Orange Tiny Terror - Heads Up on Defective Stock Speaker Cables

[soundguruman]

Here is some updates on Orange Tiny Terror. If you need any parts or service info, I will try to help you along...

Oh man, this amp shreds. Sounds killer. I would buy or build one for myself. Made in PRC (That's Taiwan). Much better sound and construction than a typical Mainland Chinese Amp. Better support also I would say.
However, as you know (or just discovered), the stock ORANGE UK speaker cable has defective plugs, which will blow the transformers.





1. Never operate the amp without a speaker plugged in. This will damage the amp.
2. Never plug / unplug the speaker cable with the power turned on. This can damage the amp.
3. If the fuse blows, find and correct the problem FIRST, before operating the amp again.
4. Fuses do not just blow for no reason. If the fuse blows, there is a serious problem. Do not continue to use the amp if the fuse is blowing.

Orange Factory Stock Speaker Cable: It's defective, don't use it.

Buy a good speaker cable. Make sure it has Switchcraft or Neutrik Plugs installed.
Be very wary, and cautious of fake knockoff plugs. These plugs are made to look like the real Switchcraft ones, but they are fakes.
The fake junk plugs will destroy the transformers, sockets and tubes. It will cost plenty $$$ to repair this damage.

Good speaker cables, with Switchcraft or Neutrik plugs, won't cost a lot.
It is unnecessary to spend a lot of money on a speaker cable. You can buy a good one for about $6.
Monster Cable: It's a waste of money. Don't even bother.
Hot Wires Speaker Cables: Defective Plugs, as described above. Don't buy or use these cables.

Cables with "lifetime Warrantee:" Just because it has a warrantee -- does not mean it's a good cable.
The warrantee does not cover damage to your amplifier, caused by junk defect plugs. BEWARE of this scam and don't fall for it!

[g1]

However, as you know (or just discovered), the stock ORANGE UK speaker cable has defective plugs, which will blow the transformers.

So you are saying all the stock speaker cables for these amps have defective plugs right from the factory, and they will cause all the output transformers to blow. Odd that no one else has noticed this. Have you notified Orange?
Do you have substantial proof of these claims? I'm sure you understand the legal implications of such claims and who could be held liable for any financial losses if such claims are unfounded.
Might be wise to delete your post if you don't have some pretty solid proof that this issue affects all these units, not just the one you are looking at.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Here is some updates on Orange Tiny Terror. If you need any parts or service info, I will try to help you along... Oh man, this amp shreds. Sounds killer. I would buy or build one for myself. Made in PRC (That's Taiwan). Much better sound and construction than a typical Mainland Chinese Amp.

<snip>

Good speaker cables, with Switchcraft or Neutrik plugs, won't cost a lot.
It is unnecessary to spend a lot of money on a speaker cable. You can buy a good one for about $6.
Monster Cable: It's a waste of money. Don't even bother.
Hot Wires Speaker Cables: Defective Plugs, as described above. Don't buy or use these cables.

Cables with "lifetime Warrantee:" Just because it has a warrantee -- does not mean it's a good cable.
The warrantee does not cover damage to your amplifier, caused by junk defect plugs. BEWARE of this scam and don't fall for it!

A couple Tiny Terrors I've got my hands on - yes sounds mighty good! but...

PRC = People's Republic of China. Mainland. Communist. Chairman Mao's old domain.

ROC = Republic of China AKA Taiwan.

PRC would like to think they still own Taiwan. 64+ years of detente. Let's hope the commies don't come gunning for 'em - that would be bad news all around. Every now and then PRC stirs things up, shelling Matsu & Quemoy. Made a grab for, and got a seat in the UN. Been keeping an eye on this since '64. Been a potential trouble spot since 1949.

If that isn't enough, ROC claims all of China. What a long fezzle...

Easy to get 'em mixed up.

Lots of amp companies ship with crapola cable, nothing new about this. It's always good practice to use quality cables & connectors, properly assembled and tested. I dunno about buy one (I distrust ALL that I don't build) but you can definitely make one for $6.

