Phone killing amp

[danny-79]

Hi all !
So quick ish question. My phono keeps making my amp cut out or switch into a standby mode. You can tell it’s unimpressed by it slowly turning its own volume down to nothing then switching its self off, thats after its killed the initial signal.
(I did also put the stylus down a bit sloppily and this also caused the shutdown)

Along with this the amp is also getting very hot when playing lps. (Possibly being driven harder than with cd)

It’s a Marantz amp, pretty basic from around 2014 with a project carbon, ortofon blue cartridge.

I’m using the amps inter grated phono stage.

Cd, tape, all work great at any volume without a hot amp.

Thanks in advance

 

[Tinman1952]

Strange…it shouldn’t get hot 🤔 Sounds as if the phono stage is triggering the protection circuit…. contact Marantz customer services.

 

[Deleted member 108165]

Sounds like you have a sick amp. Do you have another phono-stage you could test connect to?

Normal for Marantz amps to run a little warmer warmer when using the phono-stage as it needs more juice to amplify the signal, but it shouldn't run hot to the point of shutting itself down. Is it shutting down or going into protection mode?

 

[danny-79]

Thanks for reply’s. I’d say it’s going into protection mode. It’s stays powered up, the volume control turns itself all the way down after the signal shuts down.

I’m using the amps own built in phono stage, I don’t have an external one but I’m thinking that could be useful upgrade. Amp works fine otherwise with other sources.

 

[Tinman1952]

Thanks for reply’s. I’d say it’s going into protection mode. It’s stays powered up, the volume control turns itself all the way down after the signal shuts down.

I’m using the amps own built in phono stage, I don’t have an external one but I’m thinking that could be useful upgrade. Amp works fine otherwise with other sources.

That sounds like a good idea 🙂 You won’t have to spend a lot to improve on the built in phono stage….👍

 

[Deleted member 108165]

Thanks for reply’s. I’d say it’s going into protection mode. It’s stays powered up, the volume control turns itself all the way down after the signal shuts down.

I’m using the amps own built in phono stage, I don’t have an external one but I’m thinking that could be useful upgrade. Amp works fine otherwise with other sources.

Doesn't sound like protection mode as that mutes immediately and requires a wall switch-off to reset. The phono-stage in the Marantz is very good so you have three options: replace the amp, get it fixed, or purchase an external phono-stage of reasonable quality and keep the amp.

 

[danny-79]

Ok. So next question is can you recommend me a phono stage,
The overloading/cutting off of the amp, you do have to manually switch it off to get it to work again. Possibly I’m driving it too hard, it’s only at decent volume so hopefully it’s user error.
So add a phono stage. Can you recommend something half decent please

 

[Al ears]

Ok. So next question is can you recommend me a phono stage,
The overloading/cutting off of the amp, you do have to manually switch it off to get it to work again. Possibly I’m driving it too hard, it’s only at decent volume so hopefully it’s user error.
So add a phono stage. Can you recommend something half decent please

iFi Zen Phono

 

[danny-79]

iFi Zen Phono

Duly noted. Will look it up

 

[danny-79]

Unfortunate name but u keep coming across the Nobsound T3. In searches. It’s appealing as it has a gain/volume control (looks user friendly anyways)

Anybody know anything about them ?

 

[danny-79]

Or even the Little Bear T7. Seems pretty cheap for something with tubes at under £60, (apart from replacing tubes every so often is the only negative I can see but I’m used to that with guitar amps)
Out of the two I’ve mentioned what would serve best ?
Thanks again

 

[Tinman1952]

Unfortunate name but u keep coming across the Nobsound T3. In searches. It’s appealing as it has a gain/volume control (looks user friendly anyways)

Anybody know anything about them ?

Yes unfortunate name…😣 but it’s a brand of Douk Audio which is quite well respected by those who try these chi-Fi products. I have a Nobsound class A power amp which is built like a tank and sounds wonderful. They often sell through Amazon for your peace of mind or the ‘bay’ 👍
Don’t let the price fool you…they are very well made with high quality components.

 

[danny-79]

Yes unfortunate name…😣 but it’s a brand of Douk Audio which is quite well respected by those who try these chi-Fi products. I have a Nobsound class A power amp which is built like a tank and sounds wonderful. They often sell through Amazon for your peace of mind or the ‘bay’ 👍
Don’t let the price fool you…they are very well made with high quality components.

Thanks. That’s what I thought, mixed reviews but some of the negative ones are either old of not very detailed (it’s crap doesn’t really help. Why is it crap?) but anyways I think it’s going to be one or the other just don’t know, T3 is possibly the better but the tubes look pretty good in the T7.
What are my advantages/disadvantages of either?

 

[Tinman1952]

Thanks. That’s what I thought, mixed reviews but some of the negative ones are either old of not very detailed (it’s crap doesn’t really help. Why is it crap?) but anyways I think it’s going to be one or the other just don’t know, T3 is possibly the better but the tubes look pretty good in the T7.
What are my advantages/disadvantages of either?

Well that’s a personal choice of what you like your music to sound like. People who love tubes would say more ‘air’ in the music, larger sound stage and better imaging…… many love the ‘little dot‘ headphone amps for example. 👍

 

[danny-79]

Well that’s a personal choice of what you like your music to sound like. People who love tubes would say more ‘air’ in the music, larger sound stage and better imaging…… many love the ‘little dot‘ headphone amps for example. 👍

Yeah I’m a fan of tubes in Another life so why not. I’ll give it a go I recon

 

[Tinman1952]

Yeah I’m a fan of tubes in Another life so why not. I’ll give it a go I recon

Let us know how you get on…..👍

 

[danny-79]

Let us know how you get on…..👍

Will do. Just ordered it so .... brb!

 

[danny-79]

It arrived today. Need to make up some cables but linked it together with what I’ve got, definitely a noticeable difference between the built in phono stage, hard to describe. It sounds wider for lack of better words. Won’t commit any more than that till I’ve spent more time with it but for now , at under £60 great upgrade

 

[Tinman1952]

It sounds wider for lack of better words.

I bet it does…😁 give it a couple of days more….👍

 

[danny-79]

I thought I’d dig this up for an update
I’m still very impressed with the Little Bear, I’ve tried a couple of different sets of tubes in it (lower gain rated as that’s what I use in my bass amps preamp) to little or no different (to my ears anyway.
The electrical fault of the amp cutting out turned out to something far more sinister with the house electric supply but that’s another very boring story so I’ll spare you that one