Mam in Canada last week !!!)

[sofasurfer]

Mine went last week after 7 years of hard service.

Not even going to bother to try and repair it as I have neither the experience or time so have ordered a new sub as replacement.

Gone for the WHARFEDALE DIAMOND SW150.

Is it worth seeling my 2010 for parts on here?

[The_Wizard]

Originally Posted by Paolo

Another one for the (growing) list I'm afraid. Four years in from purchase, but it's not good enough is it...

I get the constant buzz - just like others.

Chris - are you still offering your Wizard service ???

If so, pls can you PM me with an address and a pointer as to how you manage to post such a heavy box for £6 only (cost me that much to send a Mother's Day card to my Mam in Canada last week !!!)

Yes i will PM you now, try interparcel or parcel2go for couriers.

[A.Lillis]

Further to my post #307 above, this is available to anyone able to pick up from Medway towns, Kent before it goes to the dump!

[Red Dread]

Hi all.

My PSW2000 died late last year and after various telephone wrangles with KEF, who are still demanding full payment for repair even though we all now know it's a fault in the manufacture, I have put it on eBay, as I'm in no position to pay for a repair and have decided that when I do have some money, I'm going to invest in a new BK sub.

If I'd have thought on I'd have posted in the classifieds here. Anyway, if anyone with easy access to Manchester wants to bid on it and repair it and sell it on/give it a good home or use it for spares/repairs, here is the link. I couldn't see anything in the rules forbidding this kind of post outside of the classifieds, but if I've broken a rule, I apologise in advance and feel free to delete this.

KEF KHT 2000 Subwoofer - New Amp required! on eBay, also Subwoofers, Speakers Hi Fi, Home Audio Hi Fi, Consumer Electronics (end time 30-Apr-09 12:22:50 BST)

[scotting]

Add another number to your ranks

My PSW 2010 blew up after 2 1/2 years and was fixed for around £50 by KEF (through Sevenoaks Sound & Vision). But another 2 years on and last night it sounded "a bit odd" - now I get the green light but no sound. The only time I get a noise is when I run the test tone from the amp, but playing back CDs/DVDs I get no bass at all. I'm currently considering what to do, but sending it back to KEF doesn't look like a good option right now.

[scotting]

Well, what I decided to do was buy an "opened box" KEF HTB2 for £220 as a replacement!! Might be a rash decision but hopefully it'll be good. The price included a 5 year guarantee. I couldn't quite face going out to buy a soldering kit and hacking my way through an attempted repair.

[RamJam]

And another ....... I have been without my PSW2000 since it started buzzing, first for about 5 minutes after power on, then 10 then 15 .. So down to Maplins for the 37p C52 fix but now no sound, zippo, zilch ... Is it worth buying a PSW2500 or are they just as prone to the problem.
Perhaps Chris the Wizard can wave his magic soldering iron and resurrect the damn thing - If you still offer your Wizard service Chris please PM me - Cheers

Andy

[keithwilliams]

i have two of these things now faulty. one has a totally burnt through pcb and a seized cone in the speaker, the other blows fuses after about 20 seconds of perfect operation. i've p.m'd chris for some advice. i'll post details here if it's relevant when i get a reply. call me a sucker but i also have a third which has never given any trouble at all, but then it is NEVER left in sleep mode.

[majorwedgy]

Originally Posted by keithwilliams

i have two of these things now faulty. one has a totally burnt through pcb and a seized cone in the speaker, the other blows fuses after about 20 seconds of perfect operation. i've p.m'd chris for some advice. i'll post details here if it's relevant when i get a reply. call me a sucker but i also have a third which has never given any trouble at all, but then it is NEVER left in sleep mode.

Wow you must really like the way these things sound or you like throwing money away

[keithwilliams]

no i don't throw away a penny if i can help it. the great irony here is the one that never has had trouble was GIVEN to me in perfect working order. the one that blows fuses is my original. the total kaput one was bought for £30 to rob for spares. that said i must say they do sound great when they work.

[Kinetic Frenzy]

mine blew up 2 months ago (had it for 5 years so maybe i've done well...), i've since ordered a BK Gemini in the same silver as my KEF was after i learned that the KEF Subs were hugely unreliable (couldn't be bothered to go through the faff and the expense of getting a repair).

I'll be using my old Kef as a coffee table when the Gemini arrives any day now

[keithwilliams]

if you really can't be bothered with it i'd be interested in buyiong it if you have a price in mind. obviously i'd sort the postage as well.

keith

[tony996]

Another for the list....my PSW2500 in Maple is now buzzing. Had it for 5 or so years and KEF have quoted a minimum of £113.85 to fix.....

Having fixed up an old Sony sub from the kids playroom I have time to consider options:

1. Try to fix myself
2. Send it to KEF
3. Put the £113 towards either an XLS200 or Gemini (& use the PSW as a coffee table!) to match my Q6 centre, Q4s and rear Q compacts (room size 20' x 14')

Comments?

Cheers Tony

[IronGiant]

Option 4 is to fit an alternative amp panel if you can can get one to fit the box, but if it does not match the driver very well then you might want to shoot me for even suggesting it.

Dave

[The_Wizard]

Option 5?

Originally Posted by The_Wizard

If anyone wants to send me their faulty KEF amplifier i would be more than happy to repair it for the price of the parts and carriage.

Chris

[tony996]

Thanks Chris for the reply. Do you need the whole sub or just the board? Happy to continue dialogue over PM....

Cheers Tony

[IronGiant]

Originally Posted by The_Wizard

Option 5?

I had completely forgotten about option 5, sorry Chris clearly that is your best option Tony