power surge , now my Anthem Statement P5 buzzes loudly

[shug23]

Our electricity went off without warning and then generator kicked in......Now my Anthem Statement P5 is buzzing loudly...Does anyone know what happened and/or the solution ? I can tell one channel seems unaffected but the other channel and center do

 

[TLS Guy]

That is really unfortunate. The problem is that when the power goes out you get a spike from the local transformer, and the transformer in your amp. This is back EMF. Unfortunately when the generator starts and the transfer switch throws you get another spike. Then when the power comes back on and the generator stops, you get another spike when the transfer witch throws the other way.

Obviously the Anthem P5 is not robust enough to tolerate this and has sustained expensive serious damage. Without a service manual and having the unit on the bench I can't begin to guess which circuits and boards have been blown up. Unfortunately these sort of events more often than not cause severe rather than minor problems.

The bottom line is that you will have to ship the unit to an authorized service center or back to Anthem.

I would look into a whole house surge protector at least for the future and also think about caps on the transfer switch to moderate the back EMF voltage spikes. This will require expert design guidance and installation.
With the huge cost of that unit expending resources to mitigate against this happening again are certainly justified. If the situation is left as is, you can expect the same thing to happen next time the power goes out and you go on generator.

 

[PENG]

Our electricity went off without warning and then generator kicked in......Now my Anthem Statement P5 is buzzing loudly...Does anyone know what happened and/or the solution ? I can tell one channel seems unaffected but the other channel and center do

We can guess what happened. Normal powering off and on is not a problem obviously but if it went out due to nearby lightning activities resulting in damaging spikes, or some heavy current inductive or capacitive devices (e.g. A/C compressor) happened to be on and got knocked out at the same time, and then all came back up when power was restored, then your P5 could have been damaged by the internally generated spikes by all the loads switching on at the same time. Most of the time the spikes would not be high enough to cause damage but looks like this time it did.

 

[shug23]

That is really unfortunate. The problem is that when the power goes out you get a spike from the local transformer, and the transformer in your amp. This is back EMF. Unfortunately when the generator starts and the transfer switch throws you get another spike. Then when the power comes back on and the generator stops, you get another spike when the transfer witch throws the other way.

Obviously the Anthem P5 is not robust enough to tolerate this and has sustained expensive serious damage. Without a service manual and having the unit on the bench I can't begin to guess which circuits and boards have been blown up. Unfortunately these sort of events more often than not cause severe rather than minor problems.

The bottom line is that you will have to ship the unit to an authorized service center or back to Anthem.

I would look into a whole house surge protector at least for the future and also think about caps on the transfer switch to moderate the back EMF voltage spikes. This will require expert design guidance and installation.
With the huge cost of that unit expending resources to mitigate against this happening again are certainly justified. If the situation is left as is, you can expect the same thing to happen next time the power goes out and you go on generator.

Thanks....I figured as much....

 

[shug23]

so I also have Anthem P2 and two of the 5 channels work on the P5.....so I can hook up 4 of my speakers out of the 5...….and have a 4.2 system without the center...….might work for a little while , while I figure my options....I think if I could get my center speaker to work, I might be able to live for a while......I welcome any suggesions how to get back to 5.2, …....

 

[TLS Guy]

so I also have Anthem P2 and two of the 5 channels work on the P5.....so I can hook up 4 of my speakers out of the 5...….and have a 4.2 system without the center...….might work for a little while , while I figure my options....I think if I could get my center speaker to work, I might be able to live for a while......I welcome any suggesions how to get back to 5.2, …....

It is very dangerous and unwise to use equipment that is not working properly, especially after an event like that. The P5 should not be plugged in until checked and repaired.

You might be looking for a new house and not just a new 5 channel power amp.

 

[PENG]

so I also have Anthem P2 and two of the 5 channels work on the P5.....so I can hook up 4 of my speakers out of the 5...….and have a 4.2 system without the center...….might work for a little while , while I figure my options....I think if I could get my center speaker to work, I might be able to live for a while......I welcome any suggesions how to get back to 5.2, …....

You can buy an Outlaw M2200 to get back to 5.1, but you really should get the P5 fixed. It is a mono block design, so should be an easy fix. It does not make any sense to use it for 2 channel after paying for 5. For the time being, if you are a curious person, try the following:

1. Unplug one power cord at a time, just to see if the two working channels are still working on one of the two power cord.

