I got a used A4 that came with this power supply.
Could this have damaged it?
It’s hard to tell (without directly testing the one you were shipped ) whether generic Amazon bazaar PSUs meet design expectations, skimping on components, going under/over published spec, not performing reliably.
Sometimes they’re fine for operation, some people find terrible hacks when they crack open the case.
Beyond that, what’s your main concern?
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It’s probably fine. In theory it could damage an A4 if it were proven to have a problem, but it’s like schroedinger’s jack right now, there’s really no evidence unless you measure the output over time.
If there’s a problem, whether or not it’s related is probably more dependent on the symptoms.
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Yeah, easiest variable to change if things are weird is just to pay the $40 or so for the correct model, or better, if you already own a compatible voltage/amperage Elektron supply test that until the right one comes.
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I purchased this used and haven’t even tried the power supply because it looked suspect.
I know nothing regarding power supplies and was concerned that the seller was using the wrong power supply could it do any damage to the unit by not being the right one.
Could it fry it basically?
Thank you for your patience
Ordered the correct power supply today through Sweetwater for the candy
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If you smell smoke it’s bad, in general the biggest difference between power supplies is how accurately the parts work. Meaning if it puts out the correct amount of electricity and how steadily, so while it’s unlikely to damage the unit, it’s just not possible to say 100% without accurate measurement. Many people do not accurately measure the output of their power supplies and it is of the same general variety as what elektron uses, however to say it’s made in the same quality is hard to know.
I think it’s probably fine, but if you’re smelling smoke it’s definitely not fine.
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I’m going to smell smoke regardless ha ha
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The answer is as mentioned earlier- “schroedinger’s jack”, it’s worth a once-over when you get your PSU, but it’s also plenty likely that it worked fine with no issues on the previous owner’s end.
The published spec on the PSU matches what the A4 needs.
The PSU is a bit on the cheaper end and without measuring output or under load, it’s hard to tell you whether it works or not. You should ask the person if you don’t feel comfortable with it, and you should get the Elektron for most likely to be vetted.
Will you be fine if the previous owner was? Maybe? Probably? But you’re paying for the reliability of the one from Sweetwater.
Without knowing provenance and taking direct measurements we can’t tell you how well the device conforms to claims, since I don’t believe there is a consistent brand or factory to call to.
Sometimes rolling the dice works fine and great.
And I’m fine with swapping PSUs in the most case with other vetted manufacturers I have on hand (like Mean Well), especially with vintage gear I know a bit about, even ones that meet spec but aren’t designed to whatever expectations / tolerances for audio gear can add noise to the output of a SH-101.
It’s quite nice to not be surprised about expensive gear I’d rather not replace!
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If if it doesn’t look and feel cheaply made with several typos, misaligned labels and stuff like that, I’d check if it get’s extremely warm and if it doesn’t get much warmer than your other PSUs, I’d give it a try. I wouldn’t leave it switched on unattended over hours ofc. Wouldn’t do that with any PSU, but if it doesn’t get hot and the A4 works fine, what’s there to worry? Very unlikely it will fry all the protective curcuits as soon as you switch the A4 on.
Now you already bought an OG PSU, but maybe it’ll come in handy for backup some day.