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Newbie needs help with new Phil Jones Flightcase

B

Beedster

Jan 8, 2010
13
0
62
Canterbury, Kent, UK
#1
Hi guys

First post here, apologies that it's a request for help. I bought a Phil Jones Flightcase new from a UK retailer this week. I've used PJB gear before and love the tone and functionality, so I was a bit disappointed to get a really noticable hissing sound as soon as I turned it on. This sound is certainly at a low level, and although at high volume this isn't audible, at low volume it is really quite annoying. It doesn't vary with changes in tone, volume etc. I contacted the dealer, who contacted Phil Jones, and the reply was that the noise in question is normal for the Flightcase. This unit cost over $1000 in UK money so I'm surprised to say the least, especially as my other rig - a Mesa Boogie Venture 600 combo - is substantially more powerful but much quieter. I've always associated PJB with Hi-Fi quality sound.

So, is this background hiss normal? The Flightcase is otherwise a dream combo, great tone and functionality from a tiny unit, and perfect for the type of small stage on which I often end up playing (the vertical-facing speakers are a real bonus). I'd love to keep it, but am worried that the noise - beyond being irritating - could be the sign of a fault that could get worse (and even if it doesn't might still pick up when DI'd into a PA). PJB - via the dealer - suggested that if I'm unhappy with the noise I should upgrade to the Super Flightcase which apparently doesn't suffer from the same issues, any thoughts?

Thanks in advance

Chris
 
#3
Thanks RB. To be completely accurate, the noise is probably more a whistle than a hiss. I've owned a lot of amps and not come across a sound like it. It sits above the sound of the amp quite significantly. If I'm palying loud, no problem, but if I drop the volume a bit, there it is, whistling away and bugging the hell out of me!

I'd be interested to know if any other PJB Flightcase owners have experienced the same or similar?

C
 
#6
Jim Nazium said:
That seems strange to me. I just bought a Super Flightcase and it is dead quiet, easily the least noisy amp I've ever played through. I don't know why the regular flightcase would be different; aren't they the same except for the 2 extra speakers?
Click to expand...

Odd isn't it. Perhaps this, from the dealer, will help:

"In short he (PJ) said that the Flightcase does produce a background noise because its a class D amplifier with digital switchmode power supply, all class D amplifiers have this background noise however the Flightcase has a very low signal to noise ratio of 90db which Phil claims is better than any other class D amp on the market. The next model in the range the Super Flightcase uses a class A/B amplifier which is does not suffer from the noise, neither Mark bass or Mesa Boogie are using the class D amp hence why you don't get the same noise from them"

The dealer's a good guy and I have no complaint with him at all - he's offered a full refund so no problem. The above is also his recollection of a phone message from PJB so some of it might have been lost in translation. Problem is I love the tone of the amp and would like to keep it, I just need to know if the noise is standard or a fault. If it's the latter, I'll wait while the dealer gets a new one in, if the former, I might upgrade to a Super Flightcase, although it's gonna break the post-Christmas bank big time!

Thanks for your help

Chris
 
#7
Just got the super flightcase earlier this week. It's ultra-quiet at all the volume settings that I've run, so by my count that's two of us that can vouch for up-grading. In all fairness, this is my first gigging amp, so I don't have much to base it on in comparison (other than the 100 W Crate that I used to own).

FYI, I got mine as a floor model for $800. Hopefully, you'll find that helpful in finding a similar deal.
 
#9
Grrr... I have had a few too many experiences with unacceptable noise from a product, where the manufacturer responded with "our product is lower-noise than any of the competition", and when I pressed them on the fact of the noise, they said "the noise you are hearing is normal". Frankly it's happened enough times in exactly that manner, that when I hear of another instance of it, that brand goes on my S list.
 
#10
bongomania said:
Grrr... I have had a few too many experiences with unacceptable noise from a product, where the manufacturer responded with "our product is lower-noise than any of the competition", and when I pressed them on the fact of the noise, they said "the noise you are hearing is normal". Frankly it's happened enough times in exactly that manner, that when I hear of another instance of it, that brand goes on my S list.
Click to expand...

Understandable. However Chris' new BG-300 is working out fine.
 
#11
Beedster said:
Hi guys

First post here, apologies that it's a request for help. I bought a Phil Jones Flightcase new from a UK retailer this week. I've used PJB gear before and love the tone and functionality, so I was a bit disappointed to get a really noticable hissing sound as soon as I turned it on. This sound is certainly at a low level, and although at high volume this isn't audible, at low volume it is really quite annoying. It doesn't vary with changes in tone, volume etc. I contacted the dealer, who contacted Phil Jones, and the reply was that the noise in question is normal for the Flightcase. This unit cost over $1000 in UK money so I'm surprised to say the least, especially as my other rig - a Mesa Boogie Venture 600 combo - is substantially more powerful but much quieter. I've always associated PJB with Hi-Fi quality sound.