2. Try both unalanced and balanced input to see if one would work miraculously.

 

[shug23]

yes,, ,I have one power cord unplugged and I have two channels working......…...I will check balanced vs ubalanced

 

[shug23]

You can buy an Outlaw M2200 to get back to 5.1, but you really should get the P5 fixed. It is a mono block design, so should be an easy fix. It does not make any sense to use it for 2 channel after paying for 5. For the time being, if you are a curious person, try the following:

1. Unplug one power cord at a time, just to see if the two working channels are still working on one of the two power cord.

2. Try both unalanced and balanced input to see if one would work miraculously.

 

[shug23]

I brought the P5 to the repair shop and will see what they say...I think this is going to be covered by my home owners insurance , which will be fortunate....What I don't get is that with the one plug, I can apparently select any two of the five channels....This surprised me that the channels seem to be independent of the plug....

 

[PENG]

That's the right way to do it, one feeds 2 channels, the other feeds the rest.
Easy fix most likely..

 

[shug23]

Thanks PENG.....can you hazard a guess (why do you think an easy fix)? As an aside, I had sent an inquiry into Anthem on Saturday and yesterday they finally got back to me and said parts are no longer available and if I want, I can ship the unit to them for repair at 130 per hour plus parts plus shipping......I am hoping the local Anthem Dealer can repair it here to save time and shipping costs...the thing ways 140 pounds......I thought the P5 is still being sold, so not sure why Anthem is saying parts are no longer available...…...anyway; thanks to all for your responses....

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks PENG.....can you hazard a guess (why do you think an easy fix)? As an aside, I had sent an inquiry into Anthem on Saturday and yesterday they finally got back to me and said parts are no longer available and if I want, I can ship the unit to them for repair at 130 per hour plus parts plus shipping......I am hoping the local Anthem Dealer can repair it here to save time and shipping costs...the thing ways 140 pounds......I thought the P5 is still being sold, so not sure why Anthem is saying parts are no longer available...…...anyway; thanks to all for your responses....

No longer available is the curse of modern electronics. The set up for ICs is hugely expensive and for most there is only ever one production run. They produce large numbers on the one run, as the production is the cheap part. However when the parts manufactured are used, generally the part becomes NLA. I just hate this. It makes repair and restoration very difficult. Manufactures have to produce new designs as vital ICs become unavailable.

 

[shug23]

No longer available is the curse of modern electronics. The set up for ICs is hugely expensive and for most there is only ever one production run. They produce large numbers on the one run, as the production is the cheap part. However when the parts manufactured are used, generally the part becomes NLA. I just hate this. It makes repair and restoration very difficult. Manufactures have to produce new designs as vital ICs become unavailable.

ahh....so maybe not so easy.......I guess I might have to consider an alternative , though waiting for the dealer to call me back...…...It's probably been ten years since I bought my P5 so I have no idea what might be comparable....Are things lighter and better these days ? Open to ideas as to what might be equivalent.....

 

[PENG]

Thanks PENG.....can you hazard a guess (why do you think an easy fix)? As an aside, I had sent an inquiry into Anthem on Saturday and yesterday they finally got back to me and said parts are no longer available and if I want, I can ship the unit to them for repair at 130 per hour plus parts plus shipping......I am hoping the local Anthem Dealer can repair it here to save time and shipping costs...the thing ways 140 pounds......I thought the P5 is still being sold, so not sure why Anthem is saying parts are no longer available...…...anyway; thanks to all for your responses....

Sure, my rationale:

a) There are two power cords, you have 2 channels working, so 3 channels failed, but the chance for all 3 amplifiers failed at once is low, that means it is much more probable that it was the one or more of the common components of the power supply had failed.

b) The P5 is a modular mono block design such that each channel has its own P/S transformers and capacitors. So what's the odd for all 3 power supplies have failed? I would guess pretty low.

I don't have the service manual, but I know the most costly parts in such an amp are the transformers, storage capacitors, rectifier bridges, and the output devices (power transistors). Since the probability for all 3 of those things would fail at the same time is low, I therefore would bet the issue was within the lower cost items, that is, the light current electronic devices that controls and/or protect the amp modules. The reason why one of the two channels are working is likely because as I mentioned before, that Anthem was smart enough to divide the 5 into two groups.

I have no idea what ICs TLSGuy was talking about, but I would like to think that the P5, being an older design and is a mono lock based 5 channel high power amp, it won't have much ICs in it at all. Also, you are right, Anthem are still making them so they will have parts even if there are ICs in them that failed.. And any such ICs will be relatively cheap because they is no need to have any complicated in such class AB power amplifier.

