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Amp keeps shutting off

I have the Schiit Vidar powering two 98db 1w/1m speakers. This thing will turn into fault mode so quick once turned up. Only using 4-10 watts per channel, it will turn off after 20min with a box fan blowing on it. I took the cover of the amp off, which I didn't want to do, and that didn't help at all (again with a box fan blowing on it). Once using anything above the 30 watt per channel range, the thing will last 1 minute before shutting off (although that 1 minute sounds really good). The amp is rated for 100w RMS per channel into 8 ohms. I'm not expecting it to actually sustain that rated power, but come on. Why isn't it at least sustaining 20 or 30 or even 10? Am I doing something wrong? Or am I out of luck?
oedstrom11
drew_f
19 posts
 
Had an issue with a Primare amp randomly going into fault shut down, couldn’t figure it out. Manufacturer rep was very helpful, suggested it could be DC in the AC (from other devices leaking into home AC). That was confirmed by torroid transformer hum. Maybe that’s your situation?

Power off and on reset, for awhile. Got a DC filter from Emotive (only such filter i found). Surprised that other filter devices didn't filter out stray DC.
speakermaster
738 posts
 
I am going to say this as nice as i can but a lot of today's so called high efficiency designs have severe impedance dips in the bass and it is this reason that i believe that the amp is shutting off because low power consumption small amps do not have the current to tackle the low impedance. Try a vintage beast amp at least twenty years old and see what happens but my guess is that one like that will drive your speakers beautifully.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

After trying search all posts to find what speakers the OP has, I believe it’s the speakers, causing amp shutdown.
As every post the OP does says nothing about what speakers he has, mentions models of everything else, the only thing said by the OP about the speakers he has is that they are

" My speakers take 200w continuous with peaks to 800w or 1000w"

Something just don’t smell right here.

Cheers George
oedstrom11 OP
9 posts
 
The Klipsch Epic CF 2. It’s a bright set of speakers that just need to be tamed. The spec sheet says as I wrote, 200w continuous, 800w peak. The Vidar has smoothed them out nicely, although I still have improvements to make. The speakers have never caused an amp to shutdown as the Vidar has in their 25 years of use. I don’t expect that to randomly change.
big_greg
6,640 posts
 
Contact Schiit. Your speakers are easy to drive and shouldn't be causing your amp to shut down. You're just going to get guesses here.
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