Its a sad sad day...multiple system failures

[tboooe]

Well today is a sad sad day for me. My beloved music system experienced multiple failures at the same time for some reason. As normal, after i got back from the gym, I settled into my music room with my morning cup of coffee, looking forward to a few hours of relaxation. To my horror I was not getting any sound out. My initial thought was that something was up with the computer portion of my system which is usually the case. Tried the usual random sequence of reboot, unplug cables, etc to no avail. After I got over my initial horror I settled into problem solving mode. I first checked to make sure my source, a Luxman D-06 CDP that I use primarily as a DAC was working. I put a cd in, closed the buttery smooth door and to my surprise the door would slide back out before it read the disc. So began a hilarious battle between man and CDP with me pressing the "close" button harder and harder (as if pressing it harder would do anything) but the CDP refused to stay closed. Falling back to engineering degree, I did the most logical thing to solve the problem. I wiggled the open door back and forth a few times at the precise frequency, using an exact and consistent amount of force. Problem solved, cd was read and according the display it was playing. However, still no sound. So connected the RCA analog outputs to my Sonos system and to my relief I could hear music. Ok, so aside from the cd door the Luxman seemed to be working which meant my beloved Accustic Arts integrated amp was the issue. I connected the analog outs from the Luxman to various inputs on the Accustic Arts but still no music. Makes me very very sad.

 

So I got two problems:

 

Luxman cd try will not stay closed - no biggie because I never listen to cds

Accustic Arts amp not outputting sound - huge problem. Going to drop it off at a local repair place I know and hope for the best.

 

Not sure how I am going survive without being able to listen to music everday. i may actually have to engage in conversation with my kids??? Yikes!

[wgscott]

Get a cheap receiver or something at Bestbuy or Costco as a backup.

 

Try slapping the amp on the side while swearing profusely. I find this is often the key to get a few more years out of electronics.

[Guidof]

Sorry about that. Hope you solve the problem soon.

 

Best,

 

Guido F.

[Allan F]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Could it possibly be something as simple as a blown fuse?

[CR250]

Its unlikely that anything is wrong with your amp. You need to try a different source before you jump to any conclusions. If you don't have a CD or DVD player laying around, run a cable from your sound card to your amp.

 

The most likely cause for the dac portion of your CD player to not be working, is the CD drawer isn't closing properly. To trouble shoot, first check the face of the CD player and make sure that none of the buttons are stuck or damaged. If OK, then proceed to take the batteries out of the remote control, and turn the CD player off and on again. (If your owners manual shows a reset procedure try that as well.) If nothing helps and it looks like the transport is really broken, you can remove the cover on the CD player and unplug it (If its not soldered). If you can unplug the transport, the dac will probably work.

[tboooe]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Could it possibly be something as simple as a blown fuse?

I wish that was the case. The unit powers up fine so the main fuse is ok (I checked also). I also checked the 4 internal 4FL240V fuses and they are fine too.

 

Its unlikely that anything is wrong with your amp. You need to try a different source before you jump to any conclusions. If you don't have a CD or DVD player laying around, run a cable from your sound card to your amp.

 

The most likely cause for the dac portion of your CD player to not be working, is the CD drawer isn't closing properly. To trouble shoot, first check the face of the CD player and make sure that none of the buttons are stuck or damaged. If OK, then proceed to take the batteries out of the remote control, and turn the CD player off and on again. (If your owners manual shows a reset procedure try that as well.) If nothing helps and it looks like the transport is really broken, you can remove the cover on the CD player and unplug it (If its not soldered). If you can unplug the transport, the dac will probably work.

I forgot to include in my original post that I did try different sources, my phone, my Sonos, and Blueray player. Still nothing. But like I said, I was able to get the drawer to close and play a cd which I verified by connecting the analog out from my Luxman to my Sonos input.

 

I ended up bringing the amp to a local vintage stereo repair shop. The tech put my amp on the scope and for a brief moment I saw a nice sinusoidal wave on both outputs. That joy lasted about 30 seconds then the scope went haywire showing all sorts of scary looking graphs. Then the amp went silent again. If we turned up the volume to about 50%, the scope showed the same crazy graphs. Below 50% volume, nothing showed up on the scope. He then took his DMM to the mosfets and these according to him didnt seem to be working correctly but he was not sure.

 

I ended up shipping it back to the manufacturer's US repair center in Arizona. They quoted me no more than $250 plus parts. If it is indeed the mosfets then I should be alright but you never what the crazy markup is. Hoping for the best since I really love this integrated amp.

[sandyk]

It would be unusual for the output Mosfets to fail in both channels at the same time without a cause. Perhaps the fault is power supply area related ?

[tboooe]

It would be unusual for the output Mosfets to fail in both channels at the same time without a cause. Perhaps the fault is power supply area related ?

Good question. Initially the tech thought it was power supply related too, for the same reason you mentioned, both channels being affected. I guess we will see what Accustic Arts says when they troubleshoot the unit next week.

