+1 on the leaky capacitor. I had the same problem on an old USA Antique Sound Labs 845 tube amp. The culprit was one of the capacitors, but I don’t recall which one. I just had them change all of them out. Then I sold that amp, not because of the squeal/pop, but just because I was moving on to another stage in my gear.
Loud pop/screech when powering on amp
Hello All,
I have an Audio Refinement Multi 5. I just bought her used in pristine condition a couple months ago. I get a loud pop when I turn it on. But the last couple of days there's almost like a weird screeching sound right after the pop . Everything sounds. fine when I play music/movies, but I'm a little concerned if this is a bad sign. I'm also a little concerned if this is harming my speaks. I have had other amps that pop and I know this is normal. I always turn her on last and turn her off first and volume is always low when powering on and off. I only use the power button in the front when done for the night. I have not turned the main power button off since connecting her. I have a Shunyata power cable plugged directly into the wall on the amp. I have an Audioquest Powerquest 303, should I maybe try plugging the amp into that, would that help? I also did turn off the main power switch on the back this morning and will try when I get home to see if this helps when I power her up...
Thanks in advance for any advice...
Best Regards...
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- 43 posts total
. . . well, if it is a cap, you could probably replace it yourself, and it probably wouldn't be a real hard DIY. You could get an affordable cap checker on Amazon and then you could take the bottom (or top) off of your unit and check all the caps against each other (assuming that there are at least two of each). Then if you find one measuring wildly different than the other one, you could get a replacement from PCX (Parts Connection). I only suggest this because if I was able to do it, probably almost anyone could. |
@immatthewj it seems only 1 side. Appreciate the info on the capacitor, gotta tell ya opening and going inside anything electronic is WAY above my paygrade😳. I did try AR’s website (I honestly didn’t think they were still in business) and sent an email last night, so I’ll see if they reply and what they suggest… Question though, with a leaky capacitor would the amp still play and sound fine? Because it does there’s no static or anything? |
A 'pop' is a DC offset (try hooking a flashlight battery across a speaker to get the idea). A 'screech' is a decaying oscillation. While some amps pop on startup, if it is only in one channel that's not associated with healthy electronics, and the screech is a more serious and imminent problem. You need to get your amp serviced ASAP or risk not only a more severe amp problem, but damaging one or both of your speakers. As others have mentioned most decent shops have extended wait times, so you ma want to find a temporary replacement amp on your local C-List. |
- 43 posts total