I have a Rotel RA05 amp that keeps "tripping out" at anything beyond the 10 o'clock position on the volume control. The amp does get very hot and it would appear that the protection circuitry cuts in and switches off the amp to prevent damage. I have tried placing the amp in several different locations to ensure good air circulation and have also checked all the connections but the problem persists. The amp is still under 2 years old and therefore under warranty but the dealer couldn't replicate the fault. Any thoughts anyone?
Amp Tripping
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Hi, what speakers are you running?
does it get very hot without music being played? ie just turned on.
do you notice any clipping when the music is playing?
does it get very hot without music being played? ie just turned on.
do you notice any clipping when the music is playing?
RJP:I have a Rotel RA05 amp that keeps "tripping out" at anything beyond the 10 o'clock position on the volume control. The amp does get very hot and it would appear that the protection circuitry cuts in and switches off the amp to prevent damage. I have tried placing the amp in several different locations to ensure good air circulation and have also checked all the connections but the problem persists. The amp is still under 2 years old and therefore under warranty but the dealer couldn't replicate the fault. Any thoughts anyone?
Well, it could be a fault in one of your speakers causing it to do this. Have you cranked them to the point of clipping? If so, you may have melted something inside the speakers, which is creating a short or just a major drop in impedance. That'd trip the amp's protection circuit pretty reliably...
Or it could just be a failed component in one of the speakers doing it...
Well, it could be a fault in one of your speakers causing it to do this. Have you cranked them to the point of clipping? If so, you may have melted something inside the speakers, which is creating a short or just a major drop in impedance. That'd trip the amp's protection circuit pretty reliably...
Or it could just be a failed component in one of the speakers doing it...
Andrew,
Thank you for the advice. The speakers (Kef IQ5) however far exceed the capacity of the amp so I am not sure how I could have "clipped" them? Also the amp appears to operate normally and at volumes above the 10 o'clock position when working with the tuner.
Richard
Thank you for the advice. The speakers (Kef IQ5) however far exceed the capacity of the amp so I am not sure how I could have "clipped" them? Also the amp appears to operate normally and at volumes above the 10 o'clock position when working with the tuner.
Richard
Thanks.
The speakers are Kef IQ5 and no the amp only gets excessively hot when playing and at the point of 10 o'clock on the volume control. I've not noticed any clipping either. Interestingly the problem doesn't appear when playing from the tuner at similar volumes.
The speakers are Kef IQ5 and no the amp only gets excessively hot when playing and at the point of 10 o'clock on the volume control. I've not noticed any clipping either. Interestingly the problem doesn't appear when playing from the tuner at similar volumes.
chebby
Well-known member
Tweeters will go first if this is a classic case of clipping causing the amp to overheat and shut-down.
Play your system at a low volume with something that contains hiss (FM tuner signal maybe?) and listen very close up with your ear near each tweeter and make sure you can hear the hiss from both units.
The WHF KEF iQ5 review stated that the KEFs are happy with budget gear and they don't (on paper) look like difficult loads. The KEF specifications show your amp power output is well within their recommended power range.
I would suggest trying another pair of speakers (if there is any you can borrow from a friend) maybe take the amp to the dealer's and get them to plug in a similar set of speakers - whilst you are there - to try and replicate the fault.
Do the same with the speakers and get them to plug them into a different amp, whilst you are there.
You mentioned it is fine with the tuner abouve 10 o'clock on the volume. Try swapping the CD and the tuner connections around and see if the fault follows the source or remains on the same input (with the different source).
Are your speaker cable ends good? Nice clean copper and solder? No 'crumbly' old corroded copper etc.? Same with interconnects, check them too when swapping sources around.
Play your system at a low volume with something that contains hiss (FM tuner signal maybe?) and listen very close up with your ear near each tweeter and make sure you can hear the hiss from both units.
The WHF KEF iQ5 review stated that the KEFs are happy with budget gear and they don't (on paper) look like difficult loads. The KEF specifications show your amp power output is well within their recommended power range.
I would suggest trying another pair of speakers (if there is any you can borrow from a friend) maybe take the amp to the dealer's and get them to plug in a similar set of speakers - whilst you are there - to try and replicate the fault.
Do the same with the speakers and get them to plug them into a different amp, whilst you are there.
You mentioned it is fine with the tuner abouve 10 o'clock on the volume. Try swapping the CD and the tuner connections around and see if the fault follows the source or remains on the same input (with the different source).
Are your speaker cable ends good? Nice clean copper and solder? No 'crumbly' old corroded copper etc.? Same with interconnects, check them too when swapping sources around.
The problem with those Kefs is that they have a terrible impedance drop and it provokes the Rotel's protection circuitary.
This issue is not unheard of.
This issue is not unheard of.
chebby
Well-known member
Eddie Pound:
The problem with those Kefs is that they have a terrible impedance drop and it provokes the Rotel's protection circuitary.
This issue is not unheard of.
The OP mentioned having used the amp for 2 years (and presumably the speakers too as they are from an older KEF range now).
I am assuming the fault has only developed recently and I am also assuming the OP has not suddenly taken to playing the system louder than usual. So the point about the KEF's impedance characteristics may be moot. (Especially as it does not occur when using the tuner at the same volumes.)
The problem with those Kefs is that they have a terrible impedance drop and it provokes the Rotel's protection circuitary.
This issue is not unheard of.
The OP mentioned having used the amp for 2 years (and presumably the speakers too as they are from an older KEF range now).
I am assuming the fault has only developed recently and I am also assuming the OP has not suddenly taken to playing the system louder than usual. So the point about the KEF's impedance characteristics may be moot. (Especially as it does not occur when using the tuner at the same volumes.)
Just for the record; If an amp clips, as most of less than 100 wpc will do surprisingly often, it will be the bass drivers that are burnt not the tweeters, which usually go if they are unstable. This is because for the duration of the clip, it is putting out DC which cannot get through the crossover into the tweeter.
However is the amp is shutting down to protect itself from an excessive demand for current, then it probably won't damage the speakers, but may itself, so I'd be careful.
It's worth remembering that most amplifiers quoted power output is into 8 Ohms and they are required to produce double that into 4. Distortion also rises, so IMO 8 Ohms speakers are more suitable if your amplifier is under 100 wpc.
Ash
However is the amp is shutting down to protect itself from an excessive demand for current, then it probably won't damage the speakers, but may itself, so I'd be careful.
It's worth remembering that most amplifiers quoted power output is into 8 Ohms and they are required to produce double that into 4. Distortion also rises, so IMO 8 Ohms speakers are more suitable if your amplifier is under 100 wpc.
Ash
Ashley James:Just for the record; If an amp clips, as most of less than 100 wpc will do surprisingly often, it will be the bass drivers that are burnt not the tweeters, which usually go if they are unstable.
A clipping amplifier will destroy the tweeter because of the harmonics produced.
A clipping amplifier will destroy the tweeter because of the harmonics produced.
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