[JoseNelson]

Sorry to hear your badluck bro. I hope you solve your problem. Cheer up

[kilroy]

Can you characterize the Accustic sound? I've looked at these online and they seem really well made. There's a big seller on Audiogon but otherwise no dealers anywhere near me. Thanks and sorry for slightly OT.

[christopher3393]

Not sure how I am going survive without being able to listen to music everyday. i may actually have to engage in conversation with my kids??? Yikes!

 

The sudden absence of the assumed can be unsettling. Perhaps a small blessing in disguise? Don't it always seem to go...

[AlainGr]

It can feel disconcerting... Some weeks ago, my audio PC decided not to start one morning. I checked everything... I finally brought it to the store. It was the PSU... They were kind enough to offer me (without me asking for it) a few days later to take my PC back with another PSU for the time being, while my PSU would undergo the warranty. Even if there are a zillion other things to do, well... Hope it won't take long before you get it back and all goes fine again. I went through this quite a few times in so many years. I don't get accustomed to it...

[gmgraves]

Well today is a sad sad day for me. My beloved music system experienced multiple failures at the same time for some reason. As normal, after i got back from the gym, I settled into my music room with my morning cup of coffee, looking forward to a few hours of relaxation. To my horror I was not getting any sound out. My initial thought was that something was up with the computer portion of my system which is usually the case. Tried the usual random sequence of reboot, unplug cables, etc to no avail. After I got over my initial horror I settled into problem solving mode. I first checked to make sure my source, a Luxman D-06 CDP that I use primarily as a DAC was working. I put a cd in, closed the buttery smooth door and to my surprise the door would slide back out before it read the disc. So began a hilarious battle between man and CDP with me pressing the "close" button harder and harder (as if pressing it harder would do anything) but the CDP refused to stay closed. Falling back to engineering degree, I did the most logical thing to solve the problem. I wiggled the open door back and forth a few times at the precise frequency, using an exact and consistent amount of force. Problem solved, cd was read and according the display it was playing. However, still no sound. So connected the RCA analog outputs to my Sonos system and to my relief I could hear music. Ok, so aside from the cd door the Luxman seemed to be working which meant my beloved Accustic Arts integrated amp was the issue. I connected the analog outs from the Luxman to various inputs on the Accustic Arts but still no music. Makes me very very sad.

 

So I got two problems:

 

Luxman cd try will not stay closed - no biggie because I never listen to cds

Accustic Arts amp not outputting sound - huge problem. Going to drop it off at a local repair place I know and hope for the best.

 

Not sure how I am going survive without being able to listen to music everday. i may actually have to engage in conversation with my kids??? Yikes!

 

I had a similar thing happen to me once. In my case, it turns out that some critter (probably a squirrel) got across the line transformer in my neighborhood and my mains voltage went up to over 200 volts. It fried my digital alarm clock, my HD TV recorder, one of my then mono-block amplifiers, and a Denon CD player. Could this be the kind of thing that caused your failure?

[John G]

Try slapping the amp on the side while swearing profusely. I find this is often the key to get a few more years out of electronics.

 

The technical term for this procedure is "percussive maintenance."

[sandyk]

Given a good sinewave briefly, another possibility is a faulty speaker protection circuit.

[tboooe]

Can you characterize the Accustic sound? I've looked at these online and they seem really well made. There's a big seller on Audiogon but otherwise no dealers anywhere near me. Thanks and sorry for slightly OT.

I really really love my Accustic Arts Power 1 integrated. If I wasnt so lazy I would probably own a tube integrated but my speakers also are pretty inefficient. To me the AA sounds just slightly on the warm/sweet side of neutral. It is a very organic sound, clear yet never fatiguing or edgy sounding. At the same times, the highs are extended and airy. I mainly listen to small ensemble acoustic music with female vocalists. The AA just shines in this area. I've had this integrated for over 3 years which is the longest I have ever owned any amp and I have owned some good ones...Pass Labs XA-160, Pass Labs X250.5, Ayre MX-R, Parasound A-1. I have never had an urge to upgrade or change.

 

The sudden absence of the assumed can be unsettling. Perhaps a small blessing in disguise? Don't it always seem to go...

Yeah, I listen to my stereo system every night for a few hours so not having it really takes me out of my routine. Maybe now I can get around to do finishing some little home projects.

 

I had a similar thing happen to me once. In my case, it turns out that some critter (probably a squirrel) got across the line transformer in my neighborhood and my mains voltage went up to over 200 volts. It fried my digital alarm clock, my HD TV recorder, one of my then mono-block amplifiers, and a Denon CD player. Could this be the kind of thing that caused your failure?

Good question. I dont think that is possible because I have everything being fed from my PS Audio P3 AC regenerator which also acts as a surge protector. Nothing else in my house has had any issue. I do recall this same thing happening back in December but after 1 power cycle of the integrated it started working again so I thought nothing of it. In retrospect, that was clearly the start of the problem.

