Have I damaged my speakers or amp?

paddyb

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I've just had a friend round and been showing off my Hi-Fi, which included cranking the sound up higher than I ever had before. Then when I went back from iTunes via Airplay to DAB, I forgot to turn the volume down and had a really loud blast before I could adjust it.

It's difficult for me to tell, but the sound seems a little rougher and I can hear a very slight hiss in the background during speech. It might have always been there of course, and I just wasn't listening for it then.

I've almost exclusively played DAB since I've owned it, so I've been listening mostly to new an unfamiliar music and haven't listened to much of my iTunes collection, so its difficult to actually compare to any previous listening sessions.

I hope this is just paranoia on my part, but can someone advise on the likelihood of overloading the speakers or amp in this set up:

Marantz MCR603 (output 2x60w)

Dali Zensor 3 (Recommended amp power 25w-125w)

The volume was at 34, normally I only go as high as 23

The speakers seem to be able to much higher output than my Marantz is capable of, but I don't know how this translates in real life terms?
 

Ben123

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Your amp should be fine, and ive found that if anything is going to go its going to be the tweeter. Is the hiss you hear in one or both speakers? Play a track on your phone / mp3 player through headphones and compare it with the track on your hifi to help calm the paranoia
 

paddyb

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chebby said:
paddyb said:
I've just had a friend round and been showing off my Hi-Fi, which included cranking the sound up higher than I ever had before.

Why?

Actually Chebby, for that particular track, Ghosts by Laura Marlin (mostly accoustic), 34 was not that loud via Airplay, I just don't normally have it at that volume for everyday listening, which is normally when I'm working at home.

I'm thinking it was more likely the blast of DAB at that volume which would have done any damage.

You have a MCR603, would you consider 34 a riddiculously loud, speaker blowing volume level?
 

chebby

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If you use 'SD' (Source Direct) and don't have 'DBB' (Dynamic Bass Boost) switched on - or any tone controls ramped up - then you should get away with it, especially as it was only for a very short period of time.

Those 60 Watts per channel (actually more like 45wpc in the real world) soon get used up with nonsense like DBB.

I wish manufacturers would follow Naim's lead - with the loudness setting on their UnitiQute - and make things like DBB (or loudness) features 'progressive' inasmuch as their effect fades as the volume is turned up.

Despite it's counter-intuitive name, the loudness control (and things like DBB) should only ever be used at very low volumes to make up for the ear's reduced sensitivity to frequency extremes at low volume levels.
 

paddyb

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chebby said:
If you use 'SD' (Source Direct) and don't have 'DBB' (Dynamic Bass Boost) switched on - or any tone controls ramped up - then you should get away with it, especially as it was only for a very short period of time.

Those 60 Watts per channel (actually more like 45wpc in the real world) soon get used up with nonsense like DBB.

I wish manufacturers would follow Naim's lead - with the loudness setting on their UnitiQute - and make things like DBB (or loudness) features 'progressive' inasmuch as their effect fades as the volume is turned up.

Despite it's counter-intuitive name, the loudness control (and things like DBB) should only ever be used at very low volumes to make up for the ear's reduced sensitivity to frequency extremes at low volume levels.

Yes, i'm using source direct, on your advice i believe Chebby from another thread, and DBB is off.

I just got back in from work and put radio 6 on as usual and was greated with Chris Issacks sublime Wicked Game which has never sounded so good to my ears,so I'm a little more reassured, but still think there's something slightly not right, just a hint of hiss in the background. The bass is certainly in fine form, but if there is any damage its the tweeters. I'll dig out my old speakers over the weekend and do some comparitive listening.
 

Johnno2

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I doubt the amps been damaged or any other solid state device, the transistors will just clip the signal as the voltage rail cant supply enough current, i doubt this has even occured, the tweeters are a different thing though , if you have cooked the voice coils there will be no treble , or possible distorted sounds such as a raspy effect,,, otherwise everthings fine I did inadvertanty switch on the DBB on my 610 with a decent volume on a bassy track when tying to get accoustmed to the remote control features , it boosts the bass by a whopping 10dB, the voice coils almost hit the end stops , not good,,,,,this feature should not be used, I do however boost the bass by a subtle 2 or 3 dB at low volumes with the regular bass control to give a nice weighted sound effect, but mostly use source direct at moderate and high volumes
 

paddyb

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Johnno2 said:
I doubt the amps been damaged or any other solid state device, the transistors will just clip the signal as the voltage rail cant supply enough current, i doubt this has even occured, the tweeters are a different thing though , if you have cooked the voice coils there will be no treble , or possible distorted sounds such as a raspy effect,,, otherwise everthings fine I did inadvertanty switch on the DBB on my 610 with a decent volume on a bassy track when tying to get accoustmed to the remote control features , it boosts the bass by a whopping 10dB, the voice coils almost hit the end stops , not good,,,,,this feature should not be used, I do however boost the bass by a subtle 2 or 3 dB at low volumes with the regular bass control to give a nice weighted sound effect, but mostly use source direct at moderate and high volumes

Thanks for your reply.

