Watch out for those cheap 'universal' power adapters on eBay

Last month I had a customer bring in a vintage Roland synth from the early 90s. It wouldn't power on. I checked the board and found a blown voltage regulator and a couple of toasted caps. The owner said he'd just bought a new power supply off eBay for like $12 because the original was lost. I tested the adapter he gave me, and even though the label said 9V DC, it was putting out nearly 14 volts and the polarity was reversed. The thing was basically a fire hazard in a plastic shell. I had to explain that the repair bill was now over $200 because of that $12 part. I mean, I get wanting to save money, but those no-name adapters can wreck your gear. Has anyone else seen a spike in repairs from these things lately?

3 comments

3 Comments

derekl7920d ago

My buddy fried his old game console with a sketchy adapter just last week.

gray620d ago

That's rough, but I've used off-brand adapters for years without any problems.

gray617d ago

What specs did you check before you bought the cheap one? I always test the voltage with a multimeter before I even plug it in. Found one last year that was way off like yours, sent it right back. It's a pain, but it's cheaper than fixing the gear.