 

The technical term for this procedure is "percussive maintenance."

My personal procedure is the "Brownian process supplemented by verbal articulation".

 

Given a good sinewave briefly, another possibility is a faulty speaker protection circuit.

Well, one symptom that happens sometimes is the circuit protection kicking in if I turn the volume way up. When the sine wave disappeared the protection light did not turn on, nor did I hear the relay click but at this point who knows whats wrong.

[tboooe]

Desperate times calls for desperate measures. I have my Sonos ZP-100 hooked up to my Sonus Faber Guaneri Evolution speakers. I must say I enjoy the ease of use. The sound...definitely bearable.

[Allan F]

Desperate times calls for desperate measures. I have my Sonos ZP-100 hooked up to my Sonus Faber Guaneri Evolution speakers. I must say I enjoy the ease of use. The sound...definitely bearable.

Merely "bearable" music is definitely a lot better than no music until you get your amp back.

[master]

Desperate times calls for desperate measures. I have my Sonos ZP-100 hooked up to my Sonus Faber Guaneri Evolution speakers. I must say I enjoy the ease of use. The sound...definitely bearable.

 

Been in similar situations and yes having to listen to Sonos too... so I can empathize.

 

Hang in there.

[tboooe]

The tough part is that I have goodies coming that I will want to start testing. In the next week I should get the following:

 

More room treatments

HDPlex ATX linear power supply

Mutec 3+sub

 

Its going to be hard not being able to play around with my new upgrades. Ugh. This amp failure could not have happened at a worst time. Must remember...patience grasshopper.

[tboooe]

My Accustic Arts integrated amp is repaired and now going through 4 days of burn in. According to the technician, here is what had to be repaired with the price for the part (no doubt I could have sourced these for much cheaper):

1) $83.99 - 15V Regulators

2) $49.60 - Rectifier

 

Total bill with labor came out be around $500! Yikes. I guess I should be happy because its still less than buying a new amp. I am looking forward to finally being able to listen to my system again and test out all the goodies I recently got.

[alligatorman]

Glad to hear it got fixed! Enjoy the music.

[Possum Jenkins]

My Accustic Arts integrated amp is repaired and now going through 4 days of burn in. According to the technician, here is what had to be repaired with the price for the part (no doubt I could have sourced these for much cheaper):

1) $83.99 - 15V Regulators

2) $49.60 - Rectifier

 

Total bill with labor came out be around $500! Yikes. I guess I should be happy because its still less than buying a new amp. I am looking forward to finally being able to listen to my system again and test out all the goodies I recently got.

 

 

$133.59 in parts and a bill for > $500? That's some expensive labor. As you say they probably paid much less for the parts too.

[One and a half]

To the OP, so sorry to hear of the problems, with the results of the devices in that failed a good guess as to why they failed can be concluded.

 

The likelihood of a voltage spike on the AC supply can cause failures downstream like the ones in the integrated amp. Diodes tend to tolerate overcurrent for short term quite well, but don't like overvoltages. The diodes usually short and put AC onto the smaller regulators and pop them. Too many volts for too long. Overvolts occur in a very small space of time, like ms, so the art is to detect the rapid rate of rise, and cut off the power before there's a problem.

 

Protection relays example Bender VME 420 like these detect an under or overvolts and can be adjusted to suit. If the voltage and time on the settings are exceeded, the internal relay can deactivate a circuit breaker, contactor and switch off the AC power. If the protection relay is auxiliary powered, you can see the status of why the device tripped. Auxiliary power is quite wide ranging, AC or DC small stuff.

Problem is you can't buy a protection relay off the shelf and plug it in, it needs a permanent home and installed by an electrician and setup correctly. Overvoltage devices like VDR, MOV that sort of thing are so non linear and vague only the really bad spikes get caught, the smaller yet equally as troublesome spikes pass through.

[tboooe]

$133.59 in parts and a bill for > $500? That's some expensive labor. As you say they probably paid much less for the parts too.

Yeah, the labor rate is $125/hr and they said it took almost 3.5 hours to diagnose and repair the amp.

 

To the OP, so sorry to hear of the problems, with the results of the devices in that failed a good guess as to why they failed can be concluded.

 

The likelihood of a voltage spike on the AC supply can cause failures downstream like the ones in the integrated amp. Diodes tend to tolerate overcurrent for short term quite well, but don't like overvoltages. The diodes usually short and put AC onto the smaller regulators and pop them. Too many volts for too long. Overvolts occur in a very small space of time, like ms, so the art is to detect the rapid rate of rise, and cut off the power before there's a problem.

The weird thing is I have all my components plugged into the PS Audio P3 AC regenerator which supposedly provides surge protection and a constant output voltage that can be set anywhere between 104- 120v. I have it set to output 120v. I am wondering if perhaps I should have set the P3 output to 110v instead? Also, I turn on and off my amp pretty much everyday. I wonder if the daily on off cycles and surges in input current also added to the failure. Maybe I am better off leaving my amp on all the time?