So you think it would be really obvious if there was any damage?

I've compared with my old speakers and the faint background hiss is still there when using them, so I guess its just background static or something thats always been there.

Would running a frequency test or something like that show up any problems? There seems to be various hi fi test CD's for sale, so wondering if there's something I could download to check the high frequencies?
 

Johnno2

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paddyb said:
Johnno2 said:
I doubt the amps been damaged or any other solid state device, the transistors will just clip the signal as the voltage rail cant supply enough current, i doubt this has even occured, the tweeters are a different thing though , if you have cooked the voice coils there will be no treble , or possible distorted sounds such as a raspy effect,,, otherwise everthings fine I did inadvertanty switch on the DBB on my 610 with a decent volume on a bassy track when tying to get accoustmed to the remote control features , it boosts the bass by a whopping 10dB, the voice coils almost hit the end stops , not good,,,,,this feature should not be used, I do however boost the bass by a subtle 2 or 3 dB at low volumes with the regular bass control to give a nice weighted sound effect, but mostly use source direct at moderate and high volumes

Thanks for your reply.

So you think it would be really obvious if there was any damage?

I've compared with my old speakers and the faint background hiss is still there when using them, so I guess its just background static or something thats always been there.

Would running a frequency test or something like that show up any problems? There seems to be various hi fi test CD's for sale, so wondering if there's something I could download to check the high frequencies?

I am not sure why there should be a background hiss, there is no hiss on my MCR610, and I assume it uses the same class D amp circuit as the 603 , but perhaps I am wrong,

maybe your hiss was there before, if its a new unit it could be less than perfect one.... but unlikey IMO, Marantz normally have extremely high QC,

not sure about a test CD maybe some one else could give advice

i must admit though, I get paranoid about things like this, I was worried when I accidently blasted mine with the DBB, at least you didnt have that on, but mine still sounds fine...and no slight hiss, I did think...what if i have degraded something , so as to slighty affect the sound, but this is unlikey, it would be obviously distorted or just not work at all(most likey)

its the speakers(tweeters) that are the most vunarable, so if these have survived, its unlikey anything else has gone wrong, i think the only way amps get damged this way is if they are played to near the point of their maximum capabilities for long periods and they overheat, but then the thermal cut out should activate,,, (i think lol)

the hiss doesnt sound right to me though, maybe someone with a 603 can help again, is it under warranty ?
 

paddyb

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Welcome to the Hi Fi Paranoia club! My 603 is still under warranty, and I have a another long standing issue with the DAB receiver which I though was due to the antenna, but now I've moved house and it's still happening, so I've ruled that out. Another thread for that...

I can only here the hiss if I put my ears right up against one of the tweeters, its there on everything, DAB, Airplay, CD, hardly noticeable, but its more prominent on DAB when there is more than one person talking, which I think is when I first spotted it.

If you have time, please have a listen yourself during speech or quiet music (but played at volume) and let me know what your can hear. I don't know for sure, but I think the amps on the two models are very similar, the 610 just has extra features like Spotify & Gapless Playback. I could be wrong though.
 

Johnno2

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paddyb said:
Welcome to the Hi Fi Paranoia club!

My 603 is still under warranty, and I have a another long standing issue with the DAB receiver which I though was due to the antenna, but now I've moved house and it's still happening, so I've ruled that out. Another thread for that...

I can only here the hiss if I put my ears right up against one of the tweeters, its there on everything, DAB, Airplay, CD, hardly noticeable, but its more prominent on DAB when there is more than one person talking, which I think is when I first spotted it.

If you have time, please have a listen yourself during speech or quiet music (but played at volume) and let me know what your can hear. I don't know for sure, but I think the amps on the two models are very similar, the 610 just has extra features like Spotify & Gapless Playback. I could be wrong though.

OK just tried putting my ear close to the speakers with talk sport on DAB at normal volume, two presenters talking but not at the same time, no constant hiss detected, just slight variable background stuff that the mic is picking up in the studio, but even that was hard to detect over the natural vocal sibilants...... definatly no obvious hiss,,

Is it there with headphones ?? if so that would rule out the speakers and output stage, Dont headphone jacks have there own little amp?
 

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