Zeppelin Air (Music streaming device) Blown power supply. Pictures inside... repairable??

Thread Starter

dmul

Joined Dec 2, 2016
2
Hi all. Hopefully someone here can help advise me on this issue.

I have an iPod/music player called a Bowers & Wilkins 'Zeppelin air' that stopped working a while ago. Zero power to the unit despite fuses and external supply being good.

The power supply board in the unit is known to be the fault with these devices. So I removed the board to see if I could find any blown capacitors.

I found none, all looked in good order so I flipped the board and saw what looks like a burned out IC chip?

Is this board dead or fixable at all?

The manufacturing company wont sell a new power board, they want the unit in (at cost) to repair. I would just like to put my mind at ease that there is nothing I can do before sending it back.


Pictures below, thank you for looking :)
Dave

Top side of power supply board, all looks OK.



Bottom side... and close ups of the chip I spotted...





 

AlbertHall

Joined Jun 4, 2014
12,345
It can certainly be repaired but unless you can get a schematic of the board and have some experience of fixing SMPS it is likely to be exceedingly difficult. The damage to that component (a diode?) is likely to be a symptom not the cause of the problem so replacing it will probably result in it burning again. Given a schematic it would be possible to derive possible faults which may have been the original cause and which other components should be checked/replaced. Usually, if you don't find all the faulty components, then it will go puff again.

Looking at the board, I think this is a diode and part of the snubber network across the primary of the main power transformer and so the first suspects are those two rectangular yellow capacitors on the other side of the board.
 

Thread Starter

dmul

Joined Dec 2, 2016
2
Thank you Albert. I'll certainly try and get the schematic from Bowers & Wilkins. Would it be possible to test the capacitors in situ from their secondary side solder points? (I have a couple of multimeters but they are pretty generic shed ones)
 

AlbertHall

Joined Jun 4, 2014
12,345
Maybe a multimeter would give useful readings from the capacitors. It depends on the other components around them (schematic required). Unless the multimeter has a capacitance range then you could only check for short circuit, but checking the value is important too.
 
Last edited:

Dodgydave

Joined Jun 22, 2012
11,285
It's a Smpsu, chances are it's a Diode thats blown up, but without a diagram or one to compare it with you wont be able to fix it.
 

artdigit

Joined Sep 12, 2023
1
Hi all. Hopefully someone here can help advise me on this issue.

I have an iPod/music player called a Bowers & Wilkins 'Zeppelin air' that stopped working a while ago. Zero power to the unit despite fuses and external supply being good.

The power supply board in the unit is known to be the fault with these devices. So I removed the board to see if I could find any blown capacitors.

I found none, all looked in good order so I flipped the board and saw what looks like a burned out IC chip?

Is this board dead or fixable at all?

The manufacturing company wont sell a new power board, they want the unit in (at cost) to repair. I would just like to put my mind at ease that there is nothing I can do before sending it back.


Pictures below, thank you for looking :)
Dave

Top side of power supply board, all looks OK.



Bottom side... and close ups of the chip I spotted...





Hi,
did you manage to get the service manual?







Hi all. Hope
Thank you Albert. I'll certainly try and get the schematic from Bowers & Wilkins. Would it be possible to test the capacitors in situ from their secondary side solder points? (I have a couple of multimeters but they are pretty generic shed ones)
fully someone here can help advise me on this issue.

I have an iPod/music player called a Bowers & Wilkins 'Zeppelin air' that stopped working a while ago. Zero power to the unit despite fuses and external supply being good.

The power supply board in the unit is known to be the fault with these devices. So I removed the board to see if I could find any blown capacitors.

I found none, all looked in good order so I flipped the board and saw what looks like a burned out IC chip?

Is this board dead or fixable at all?

The manufacturing company wont sell a new power board, they want the unit in (at cost) to repair. I would just like to put my mind at ease that there is nothing I can do before sending it back.


Pictures below, thank you for looking :)
Dave

Top side of power supply board, all looks OK.



Bottom side... and close ups of the chip I spotted...





 
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