Extreme low volume.


Hi, I have a stereo system that has worked fine for approx. 10 years. One day I turned on the system and I heard nothing. I turned the volume 100% and heard the radio as if it was turned to the lowest setting on the volume control. My first inclination was to change out the amplifier(2) and preamplifier(1) with a different amplifier (6). In doing that I received the same results. Next, I used some speakers from another system and still the same. Then I tried the CD player for a change of music source to both pairs of speakers. Still, same results. That is why I am writing to you now. Here is my existing system. 1.) Grand Integra Stereo Preamplifier P-308 2.) Grand Integra Stereo Amplifier p-508 3.) Yamaha T-80 receiver 4.) Technics SL-MC400 CD changer 5.) Klipsch Type BK-OL pair of speakers - 6.) Onkyo Stereo Amplifier A-RV401 Please help if you can. Thanks.
tarmstrong4928
It is difficult to troubleshoot by posting articles, but it sounds like you tried replacing the key components:- source; amp; speakers. Since this didn't change anything, try the cables. It is possible that either the RCA connector from source to amp, or the speaker cables are the problem. Brian
Thanks for the response. I wrote many people and nobody would even give me a guess. :( I tried the CD player, which is a seperate component from the tuner (receiver). Basically, the system has been never moved for 10 years and has worked fine until the other day. I did isolate each component which gave me the same symptoms. Low volume when I turned the volume control all the way up. The Onkyo amp is an integrated amp taking the place of the preamp and amp. I guess your last comment I already knew, but I did swap each and every thing out. Any other ideas? Thanks again for responding. I will check back tomorrow.
The reason it sounded like the radio was because all wires act as antennas. You will find that if you hook up a long unshielded cable to any stereo with any component on the end, you will hear the radio. The fact that you only heard it at max volume means that there is not much antenna behind the amp. Something before the gain stage of you amp broke. When you say "Then I tried the CD player for a change of music source" do you mean you were using radio as the initial input or what? The basic issue is that from what you post it sounds like you replaced every component and nothing helped. If that is right, then you have multiple broken components or have stuff set up wrong. From what you wrote though, it is not the speakers. You should never get that sort of a problem from a speaker. Broken speakers usually start making really weird noises or none at all. Also you mention replacing your amp and preamp with an amp. Is that Onkyo and integrated amp? Basically whatever you did not swap out is probably what is broken.