2. amps-preamps
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Did I damage my new amp

So, as posted elsewhere, I bought new Monitor Audio Gold 300 speakers which I am still waiting to receive. I was impressed by the Arcam SA30 during the audition so I brought one home to pair with the speakers whenever I get them. In the meantime I am using my 20 year old MA Silver S8’s

Being new to streaming it took some playing around before I figured everything out. But one big mistake was not understanding that the volume on my iPhone also effects the amp volume.

Long story short, I managed to crank the volume on the amp to 100% for a few seconds before I understood what was happening, and got it turned down. ( I found the max. volume setting after the fact)

Since then I find my speakers a bit distorted. Now, I don’t know if they sounded like that with the old amp. Am I just over analysing things, paying TOO much attention to details as it’s a new amp and I’m listening too hard for an improvement, or I damaged the speakers or the amp. It sounds fine with jazz but something more in the progressive rock style and it sounds distorted.

I would like to think that if the amp was in danger it would shut itself down before anything would get damaged. And it was really only a few seconds. I probably will not see my new speakers until next week so I can’t compare with anything and this is got me totally depressed thinking it’s the amp.

What do you all think?

 

neversatisfied

Showing 2 responses by ghdprentice

ghdprentice
6,530 posts
 

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. You are not the only one to have done something like this. I think it most likely the speakers might have been damaged, not the amp. Your right it would have likely shut down. 
 

Typically the tweeters might have been overloaded. Although if ancient the surrounds on the woofers could have broke free. Where is the distortion?

ghdprentice
6,530 posts
 

Excellent. Glad to hear it. I know the feeling of fear in thinking you may have really screwed something up.

 

During my most recent upgrade I got a new preamp, an Audio Research Reference 6SE… I connected it to my system… with my relatively new $32K speakers and sat down to listen. The music started at ear defining volume… it took me maybe two seconds to cut it off. I researched the connections… the preamp has three outputs… one, two and the third is Record Out (if I remember correctly)…. Basically all amp power to the speakers. Personally I was really pissed. They could have put a yellow cap in it. Sticking your head upside down to wire the preamp (I have been doing this for fifty years) it is easy to get the directions reversed.

Anyway, I did not know the speakers that well yet. But over the next couple days it became obvious my speakers were not damaged. A couple weeks earlier I would have had my Pass 350 in my system and I have no doubt the tweeters would have been toast.

 

So, don’t feel bad, a good lesson in being careful with no cost.

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