2. amps-preamps
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Fireworks in an Audio Research VT200

I turned on my amp the other day and as it was cycling through the start up process, I heard a large pop and then an enormous fireball flew out of the top of it. I immediately unplugged the amp. After taking all the tubes out and visually inspecting everything, I concluded that no tubes were blown. I put it all back together and it sounds great and I have had no problems since. The bias is fine.

Has anybody had experience with this sort of thing?
jmcdermott

Showing 2 responses by kublakhan

kublakhan
718 posts
 

Agree with Cytocycle. Do NOT continue playing. I set fire to a wood cabinet because of a pair of faulty ARC amps and almost burned my father's house down.
kublakhan
718 posts
 
Kurt,

A year ago I was actually told by Counterpoint that they never had an amp catch fire. Hm!

The ARC amps my father had when i was a kid were D-60's and believe it or not, solid state. They'd been installed in a custom cabinet by the high end audio shop he got them from. I was listening to Neil Young at an ear bleeding level and luckily I happened to walk back in from the yard just in time to see that the whole thing was on fire...right underneath dad's oracle turntable. No idea why this happened (whether there wasn't enough circulation in the cabinet or what) but i think about that fire every time i leave the house with my COUNTERPOINTS on.

I'm hoping someone can provide a reason here why not to worry. Then maybe they can talk to dear ol' dad.
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