Amp Keeps Dying

consttraveler · « **on:** 25 Jun 2008, 04:55 pm »

Hello all:

I set-up my new CS-2's this weekend and I have a small problem one of you might have an idea towards resolving.

My amp (Sunfire Cinema Grand, 225 amps @ 8 ohms X 5 channels; 450 amps @ 4 ohms) keeps turning off. It will stay on anywhere from ten minutes to two hours and is running barely warm to the touch.

Tonight, when I get home from work, I'm going to check the speaker cords for a short as well as the speakers. Does anyone

have any other suggestions?

Best regards,

Dave

TomS · « **Reply #1 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 05:07 pm »

The woofers do present a 4 ohm load but it sounds like that shouldn't be a problem. The HF section is very easy to drive so I wouldn't think that would be it. Normally if there is a dead short the amp will just shut down right away.

Maybe try just driving 2 channels for LF or HF separately for awhile to see it you can determine if it is load related?

consttraveler · « **Reply #2 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 05:13 pm »

Tom:

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try that after I check the cords. Two of them are home made and there is always a chance I nicked the insulation.

Dave

BobM · « **Reply #3 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 05:36 pm »

Is a fuse blowing or are the amps just shutting themselves off?

If you had a short in the speaker wire you would probably be blowing internal fuses.

Bob

consttraveler · « **Reply #4 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 05:47 pm »

BobM:

The amp shuts itself off and immediately starts back up when I throw the power toggle to off and then back on. No fuses are being blown, and it does not feel any warmer than it normally feels.

Dave

woodsyi · « **Reply #5 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 05:52 pm »

Is your battery dying in your remote?

consttraveler · « **Reply #6 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 05:59 pm »

Woodsyi:

There is no remote connection to the amp and none of the other components are affected.

Dave

woodsyi · « **Reply #7 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 06:09 pm »

Quote from: consttraveler on 25 Jun 2008, 05:59 pm

Woodsyi:

There is no remote connection to the amp and none of the other components are affected.

Dave

I thought maybe your preamp remote was crapping out and it was turning off your power amp. Try your monitors on different channels on your Sunfire and see if same thing happens.

TomS · « **Reply #8 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 06:24 pm »

ok, wild guess again this time, but maybe does it have a 12volt trigger signal for HT use that could be on the fritz? Sometimes that gets pulled out on the back of my Arcam P1000 and shuts the whole deal down (darn cats rooting around behind it).

mcullinan · « **Reply #9 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 06:28 pm »

Does the Sunfire have any tubes in it? If they are bad, it will overload the rest of the system and blow a fuse or shutdown.
Mike

consttraveler · « **Reply #10 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 06:34 pm »

TomS:

Sorry, but the 12v trigger has never been hooked-up. It does have one, and it also has a three position power toggle. Down is power off, center position recognizes a signal coming in and powers up (and turns it off after 10 minutes of no incoming signal), and up is power on.

I usually run it in the center position as that keeps the circuits warmed up. The amp is failing in both the center and power on positions. It does seem to last longer in the power on position, but that may be my imagination.

It's a puzzler.

consttraveler · « **Reply #11 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 06:41 pm »

Mike:

Nope, solid state. The only tubes I have are in my phono-pre.

Please keep the ideas coming as I am stumped.

Any suggestions for a new amp (four channel minimum for bi-amping the CS-2's) if mine is truly dying?

Dave

TomS · « **Reply #12 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 06:44 pm »

The Wyred4Sound seems to be a popular suggestion, at least from Dan Wright and the EP dealer (Underwood) who distributes them. Haven't heard them myself but would love to one of these days. Sorry to hear you're having difficulty with the Sunfire as it's a nice amp. I agree with the suggestion to try it with another standard 2ch speaker just to make sure it's running "normal" with those.

consttraveler · « **Reply #13 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 07:00 pm »

To all:

My thanks for the suggestions. When I get home I'll test for shorts and if that does not show something, I'll hook-up the Talon Khites.

By the way Tom, who did the mods to your X-over, and what changes did it make?

Dave

laserman · « **Reply #14 on:** 25 Jun 2008, 07:47 pm »

If this issue manifested after inserting the CS-2's, then experiment by removing them to see if they or the Behringer may be the culprit.

Good luck.

consttraveler · « **Reply #15 on:** 26 Jun 2008, 12:55 pm »

Update:

The significant other ran the system all day without a failure (we have an agreement, she gets to listen to whatever she wants when I'm not there, and for 1/2 of the time when I am. And, I get to maintain and up-grade it).

So, I'm thinking, it just doesn't like ME.

TomS · « **Reply #16 on:** 26 Jun 2008, 04:25 pm »

Quote from: consttraveler on 25 Jun 2008, 07:00 pm

...By the way Tom, who did the mods to your X-over, and what changes did it make?

Dave

Dave,

I built and installed the Didden mod myself. Here is my review text describing the changes very briefly, about halfway down http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=49727.msg445979;topicseen#msg445979

Glad to hear things seem to be working, at least for the rest of the family

Tom

TF1216 · « **Reply #17 on:** 26 Jun 2008, 06:11 pm »

I have had a smiliar problem happen to me. The problem occurred in my car stereo where I used duct tape to patch some speaker wire. The amp would go into protection when the speakers wire shorted through the duct tape. I learned my lesson about doing quick fixes.

consttraveler · « **Reply #18 on:** 26 Jun 2008, 06:24 pm »

I plan on re-terminating the home made cables tonight, just in case. I did not see anything last night when I looked at them but it is better to be safe.

jb · « **Reply #19 on:** 27 Jun 2008, 03:38 pm »

Quote from: consttraveler on 26 Jun 2008, 12:55 pm

The significant other ran the system all day without a failure.

Perhaps some of what you listen to has significant sub-sonic content, which is tripping the protection circuits, and what your SO listens to does not. In addition, you probably play the system at a higher volume level.