2. amps-preamps
  3. 187748-186532

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
neversatisfied OP
70 posts
 

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. 

jetter
3,033 posts
 

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

dinov's avatar
dinov
831 posts
 

Amp probably not, speakers ie tweeters maybe. 

neversatisfied OP
70 posts
 

Thanks Jetter. That I know but what I find strange is the relationship between the phone and the amp with regards to volume settings.

Turn up the amp and the phone volume goes up, turn down and the phone goes down. The other way around also. Adjust the phone and the amp follows. I don’t get that.

jetter
3,033 posts
 

@neversatisfied

I’m confused regarding what you are describing as the problem.  My bluesound has the option to be used as a preamp, and my smartphone would be used to control the bluesound volume.  I have disabled my remote smartphone volume adjustment function (via the bluesound app) because I have a preamp that I would rather use.

In my interpretation (likely incorrect) of what you are saying is your problem is that your smartphone can be used to control your integrated, including the volume.  If so, why wouldn’t you expect it to also track the volume when you manually adjust the volume on the integrated?  Or are you saying that manually turning your volume up and down manually on the unit adjust your smartphone volume universally including for listening to phone calls and vice versa?

Again, not understanding exactly the problem, if you just want to use your integrateds remote, why not just disable the Wi-Fi connection between phone and integrated?

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