My OB-4 is warping!

I just noticed the plastic between the cones on my OB-4 is warping! Now there’s a big bump on the front of my speaker😩. Is this happening to anyone else?

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No but I will be forever paranoid

Was it in prolonged sunlight?

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I wonder where the batteries are in the thing… could it be a swelling battery?

Might want to mail TE’s support about it.

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I’m not sure what happened. I try to keep it in a laptop case when I’m not using it. I don’t recall a time it’s been sitting in direct sunlight.

I have two OP-Z’s and they’re both warped. Do you think it’s made out of the same material?

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We’ll….I just got it fixed for $70.:pensive:
I hope not to have anymore issues with it in the future.

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Who fixed it and do you know how they did it?

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I have been keeping an eye on mine since you posted this. Between wife and I it basically is used all day everyday, including inside and outside use, and taking it with us on trips etc. I have not noticed anything like this happening.

I am also very curious who fixed this and how, unless it’s a replacement unit. Is the seriel # the same???

I had to send it back to TE and they fixed it. I live in utah and it will sometimes be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Maybe having it outside on those days caused it.

They just sent me a message that it’s been shipped. When I get it I’ll check and see if it’s the same.

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If it is an ongoing battle against the sun then making look into trying to make some sort of neo-prene wrap for the Ob to keep it cool.

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The same SN. They just replace the part.

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it’s happening. Top plate is slowly warping, as is the back. Now, I’ve been very careful with the back as inserting/extracting the power lead is VERY sturdy/tight and requires a certain amount of force…but that is no reason as to how it’s bowing.


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Ps. Came across X-Fade yesterday. Any user tips?

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Hold input and turn tape dial to adjust the ambient mode, and turning without holding input also adjusts the sound

Sorry to hear yours is warping!

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Sorry to barge in out of nowhere…did this got fixed?

Nope, out of warranty. It’s actually not severe, certainly nothing compared to my op-z but it is a big disappointment. Not many folk have noticed this on there’s so please don’t let it put you off getting one, especially with those superb new colour editions.

The one problem I do have which is a problem is the low noise warble. At minimum volume it very noticeable. Again, I have only read a couple of other people noticing it on their units. Apparently TE are looking into this issue.

Oh, and the battery lasts nowhere as long as the stated performance time.

I’m pretty sure the OB-4 will be the last TE product I’ll ever buy.

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Thanks for the detailed answer.

There are big miss opportunities on the OB-4 for me.
The battery life for one, your issues too.
But the main feature missing for me is an audio out feature to export your loops. That is not just a missed opportunity here : it was mandatory to start with.
Had the price tag been 150€ less, I could have wrapped my head around that. But that’s a big no for me.

And that’s too bad. Cause it would have been a perfect way for TE to tie their Field ecosystem even more.

The OB-4 is, with the TP-7, a product that I just don’t understand right now.

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No AUX OUT was just a daft decision. Guess no-one at TE ever likes to listen to the radio late at night on headphones so not to disturb others. And although you are right about most of the extra gimmicks, the metronome/808 kick is really handy for songwriting, as is the looper.
If I get something going on the Toraiz that I like, i’ll then input into the OB, and have that as a loop I can carry into another room (or wherever my guitar may lay) and work on chords but mainly lyrics/melodies.

If I want to record anything from the OB I’ll use the Boss-BR micro on a small tripod (as the two mics align perfectly to the speakers. You can save up to 70 (?) loops…but as yet there is no way to delete them (another touch of TE ‘genius’ haha).

Something which had concerned me before buying one was if the handle becomes floppy after a time, but it still has the same smooth resistance as one day one.

To protect the cones I use a hairband as a dust shield;)
To transport the OB I use a child’s plastic rucksack that was about £5 from the local supermarket.

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@jim , my man, I owe you one.

Thanks for these reposts, answers and feedback. Precious af.

The line out/aux out omission is just outstandingly bad indeed. And the fact they updated the colors but didn’t upgrade the hardware lately is another move I’m just quizzical about.

I shit you not when I say that a better line-in experience, an aux-out, some grills in front of the main speakers and a better ecosystemic integration with the Fields, and I would buy that thing for 800/1000€ tops.

But the way it is right now, it looks like a half-assed effort into using their FM radio love in their offices.
A friend of mine bought it and told me it was the perfect radio for his open space office. Perfect for a small team. Their unit serves the whole 6 persons space. They each get a day a week to operate it.
But he was adamant : not for musicians, not for the home.

And still, that’s TE for you, I’m kinda eyeballing it. Granted, I’m GASing it a bit because I can’t seem to find what I’m looking for rn.

But it is a weird thing on its own.
But for me, not on par with the op1f limitations.
It’s a radio. Period. Nothing more, nothing less.

Thanks, @jim
Helps a lot

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