Have your say & ask the experts

A few seconds past and the burning smell became stronger and the VU meter was flickering on and off, yet the music sounded just the same. I turned it down a bit, and then went back to the PC to read a few more posts which had appeared when....

***BANG!!!!!!!!!!!*** FLASH!!!!!

A massive white light came from inside the amp and yet the music kept on playing!!! I ran as quickly as I could to the plug in the wall and yanked it out! Trails of smoke were now coming from the top of the amp and I rather quickly pulled away the speakers incase it decided to take them with it! After a few seconds the smoke stopped and I stood mortified at the remains of my poor JVC. The hi-fi which first got me into hi-fi, the little gem of a music maker sat there...dead.

Being me, I took the lid off it and surveyed the damage...and it was pretty obvious. One of the Toshiba transistors had melted and taken half the heat sink with it. So, what did I do next? I put it on the concrete floor outside and ran it (with extensive circuit protection systems) off our garage socket...I shoved some Aiwa speakers on it and it was fine, albeit some smoke kept on appearing on and off...

So, what shall I do? Keep on using it, knowing any second it could blow up or fix it or ebay it for spares or repairs? Poor little thing.

Andrew Everard:

I wouldn't even think of using it until it's been completely checked over and repaired. At best it could damage some other part of your system; at worst it could give your parents' insurance assessor an interesting time if he reads this forum and you've continued to use it knowing it to be faulty.

That's not a problem, because it's being used on speakers worth £20 and an ipod. But I think you may be right about not using it until it's fixed, because it might just take the whole house with it next time!

chebby:

Remove all trace of bell wire from all connections anywhere on anything and get some decent cabling installed. I don't mean expensive, just appropriate.

That's just a temporary thing, really.

gpi:

I think it committed suicide, poor thing.

So do I...I think a mixture of bad electronics around it and its owner's bad taste in music was what clinched it.

chebby:

Although looking at the rest of your equipment (!) I wonder why you were using ratty old bell wire in the fist place.

£900 h/phones and then bell wire? Aaaargh!

No, no, no... The JVC is on my 2nd system - my primary Arcam/Wharfedale/Grado system is put together using Maplin Bi-Wire cable! oooooh...

Hughes123:

gpi:

I think it committed suicide, poor thing.

So do I...I think a mixture of bad electronics around it and its owner's bad taste in music was what clinched it.

Anyway, I always thought Loofer Vandross was the music played in the delivery vans of bathroom accessory companies.

Hughes123:

Infact, if you want to know the song that finally sent it over the edge, it was Metallica "Sandman"!

a.g.:

Hughes123:

Infact, if you want to know the song that finally sent it over the edge, it was Metallica "Sandman"!

I think if I was an amplifier I'd get angry when asked to play that as well.