I'd be most worried (and not much at that) about Monster Cable's legendary legal department - they love a fight. OTOH they would have to prove that they lost many $$ of sales because of your comment. They get slagged all the time, probably have bigger fish to fry, mostly with other companies who dare to use the name Monster on their products. Movies, soft drinks, trucks, toys, Lady Gaga, whatever... they go for it like a shark to a steak. They think they own the word 'monster', go figure. They're like obnoxious dogs who don't know what to bark at, and what not. But UPS owns the color brown, and Black & Decker the combination of orange and white, what will be next? Will B&D attack Orange for having a white faceplate? Will UPS demand a royalty for toast & well done hamburgers? Stand by for further developments, it's a kooky world out there.

[soundguruman]

A couple Tiny Terrors I've got my hands on - yes sounds mighty good! but...

PRC = People's Republic of China. Mainland. Communist. Chairman Mao's old domain.

ROC = Republic of China AKA Taiwan.

PRC would like to think they still own Taiwan. 64+ years of detente. Let's hope the commies don't come gunning for 'em - that would be bad news all around. Every now and then PRC stirs things up, shelling Matsu & Quemoy. Made a grab for, and got a seat in the UN. Been keeping an eye on this since '64. Been a potential trouble spot since 1949.

If that isn't enough, ROC claims all of China. What a long fezzle...

Easy to get 'em mixed up.

Lots of amp companies ship with crapola cable, nothing new about this. It's always good practice to use quality cables & connectors, properly assembled and tested. I dunno about buy one (I distrust ALL that I don't build) but you can definitely make one for $6.

I'd be most worried (and not much at that) about Monster Cable's legendary legal department - they love a fight. OTOH they would have to prove that they lost many $$ of sales because of your comment. They get slagged all the time, probably have bigger fish to fry, mostly with other companies who dare to use the name Monster on their products. Movies, soft drinks, trucks, toys, Lady Gaga, whatever... they go for it like a shark to a steak. They think they own the word 'monster', go figure. They're like obnoxious dogs who don't know what to bark at, and what not. But UPS owns the color brown, and Black & Decker the combination of orange and white, what will be next? Will B&D attack Orange for having a white faceplate? Will UPS demand a royalty for toast & well done hamburgers? Stand by for further developments, it's a kooky world out there.

For many years we have written Monster Cable asking them to substantiate their claims about the speaker wires...
and have never received a reply.
Let them come.
Concerning junk speaker cables, with defective plugs....let them come too.
It's about time to make a loud noise about defect speaker cable plugs...which are damaging amplifiers.

[DrGonz78]

Okay so I see a picture a "speaker" cable here, but don't see where the defect is on the cable. Not saying it is not defective, but would like to know exactly HOW it is defective. Bad solder connection under the shrink wrap insulation? Connection between connectors and male sleeve/tip is shorted somewhere? Or is it in the actual wire of the entire length of the cable that is shorted? Just am curious, thanks.

[soundguruman]

Okay so I see a picture a "speaker" cable here, but don't see where the defect is on the cable. Not saying it is not defective, but would like to know exactly HOW it is defective. Bad solder connection under the shrink wrap insulation? Connection between connectors and male sleeve/tip is shorted somewhere? Or is it in the actual wire of the entire length of the cable that is shorted? Just am curious, thanks.

All these 1/4" suffer from the same basic manufacturing defects:

A. The rivet that holds the plug together is improperly designed, and improperly installed.
B. The rivet fails to achieve the structural rigidity, to accomplish a reliable electrical connection.
C. The loose rivet (installed that way at the manufacturer) allows the plug continuity to intermittently fail, producing an open circuit.
D. When the continuity fails, the tube amp has no load connected.. or the impedance is significantly altered....causes the output tubes to turn RED, causes the amplifier to draw too much current, blows the fuse.
The typical consumer then replaces the fuse, not realizing that the speaker cable is defective. Then turns the amp back on, and attempts to continue using it...
AFTER ALL, the cable IS "brand new." The cable has a "lifetime warrantee." The consumer assumes that NOTHING could possibly be wrong with the cable. (Unfortunately)

After replacing the blown fuse, over and over, the power or output transformer winding shorts / melts...the amp is destroyed....all because of a crap 1/4" phone plug.