If you are considering an alternative, how about sell it to me for $300, you pay for shipping.

 

[shug23]

Sure, my rationale:

a) There are two power cords, you have 2 channels working, so 3 channels failed, but the chance for all 3 amplifiers failed at once is low, that means it is much more probable that it was the one or more of the common components of the power supply had failed.

b) The P5 is a modular mono block design such that each channel has its own P/S transformers and capacitors. So what's the odd for all 3 power supplies have failed? I would guess pretty low.

I don't have the service manual, but I know the most costly parts in such an amp are the transformers, storage capacitors, rectifier bridges, and the output devices (power transistors). Since the probability for all 3 of those things would fail at the same time is low, I therefore would bet the issue was within the lower cost items, that is, the light current electronic devices that controls and/or protect the amp modules. The reason why one of the two channels are working is likely because as I mentioned before, that Anthem was smart enough to divide the 5 into two groups.

I have no idea what ICs TLSGuy was talking about, but I would like to think that the P5, being an older design and is a mono lock based 5 channel high power amp, it won't have much ICs in it at all. Also, you are right, Anthem are still making them so they will have parts even if there are ICs in them that failed.. And any such ICs will be relatively cheap because they is no need to have any complicated in such class AB power amplifier.

If you are considering an alternative, how about sell it to me for $300, you pay for shipping.

lol

 

[PENG]

lol

I hear you..

 

[CB22]

That is really unfortunate. The problem is that when the power goes out you get a spike from the local transformer, and the transformer in your amp. This is back EMF. Unfortunately when the generator starts and the transfer switch throws you get another spike. Then when the power comes back on and the generator stops, you get another spike when the transfer witch throws the other way.

Obviously the Anthem P5 is not robust enough to tolerate this and has sustained expensive serious damage. Without a service manual and having the unit on the bench I can't begin to guess which circuits and boards have been blown up. Unfortunately these sort of events more often than not cause severe rather than minor problems.

The bottom line is that you will have to ship the unit to an authorized service center or back to Anthem.

I would look into a whole house surge protector at least for the future and also think about caps on the transfer switch to moderate the back EMF voltage spikes. This will require expert design guidance and installation.
With the huge cost of that unit expending resources to mitigate against this happening again are certainly justified. If the situation is left as is, you can expect the same thing to happen next time the power goes out and you go on generator.

Ish.... that really sucks. Now you've got me concerned. So what's the best way of preventing this from happening? Would a surge protector/ power condition prevent the "spike" from getting to your gear? Or is the"spike" your talking about so strong it would blow though any surge protector/ power conditioner. I've got my AVR and plugged into an APC J25B A/V. I should be in the clear right? LMK.

@shug23 sorry if I'm high-jacking your thread. PS: your P5 looks awesome. You should absolutely try to get it fixed. Anthem makes some great products. Hopefully you won't have to pay an arm and a leg to get it fixed. Good luck

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Whole-house Surge Protection is definitely better.

Did you use any Surge Protector?

 

[TLS Guy]

Sure, my rationale:

a) There are two power cords, you have 2 channels working, so 3 channels failed, but the chance for all 3 amplifiers failed at once is low, that means it is much more probable that it was the one or more of the common components of the power supply had failed.

b) The P5 is a modular mono block design such that each channel has its own P/S transformers and capacitors. So what's the odd for all 3 power supplies have failed? I would guess pretty low.

I don't have the service manual, but I know the most costly parts in such an amp are the transformers, storage capacitors, rectifier bridges, and the output devices (power transistors). Since the probability for all 3 of those things would fail at the same time is low, I therefore would bet the issue was within the lower cost items, that is, the light current electronic devices that controls and/or protect the amp modules. The reason why one of the two channels are working is likely because as I mentioned before, that Anthem was smart enough to divide the 5 into two groups.

I have no idea what ICs TLSGuy was talking about, but I would like to think that the P5, being an older design and is a mono lock based 5 channel high power amp, it won't have much ICs in it at all. Also, you are right, Anthem are still making them so they will have parts even if there are ICs in them that failed.. And any such ICs will be relatively cheap because they is no need to have any complicated in such class AB power amplifier.

If you are considering an alternative, how about sell it to me for $300, you pay for shipping.

It will have ICs, they have been in common usage since the early 70s. The Quad had some stating in the first production in 1976.

My Revox A 700 is full of he things, that was 1973.