2. amps-preamps
  3. 1002250364

Help Classe CA300 flashing Green Light

Ok, I am no techie and on my own since my husband is traveling this week.
so tonight, I poured a glass of wine, made a fire, turned on the HT, put in a movie and.....
my Classe CA300 goes from blinking red to blinking green and never works.
It was working fine just the other day - no changes to setup.
The manual is worthless.....
any ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Angela
angela100
angela100 OP
435 posts
 
thanks for the tips so far. When I get home from work today, I'll go through so more troubleshooting. I was just sick and tired last night and ran out of patience. I just wanted to "relax" and escape with a movie....
one more piece of data-
when I turn it all on without actually playing anything through the speakers yet, the Classe cycles - blinking red then stops at a solid red (how it is supposed to work).
If I change the preamp from the digital input to the radio, the Classe is fine and the front speakers work.
If I change the input to digital and try to play a CD or DVD, then there is a "pop" and the amp blinks green and is not working.
that's telling me that the speaker cables from the amp to the speakers are ok, right?
Isn't is also telling me that the digital input is ok, since the other amp and speakers play.
Are we down to the IC's between the preamp and amp or the physical connections on the preamp or amp?
off to take a shower and get in the rat race....
thanks to all
hifir
29 posts
 
Where is your amp located (rack, wall unit, floor)? I used to own a CA-100 and have experienced this problem. The amp was kept on the floor. After some investigating, I determined that when someone walked on the carpeted floor, enough static electricity was produced to engage the protection circuitry. I then placed the amp on a dedicated amp stand, and the problem disappeared. Perhaps something similar is happening. Try contacting Classe. They are usually very helpful. Good luck.
lornecherry
135 posts
 
Hi Angela: I just sold my Classe 301 for the very same reason. It's definately the protection circutry kicking in, but if it will not go away, you've (A) either blown a fuse (easy to see when you take the cover off and easy to replace), or (B) fried a circut in the output stage, which is what happend to me. I will say that Classe fixed my amp and sent it back to me in 5 days at no charge under warranty, even though I was not the original order. Call Classe, they give excellent customer service.

The 300 is a high current amp with a monsterous power supply, as you know by the weight. For that reason, if you so much as short it out just once it can fry the output stage. That said, I think the Classe is a touch too sensitive and needs better protection circuts to keep idiots like me from doing silly things to an otherwise great amp. Above all, make sure your speaker cables are tigthened down securely! Mine shorted after the Rel sub cable came loose. --Lorne
angela100 OP
435 posts
 
Hifir - it's on the bottom shelf of the rack 3 inches from the carpeted floor.

Lorne, it will work with the radio, so doesn't that say that the fuse and output stage and speaker cables are ok?

I sent an email to Classe this morning. Let's see what they come back with.

I hope that the amp is ok, I really love the sound and it is driving a pair of Innersound ISIS wonderfully.

All thoughts are much much appreciated! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
bob_bundus
1,834 posts
 
Queen Overvolt -
I think you may have a DC component coming out of the digital (a new fault in the player). Thet's why you hear the pop when you switch to it; the Classe is DC coupled so it sees that DC & protects itself. The other equipment is not DC coupled so it doesn't have a problem with that.
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