The tip and sleeve of the plug, is free to rotate by hand, around the defect rivet. There is no solid or reliable electrical continuity.
The terminals of the plug are free to rotate around the defect rivet, and touch each other, producing not only an intermittent open circuit, but also invites a short circuit.

SO, this type of cable plug not only destroys tube amps with open circuits, also destroys solid state amplifiers with short circuits. It's an all-in-one amp destroyer.

ALSO, FYI, the GAPS between the metal parts (due to the non-tight rivet), allows oxygen to enter, and corrodes the electrical contact surfaces. SO, if the cable has not failed due to intermittent contact / loose construction...it then fails because of corroded surfaces...producing the same intermittent continuity for a different reason......which then blows the amplifier up.

THE MANUFACTURERS of these garbage 1/4" plugs are FULLY AWARE of these defects...and continue to manufacture and sell the product. As long as you buy it, they don't give a CRAP what happens to your amplifier.

The "lifetime warranty" does not pay for your melted transformers, burned tube sockets, wrecked output tubes.
It only guarantees that a bad defect 1/4" plug....will be replaced with another (slightly less defective) junk plug...which will fail again.

YOU MAY HAVE THOUGHT that after numerous complaints were voiced by knowledgeable individuals...that the manufacturer would have realized...acknowledged... and corrected the long standing defects...BUT, no such luck. THEY DON'T GIVE A CRAP.

The best WE can do, is to recognize WHY these plugs are failing - WHAT these are causing -and AVOID using them.
WE cannot depend on these manufactures to correct defects in their own products because: THEY DON'T GIVE A CRAP.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Okay so I see a picture a "speaker" cable here, but don't see where the defect is on the cable. Not saying it is not defective, but would like to know exactly HOW it is defective. Bad solder connection under the shrink wrap insulation? Connection between connectors and male sleeve/tip is shorted somewhere? Or is it in the actual wire of the entire length of the cable that is shorted? Just am curious, thanks.

Most common defects I've found are poor connexions inside moulded-plug connectors. Speaker AND guitar/patch cables. Not just recently - all the way back to the 1960's. Poorly crimped, JBW - just barely working, may be OK for a while but gets intermittent with a couple weeks' use. Some multi pedal users buy a bag of 8 short moulded-plug patch cables for $10 then wonder why their guitar's cutting out. And blame everything else, because those crapola cables are NEW. Like the Kinks' song "Low Budget" - cheap is cheap.

Also in more recent years, excess uninsulated stranded wire to the tip connection looped around and stuffed inside the shell - and this in "lifetime" guaranteed cables made in USA with Switchcraft connectors for pete's sakes... speaker and guitar/patch cables. So if you get those, open the shell and correct it before putting into use. 5 minutes with a soldering iron can save headaches later on.

SGM may be sounding off about good looking cable that's not up to snuff. MIC is the new MIJ. We used to deplore things made in Japan 50 years ago, then the quality level started to get better. Top quality cameras, lenses, radios and even good affordable baseball gloves got USA consumers to start accepting Japan as decent, and even above-average quality in the 1960's. And on up from there.

Manufacturers can be counted on to do whatever it takes to maximize the bottom line = profit. Nothing new about that. And many will select the cheapest cables which they dispense as a "favor" to the equipment purchaser. Smart musicians who have either been thru the mill themselves, or wisely learned from others' mistakes, get good cables and heave the rubbish in the bin.

edit: now that I've seen SGM's latest comments - yes those 1/4 inch plugs with a poorly swaged rivet - appears to be copper no less - are garbage and to be avoided. I've tried soldering TO the rivet and - no dice. Swithchcraft plugs at least start out tight, but after decades of use can loosen at this rivet also. With them, you're good for a good 10-20 year run in field use. You can grab the tip and if it feels wiggly, it's new plug time. Nothing lasts forever. Neutrik - not bad but I'm still a SWCR fan. end edit.

