2. amps-preamps
  3. 1148002844

Make fun of me...I destroyed my amplifier. ID10T.

I have enjoyed a pristine Pioneer M-91 for several months, but now I have quit my job in anticipation of finishing my college degree - PhD in IT. That necessitates a move.

Part of moving is shifting equipment around...and that’s where the problems started. Like a fool I thought I would be intelligent and use banana plugs in the back of my speakers. These things are huge...with exposed metal on the plug (I think you can see where I’m going with this). I sold my subwoofer and I’m going to sell the speakers to raise money for college. The sole interconnect I used for the sub was still connected to the back of a Pioneer Elite VSX-97 when I absent-mindedly tossed it behind the speaker in order to get it out of the way so it would not be tripped on. The next thing I knew there was a loud POP, flash of light, and the interconnect flew back out of the back of the speaker opposite the direction I had tossed it.

=:-o

The outside part of the RCA had grounded against the negative terminal of the right channel via the banana plug. What are the odds...

*&#^$#*@&^$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway I took the M-91 out of the loop and tested to see if the VSX-97 had been destroyed and it's OK. The speaker is fine as well. There is no way to test to see if the discrete amplifier for the subwoofer preamp output section in the VSX-97 is still good, so I have no idea. But the inputs and outputs still work fine on the mains.

I thought I might be able to replace a fuse on the M-91, so I carefully removed the top cover and peered inside. The M-91 is MASSIVE, and I saw 4 small fuses near the main cord. Thinking this would solve my problem I carefully removed the back panel and all of them looked to be good. I did a continuity test on all 4 and they are good. Thinking it might be a soft reset configuration (praying would be more like it) I plugged it back in using the same routing I had before it shorted...no joy.

When I plug it into the VSX-97 in the heretofore working configuration it's like it does not receive signal...and I can hear a near silent relay in the VSX kick over, then reset and kick, then reset and kick. This is only when I have the M-91 connected. Disconnect the M-91 and all is well...except my M-91 does not work.

Help.

Like I said, I feel like an idiot...I loved this piece of equipment, still do, and feel like its caretaker more than an owner. Please let me know if you can help...it deserves to be fixed.

Nobody in Nashville knows anything about this type of audio...and the only place that looks reputable is avrepair.com. Anybody else have any suggestions? Please?
jcargal
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,761 posts
 
Jcargal
When I set up a 'new' pair of used speakers and immediately blew out one channel of my amp because there was an internal short in one of the speakers, how did I start trying to figure out what was wrong? I plugged in another amp and, of course, blew out a channel of it, too. Feel better now?
12volt's avatar
12volt
27 posts
 
Bro, Not to worry. We have all done at least this or worst and I feel for you. My suggestion is to try and buy another unit that is working and when it goes down you may have spare parts or contact the good folks over at Pioneer in Longbeach and ask them when their service center is and send it there. They should have the parts and they fix it it straight away and with a resonable charge. Thee best thing is they will warranty their work.
mdhoover
695 posts
 
These kinds of things happen and, as mentioned above, are probably "under-reported." For example, I felt pretty stupid after I did THIS to a perfectly fine pair of Stax Lambda Pro Signature Earspeakers:

I broke them with the vacuum cleaner (yes indeed, quite an idiotic thing to have done, yes indeed....) trying to vacuum out the old foam that was degenerating--extremely...unwise. Yamasinc restored them and they look beautiful.
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