Help! My Amp Blew Up?!? Power Conditioner?

[Pogre]

It is impossible to know what caused it without examining the unit on the bench. If there was a speaker wiring error, then protection should have kicked in. If that failed you would have burn out power transistors and a blown fuse.

A failure like described should never have occurred. That was dramatic and potentially dangerous. Whatever happened was probably in the high voltage section of the power supply.

So basically a user would have to really try to make that happen and it's very unlikely an error of that type is what occurred? No matter what a person might have screwed up something that catastrophic should never have happened? I'm not trying to blame op, these are questions I'd be asking myself if it happened to me too. It's not often you hear stuff like this happening.

 

[TLS Guy]

So basically a user would have to really try to make that happen and it's very unlikely an error of that type is what occurred? No matter what a person might have screwed up something that catastrophic should never have happened? I'm not trying to blame op, these are questions I'd be asking myself if it happened to me too. It's not often you hear stuff like this happening.

Well, I think if it was often, there would be a lot less people involved in this hobby!.

 

[pwrofgrayskull]

So basically a user would have to really try to make that happen and it's very unlikely an error of that type is what occurred? No matter what a person might have screwed up something that catastrophic should never have happened? I'm not trying to blame op, these are questions I'd be asking myself if it happened to me too. It's not often you hear stuff like this happening.

That was exactly my thought.

Technically the amp was an “open box” item but the retailer claims to have thoroughly bench tested the unit prior to shipping. Fortunately they responded promptly to my email Friday with a return label. That unit should be nearly back by now. Once received, I imagine they’ll exchange it for a NIB. Something had to have happened durning shipping. There was a hole in the outer box but nothing wrong inside. At least Parasound gear looks pretty.

Only now I’m trying to decide insisting on a refund and switching to a PS Audio S300...

 

[lovinthehd]

That was exactly my thought.

Technically the amp was an “open box” item but the retailer claims to have thoroughly bench tested the unit prior to shipping. Fortunately they responded promptly to my email Friday with a return label. That unit should be nearly back by now. Once received, I imagine they’ll exchange it for a NIB. Something had to have happened durning shipping. There was a hole in the outer box but nothing wrong inside. At least Parasound gear looks pretty.

Only now I’m trying to decide insisting on a refund and switching to a PS Audio S300...

The retailer has a full bench test setup and people who know how to do it? Wow. They send the printouts?

 

[pwrofgrayskull]

Neither. I have been a committed solid state guy since 1970. I use Quad amps pretty much exclusively.

My nine Quad power amps in the AV equipment chase.

I made that comment, because I feel we field an excessive number of posts related to Parasound amps, considering their market penetration. So I'm reluctant to recommend them. My advice is to return that amp and go for a full refund and get something else. Even if we accept this might be shipping related, any decently made power amp, should look as if it was hit by a sledge hammer to do what you witnessed. If there is no physical damage to the unit or packaging what happened to you is totally unacceptable. That was a dangerous event and not something that should have happened unless there was such obvious damage you would not accept the unit.

For an incident like that to happen, either the unit was not properly tested, or if there is causation from shipping without obvious damage to the unit or packaging then the unit is of flimsy construction. Either way this is not good. If it were me I would make a complaint to the consumer product safety division.

This?

Quad Artera

Home review

Does Quad's attractive Artera combo sound as good as it looks?

www.whathifi.com

 

[lovinthehd]

This?

Quad Artera

Home review

Does Quad's attractive Artera combo sound as good as it looks?

www.whathifi.com

LOL that's some "against" list they created....such imaginations they have at whuthifi!
"

• Lacks expression and insight
• Timing could be better
• Music doesn’t tie together well
• Lacks enthusiasm

 

[tmurnin]

The cabinet is hollow above with thin pice of tempered glass as the “roof” there’s a solid 4 inches of empty air above the receiver and the power amps. I’ve thought about installing a fan nothing in there currently, but this setup doesn’t get hot and I’ve certainly never had anything remotely close to a thermal shutdown. I’m in an apartment and the whole point is to simply have more dynamic sound at lower volume levels.

Keep in mind we all have to live within our means, it’s the media center I’ve had for forever but I’m on the lookout for something better. Besides that, I have children and the gear is in much greater danger if I were to use something like a Solidsteel S3-4 that I lust over.

I’m open to cabinet and fan suggestions however.

AC Infinity makes nice receiver fans that are pretty low profile and relatively inexpensive. You might have to rearrange your gear (which I’d recommend doing anyway) but anything you can do to keep it cooler there is good. Even if you haven't had a shutdown, you are going to shorten the life of that equipment if you can’t get more air moving through there.

 

[Kleinst]

I'd buy AC Infinities for all those if you can. The cheaper S Series is $79 and I'm buying those for my power amps. Unless anyone can think of downside of having fans running? It's a small price to pay over time.

 

[Verdinut]

LOL that's some "against" list they created....such imaginations they have at whuthifi!
"

• Lacks expression and insight
• Timing could be better
• Music doesn’t tie together well
• Lacks enthusiasm

IMO, WhatHiFi always releases unreliable useless reviews.

 

[TLS Guy]

IMO, WhatHiFi always releases unreliable useless reviews.

Absolutely correct! Right out of the back of the neck, because Quad would probably not pay the "protection money"!

Quite honestly all subjective reviews are useless and not to be trusted. Anyone who makes a purchase based on those, or consumer reviews, needs their head examined.