So, is this background hiss normal? The Flightcase is otherwise a dream combo, great tone and functionality from a tiny unit, and perfect for the type of small stage on which I often end up playing (the vertical-facing speakers are a real bonus). I'd love to keep it, but am worried that the noise - beyond being irritating - could be the sign of a fault that could get worse (and even if it doesn't might still pick up when DI'd into a PA). PJB - via the dealer - suggested that if I'm unhappy with the noise I should upgrade to the Super Flightcase which apparently doesn't suffer from the same issues, any thoughts?

Thanks in advance

Chris
Click to expand...

Hi,

I have been in contact with PJB for over a year about this, and today I got this:

"We have discovered the Flightcase does exhibit this noise when operated from a 240v line & not from a 120v line. If you still have your Flightcase & the noise is a major concern you can be free of this noise by running it from a step down transformer to step your line voltage down from 240v to 120v."


Apparently there's no fix to the design in the planning, which I actually think is pretty ignorant, I paid 900 eur for mine, and I use it only when I must due to this annoying noise, been thinking about selling it, but I have been worried about the risk of the new owner going bollox on me over the noise, so, not a good idea.

Though meanwhile I am now going to get a step down transformer and finally start to enjoy this amp, that I bought because I am allergic to noise...

It's really insane, as not only does the noise appear in the speakers, but also through the DI out on the amp, which in my case, that bought it for rehearsal and recording monitor in my project studio mainly, makes the amp useless, and I ended up with a Radial JDI instead that I now use when I record the bass, eventhough my 900 eur amp was purchased to handle that as well....


D.Don
 
#12
Hi folks,
I just bought a Super-Flightcase a few days ago and am powering it with 230V/50Hz (Europe).
I can push the volume AND input gain to the max without hearing anything more than a very very quiet... "like wind" (don't know the word in english) and my hearing is in quite good condition.

May PJB have solved the problem ?
I'm not sure about who said what but it's maybe the combination of U.S. 60Hz AND 240V ?

Oh and i can't end without saying that this Combo is really unbelievable !
 
#15
D.Don said:
Hi,

I have been in contact with PJB for over a year about this, and today I got this:

"We have discovered the Flightcase does exhibit this noise when operated from a 240v line & not from a 120v line. If you still have your Flightcase & the noise is a major concern you can be free of this noise by running it from a step down transformer to step your line voltage down from 240v to 120v."


Apparently there's no fix to the design in the planning, which I actually think is pretty ignorant, I paid 900 eur for mine, and I use it only when I must due to this annoying noise, been thinking about selling it, but I have been worried about the risk of the new owner going bollox on me over the noise, so, not a good idea.

Though meanwhile I am now going to get a step down transformer and finally start to enjoy this amp, that I bought because I am allergic to noise...

It's really insane, as not only does the noise appear in the speakers, but also through the DI out on the amp, which in my case, that bought it for rehearsal and recording monitor in my project studio mainly, makes the amp useless, and I ended up with a Radial JDI instead that I now use when I record the bass, eventhough my 900 eur amp was purchased to handle that as well....


D.Don
Click to expand...

Yep, when I reported my fault I was told by the UK distributor to buy a step down transformer and run it at 120v!!!! I sent it back and got a Super Flightcase, which, as you've said above, is fine, being a Class A-B.

I was really annoyed with the situation as clearly both PJB and the distributors are aware of the issue, but continue to sell the model without modification or fix. I paid a pretty large amount of cash for the Flightcase, and to then be told that to get decent sound quality would require a heavy and expensive transformer was a complete joke. After all, I bought it for two reasons, light weight and good sound!

C
 
#17
Beedster said:
Yep, when I reported my fault I was told by the UK distributor to buy a step down transformer and run it at 120v!!!! I sent it back and got a Super Flightcase, which, as you've said above, is fine, being a Class A-B.

I was really annoyed with the situation as clearly both PJB and the distributors are aware of the issue, but continue to sell the model without modification or fix. I paid a pretty large amount of cash for the Flightcase, and to then be told that to get decent sound quality would require a heavy and expensive transformer was a complete joke. After all, I bought it for two reasons, light weight and good sound!

C
Click to expand...

I asked PJB to either present me with a solution where they fixed it, ie. resolve the problem in their design, or at least send me one of those step down transformers they talked about, the answers I got was "there's no design problem, not everybody who's bought it experiences this problem", and "we dont manufacture step down transformers"..

I then sent them an email asking "So what can we do in order to solve this then?" , and that was over a month ago, still no answer (and we have been battling this problem back and forth for almost two years now...)...

No comments, but I will never buy a PJB product again, ever...


D.Don
 

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