[bob p]

"For many years we have written Monster Cable asking them to substantiate their claims about the speaker wires...
and have never received a reply.
Let them come."

That sounds like a comment from someone who's never paid $400/hour plus expenses to litigate a claim.

[Justin Thomas]

While I don't know if SGM's assertion about all the speaker cables causing amp failures is true because I havrn't had any come through, I can say for sure from my own experience that EVERY SINGLE PLUG I have gotten on any instrument cable of that type has failed miserably. These are cables my friends bought. The cables are not abused, or barely even used at all. My experience is that the entire plug assembly, the tip, ring, and threaded collar fall apart. Either the bond between the collar and sleeve breaks, or the little black plastic insulation ring around the tip breaks. I've replaced over 20 of those plugs and don't trust them at all. My experience with Neutrick is not much better. For me it's Switchcraft all the way. More expensive, but worth it. Another nice thing, I can repair a Switchcraft plugged cable several times without the metal breaking from fatigue or the insides melting.

I should not have to put my cables into individual padded bags to keep them from breaking from the slightest bump.

Regarding lifetime warranties? Whatever. If it ain't Switchcraft, I replace it. Or make my own cables. Lifetime warranty - parts are cheap, labor is free. Oddly, if I take my time the forst go round, they last for years without a problem. Here' to making your own!

Justin

[soundguruman]

While I don't know if SGM's assertion about all the speaker cables causing amp failures is true because I havrn't had any come through, I can say for sure from my own experience that EVERY SINGLE PLUG I have gotten on any instrument cable of that type has failed miserably. These are cables my friends bought. The cables are not abused, or barely even used at all. My experience is that the entire plug assembly, the tip, ring, and threaded collar fall apart. Either the bond between the collar and sleeve breaks, or the little black plastic insulation ring around the tip breaks. I've replaced over 20 of those plugs and don't trust them at all. My experience with Neutrick is not much better. For me it's Switchcraft all the way. More expensive, but worth it. Another nice thing, I can repair a Switchcraft plugged cable several times without the metal breaking from fatigue or the insides melting.

I should not have to put my cables into individual padded bags to keep them from breaking from the slightest bump.

Regarding lifetime warranties? Whatever. If it ain't Switchcraft, I replace it. Or make my own cables. Lifetime warranty - parts are cheap, labor is free. Oddly, if I take my time the forst go round, they last for years without a problem. Here' to making your own!

Justin

Yes, about 50% of the failures are speaker / cable related. That's why no repair job is complete without testing inspecting BOTH speakers and cables.

Your friends must have bought "Hot Wires" cables.

It won't be long before making your own will be the only alternative. Our markets drowning in Chinese knock-offs, our music stores filled with Crate-Pegs.
It really is a shame, we have amps like Bogner, Egnater, Mission, USA custom shop Fender, etc...etc...and all people want is the next model Crate-Peg. I mean, look at how great these USA amps are built and supported! What the heck are you doing, buying Chinese? Have you guys lost your marbles?
I have to admit, the T Terror is extra crunchy, and I actually LIKE it...must be the first Chinese amp I "ever" respected. Yes I am sure of that.
Switchcraft IS the best one. And worth every penny. BUT how long till Switchcraft sells out to Vietnam? OH, that will be a sad day.

[Jazz P Bass]

Another fine post from Mr Soapbox.

[soundguruman]

Another fine post from Mr Soapbox.

That's an improvement over derogatory language and personal attacks...you've made progress.

[soundguruman]

"For many years we have written Monster Cable asking them to substantiate their claims about the speaker wires...
and have never received a reply.
Let them come."

That sounds like a comment from someone who's never paid $400/hour plus expenses to litigate a claim.

Bring it on.

[Enzo]

Considering the track record of SGM, this research is probably based upon a sample size of one.