Did I damage my new amp


So, as posted elsewhere, I bought new Monitor Audio Gold 300 speakers which I am still waiting to receive. I was impressed by the Arcam SA30 during the audition so I brought one home to pair with the speakers whenever I get them. In the meantime I am using my 20 year old MA Silver S8’s

Being new to streaming it took some playing around before I figured everything out. But one big mistake was not understanding that the volume on my iPhone also effects the amp volume.

Long story short, I managed to crank the volume on the amp to 100% for a few seconds before I understood what was happening, and got it turned down. ( I found the max. volume setting after the fact)

Since then I find my speakers a bit distorted. Now, I don’t know if they sounded like that with the old amp. Am I just over analysing things, paying TOO much attention to details as it’s a new amp and I’m listening too hard for an improvement, or I damaged the speakers or the amp. It sounds fine with jazz but something more in the progressive rock style and it sounds distorted.

I would like to think that if the amp was in danger it would shut itself down before anything would get damaged. And it was really only a few seconds. I probably will not see my new speakers until next week so I can’t compare with anything and this is got me totally depressed thinking it’s the amp.

What do you all think?

 

neversatisfied

It's been a stressful day and a half so I'm thinking I will avoid music for a day or two. Let my brain decompress. My new speakers, hopefully, will be here next week. That's when I can really have a good listen.

 

So two people commented that I’m “doing it wrong” as far as volume adjustments go yet I get no answer when I inquire as to the correct way.

Im not trying to be funny either, I am curious about the answer. 

Sorry, can't help you, but I did read this in the Soundstage review of your integrated:

There are many setup options available through the onscreen menu system........including setting a fixed volume level for that input; setting a maximum initial volume level at power on;

SoundStage! Hi-Fi | SoundStageHiFi.com - Arcam SA30 Integrated Amplifier-DAC