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did lightning do this?

i run a pair of totem model 1 signatures(the rest of my system is posted). we just had a pretty intense lightning in the oakland, ca area, and like a dummy i didn't unplug anything. after a near strike, my speakers fizzed, and i imedietely shut everything down. when i turned things back on, all i was getting from my speakers was a tizzy small sound. i figured it was my amp since i've had problems with it shorting in the past. but when i switched it out with an older amp that i used to use, the problem remained. finally, i broght in an old pair of boston acoustics that i had in storage, and they worked fine. so my question is are the totem's fried? i wouldn't figure that a pair of speakers could fry like like this. maybe 1, but both of them. or is there something im possibly missing that needs to be done here. please help because i really like these totem's and i haven't had them that long...

thanks for your help.
sberger
sberger OP
146 posts
 
by the way, what's really interesting is that i moved in an old pair of boston acoustics cr9's, and they dont sound bad at all. go figure. they're not totems, but they're not as far as i woulda expected. maybe it's cause the rest of my system is tube/vinyl focused(well, except for my sim, but i've bypassed it's preamp with a tube pre). don't know, but while they're a lot bigger and butt ugly, im not minding them.
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
no wonder about speakers even totems after your amp picked up some ligtning energy and brought it right onto the speakers.
no wonder as well that amp could be OK after all...
audiofankj
373 posts
 
What timing... lightning actually struck near/both my neighbors and my house on Monday evening as a storm rolled through... It blew out two of my TV's, caller id boxes, my wireless router, the sprinkler (lawn irrigation) system. The cable from the box at the street that is the drop to my house was toasted, literally. The cable guy showed me the inside of the coax and it looked like someone put graphite powder in it... he said definately at least a direct arc if not more of a direct hit... the stereo was spared and all else is fine... I feel it could have been worse - knowing my neighbor had their alarm system fried, lost a furnace, plasma TV, and garage door opener... oh and thier wireless router too.

Lightning does do odd things. I used to do computer consulting in college and everyone thinks a surge protector on electronics makes you safe. It does help when the local grid goes down and back up and such... but almost nothing will withstand a direct lightning strike... then again - really well and properly grounded will channel it... however if it decides to strike through the power outlet everything is plugged into - my bets are not on the surge protector...

Hope the repairs are quick and painless for you!
nutty
2,973 posts
 
My power company offers a surge protection device placed in our meter. Cost was $400 and we made paymnents through the monthly invoicing. I just renewed it after 10 years. It claims to cover any electrical appliances on my property from lighting damage. It has a red light illuminating and all of my neighbors ask why theirs doesn't......

Its the only power "protection/conditioner" I have. Should I invest in additional protection?  Any recommendations that wont choke my Levinson amplifiers? 

N
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