New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Stumped! Something in my system overloads amps
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Welcome to the Graham Slee Audio Products Owners Forum

 

Open to all owners plus those contemplating the purchase of a Graham Slee HiFi System Components audio product and wishing to use this forum's loaner program: join here (Rules on posting can be found here)

This website along with trade marks Graham Slee and HiFi System Components are owned by Cadman Enterprises Ltd


Stumped! Something in my system overloads amps

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12
Author
Graham Slee View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar
Retired

Joined: 11 Jan 2008
Location: South Yorkshire
Status: Offline
Points: 16298
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Graham Slee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Sep 2021 at 8:16am
It was just something that sprang to mind, and after I'd read an article about it, saying that frequencies up to 20Hz might be so resonant that they could be several dB's up compared to the signal amplitude.

I thought that if you'd set the volume pretty high to start with, that the lows we can't hear, could be so much larger in amplitude, that they might trigger the protection circuit on your amp. 

Protection circuits have low pass filter capacitors to ignore normal signal, but at such low frequencies they would start to turn on and cut power, whichever way they're configured.

After looking at the cartridge and arm specs, I thought there could be a bit more of a mismatch than you had with the 1042 - because that looked problematic too. And that's why I suggested trying to up the mass, but you've already been there.
That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps
Back to Top
discrete badger View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 14 Jul 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 479
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote discrete badger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Sep 2021 at 2:00pm
Yes, speakers - and their connections - absolutely can ruin an amp. I have a dead Cyrus One in the attic as evidence of what happens when the folly of youth thinks it's a good idea to connect up the speakers with the amp on, accidentally shorting out the speaker leads in the process. (Spoiler alert: it's not a good idea)

There are even some amplifiers (certainly not the ones that Graham makes!) which can be damaged if the speaker connection is lost - not even shorted out - whilst playing a signal. Then you get some amp designs which can become unstable with high capacitance on the selected speaker cables, damaging the amp and/or the tweeters.

There are also some speaker designs (I am thinking of Electrostats here, notably the Quad ESL63 and later iterations) whose overdriving protection circuit places a low-impedance crowbar across the speaker terminals. I think this is supposed to send the amp into protection and/or blow its fuses. You can guess what happens when the amp doesn't have either. But when you consider the hassle of transport and costs of repairing the amp, versus those of the speaker, the crowbar idea makes quite a lot of sense.


Back to Top
Fatmangolf View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar

Joined: 23 Dec 2009
Location: Middlesbrough
Status: Offline
Points: 8960
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fatmangolf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Sep 2021 at 7:01pm
It is good to know you've got to the bottom of it.

Jon

Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC.
Back to Top
lfc jon View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 23 Jan 2018
Location: Devon
Status: Offline
Points: 3979
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lfc jon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Sep 2021 at 7:29pm
A bit costly but you got there in the end. Happy listening.
Reflex M, Solo (both with PSU-1) CuSat50, Lautus, Spatia & Spatia links cables. Ortofon Bronze.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.156 seconds.