Dear wiggler hivemind, I am seeking a sanity check on a situation I'm dealing with where a manufacturer is refusing a refund for a non-working module. Just want to know if I'm SOL fair and square or if I'm being taken for a ride. Questions at the bottom in bold.
I purchased an analog filter module from a small but decently established manufacturer on Etsy. Once received, I plugged the module in to my Doepfer case (LC6 with PSU3) and powered up the case. There was no sign of life from the module at all. The module was plugged in correctly (I always triple check), and the cable had been connected via the same bus board output to another filter just previously, which worked perfectly. I reached out to the manufacturer who suggested trying another cable. I did that and used a different bus board output to be sure. It worked for 5 to 10 minutes, almost normal, then started emitting periodic crackling noises from the output, which grew more frequent until the module went totally silent again.
I sent the module back to the manufacturer and opted for a refund rather than repair since I had not had a working module for any length of time.
After receiving the returned module, the seller stated:
"We’ve received the module and tested it—some ICs got damaged due to improper use.
We suspect the issue might be related to your power supply. The Doepfer PSU3 is known to have several flaws, which could explain the damage we found on your module.
Unfortunately, we can’t cover this under warranty, so we won’t be able to issue a refund.
That said, as a goodwill gesture, I can offer you a discount on one or more of our modules if you’re interested."
After asking for further clarification on how the module was 'used improperly,' the seller replied with:
"The damage we noticed on the module is related to issues with the power rails. This happens when the voltage on one of the rails drops—sometimes it’s just a brief dip, but that can still be enough to cause damage.
All our modules are protected against reverse voltage, but there’s no real way to fully guard against voltage drops.
Just to be clear, this isn’t your fault or due to misuse—the issue comes from the power supply. If you want to dig deeper, I’d recommend searching on Google—there are plenty of forum posts mentioning problems with this specific PSU.
Since the issue isn’t related to the module itself, we unfortunately can’t cover it under warranty."
I have asked the seller to please provide sources or examples in which a voltage drop from the Doepfer PSU3 caused damage to modules, as I was unable to find any discussion or mention of this, and I am waiting to hear back.
I have used probably 50 different modules in my case with zero issues. My power draw is under half on +12V and -12V, no 5V. I am finding the idea that my power supply (one of the most commonly used) had a fluke issue that was fatal only to the brand new module a little ridiculous. But I don't want to jump to conclusions, and if the fault is truly with my equipment, I'll eat the cost without complaining.
Is it possible for a brief voltage dip from a PSU to destroy a properly designed module? Could you determine this cause by examining ICs on a module? Has anyone heard of this issue happening with a Doepfer PSU3?
I purchased an analog filter module from a small but decently established manufacturer on Etsy. Once received, I plugged the module in to my Doepfer case (LC6 with PSU3) and powered up the case. There was no sign of life from the module at all. The module was plugged in correctly (I always triple check), and the cable had been connected via the same bus board output to another filter just previously, which worked perfectly. I reached out to the manufacturer who suggested trying another cable. I did that and used a different bus board output to be sure. It worked for 5 to 10 minutes, almost normal, then started emitting periodic crackling noises from the output, which grew more frequent until the module went totally silent again.
I sent the module back to the manufacturer and opted for a refund rather than repair since I had not had a working module for any length of time.
After receiving the returned module, the seller stated:
"We’ve received the module and tested it—some ICs got damaged due to improper use.
We suspect the issue might be related to your power supply. The Doepfer PSU3 is known to have several flaws, which could explain the damage we found on your module.
Unfortunately, we can’t cover this under warranty, so we won’t be able to issue a refund.
That said, as a goodwill gesture, I can offer you a discount on one or more of our modules if you’re interested."
After asking for further clarification on how the module was 'used improperly,' the seller replied with:
"The damage we noticed on the module is related to issues with the power rails. This happens when the voltage on one of the rails drops—sometimes it’s just a brief dip, but that can still be enough to cause damage.
All our modules are protected against reverse voltage, but there’s no real way to fully guard against voltage drops.
Just to be clear, this isn’t your fault or due to misuse—the issue comes from the power supply. If you want to dig deeper, I’d recommend searching on Google—there are plenty of forum posts mentioning problems with this specific PSU.
Since the issue isn’t related to the module itself, we unfortunately can’t cover it under warranty."
I have asked the seller to please provide sources or examples in which a voltage drop from the Doepfer PSU3 caused damage to modules, as I was unable to find any discussion or mention of this, and I am waiting to hear back.
I have used probably 50 different modules in my case with zero issues. My power draw is under half on +12V and -12V, no 5V. I am finding the idea that my power supply (one of the most commonly used) had a fluke issue that was fatal only to the brand new module a little ridiculous. But I don't want to jump to conclusions, and if the fault is truly with my equipment, I'll eat the cost without complaining.
Is it possible for a brief voltage dip from a PSU to destroy a properly designed module? Could you determine this cause by examining ICs on a module? Has anyone heard of this issue happening with a Doepfer PSU3?
Statistics: Posted by Pyrrhix — Thu Mar 06, 2025 10:13 pm — Replies 1 — Views 68