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Post by hlevinson on Jul 23, 2017 6:11:55 GMT -5
I had a problem start last night on my XPA-3 (Gen 1).
The unit goes through it's check up phase fine (All 3 lights go from from red to blue) and comes on with no issues. Within about 5 minutes the unit will shut down and the center and right channel lights will turn to red. This happens no matter if the amp is being used (With music on) or even if just sitting idle (No active inputs). I tried different outlets to make sure it was not a power issue but the problem continues.
Anyone have a similar issue or thought as to the cause?
Thanks,
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Post by leonski on Jul 24, 2017 13:35:43 GMT -5
amp used in well-ventilated space? Have you ever 'cooked' it? That's always the first thing I think of.
Also? disconnect speakers and try again. Even a single strand connected across terminals at either end will cause a problem.
The Second thing I always like to know is 'Have you had any brownouts or power surges OR power interruptions' recently?
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Post by hlevinson on Jul 24, 2017 13:58:52 GMT -5
amp used in well-ventilated space? Have you ever 'cooked' it? That's always the first thing I think of. Also? disconnect speakers and try again. Even a single strand connected across terminals at either end will cause a problem. The Second thing I always like to know is 'Have you had any brownouts or power surges OR power interruptions' recently? all good points. well ventilated (several inches of clearance on each side and the top) i tried disconnecting everything and even with no actual input it shuts down after a few minutes no recent power surges and my other 2 Emotiva amps (XPA-1 models) are fine. |
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Post by socketman on Jul 24, 2017 14:37:31 GMT -5
Did you disconnect the speaker wires at the amp . Just vacuuming can move wires around and next you know something is out of place. Give a good once over, failing that put a fan temporarily on top of the unit for extra cooling see if it stays on longer.
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Post by hlevinson on Jul 24, 2017 20:03:15 GMT -5
Did you disconnect the speaker wires at the amp . Just vacuuming can move wires around and next you know something is out of place. Give a good once over, failing that put a fan temporarily on top of the unit for extra cooling see if it stays on longer. i disconnected everything and the issue still exists. my unit is mounted into a wall (accessible from the back which is underneath a set of stairs) so it is not really in a spot where it could accidentally get bumper or moved. There is plenty of ventilation and when the unit shuts down it is not warm at all. |
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Post by doc1963 on Jul 24, 2017 20:16:09 GMT -5
You say that you have tried several different outlets, but is this a power strip or wall outlets? If it's a power strip, I would suggest plugging the amp directly into a wall outlet as is recommended by Emotiva. If the problem persists with the amp plugged directly into uninterrupted house current (by way of a wall outlet) wth nothing at all plugged into the back of the amp, then a call to Emotiva tech support is your only recourse as service is likely required.
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Post by socketman on Jul 24, 2017 20:49:32 GMT -5
The reason i suggested a fan is because it could be a cold solder joint and this could help pinpoint where to look for issues though it more than likely is a cap failing. Time to drag it to the bench and pull the top and see if you see anything suspicious, your nose is helpfull here especially a non smoker. I no electronic tech but ihave fixed a few things by sniffin out the lovely odour that comes from letting smoke out of the wiring. Mailing an amp is no trivial matter so if its something obvious perhaps someone local can help. Electronics and heat are a bad combo, the heat works slowly quietly in the background and then one day you get an unwelcome surprise.
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Post by leonski on Jul 24, 2017 21:51:36 GMT -5
The reason i suggested a fan is because it could be a cold solder joint and this could help pinpoint where to look for issues though it more than likely is a cap failing. Time to drag it to the bench and pull the top and see if you see anything suspicious, your nose is helpfull here especially a non smoker. I no electronic tech but ihave fixed a few things by sniffin out the lovely odour that comes from letting smoke out of the wiring. Mailing an amp is no trivial matter so if its something obvious perhaps someone local can help. Electronics and heat are a bad combo, the heat works slowly quietly in the background and then one day you get an unwelcome surprise. Socketman is correct, in a sense. Letting the smoke out of anything electronic leaves a distinct odor. A bad one, at that. Tracking it down is a little tougher unless you see some 'evidence' like bulged PS caps or charred / burned trace on the circuit board or even a cooked resistor. If ONE channel is ok? Probably not a core PS issue, Depending on the fuse arrangement (-rail ./ +rail for each channel) you MIGHT have a popped fuse. If all you have are a pair of rail fuses and main power, probably not. A can of COLD AIR, whatever it's called, is handy, too. This is the classic way of finding cold solder joints or bad semiconductors. 'Spritz' suspect joints and output devices and IF you get a big change (usually for the better?) you've found a likely culprit. Now? I'll support whoever said to take it to a tech or send it in. Unless you have a background doing this sort of work, I'd leave it to a pro. Most shops will charge for diagnosis than WAIVE such fee if you go ahead and get it fixed. You are not likely to have any proprietary parts, or dead ones, at that. That are line level voltages involved AND the PS stores enough energy to jump start an Elephant. BEWARE. Unless you have high confidence, a meter, and some other tools, leave such fixes to pros. Prior to opening for INSPECTION ONLY. Let it SIT for at least 2 or 3 hours unplugged. DON'T stick your hand in it. BE CAREFUL. Than take it to a pro, if you survive. My question? Will EMO part with a schematic and biasing procedures? If not, you've got some parcel shipping to do. |
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Post by hlevinson on Jul 25, 2017 16:25:48 GMT -5
You say that you have tried several different outlets, but is this a power strip or wall outlets? If it's a power strip, I would suggest plugging the amp directly into a wall outlet as is recommended by Emotiva. If the problem persists with the amp plugged directly into uninterrupted house current (by way of a wall outlet) wth nothing at all plugged into the back of the amp, then a call to Emotiva tech support is your only recourse as service is likely required. it is normally plugged into a line conditioner (Everything else plugged into the conditioner is working fine). I removed the power plug and went directly to a known working outlet and the same issue appears. I have emailed Emotiva Tech Support but no answer as of yet. |
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Post by doc1963 on Jul 25, 2017 17:14:47 GMT -5
You say that you have tried several different outlets, but is this a power strip or wall outlets? If it's a power strip, I would suggest plugging the amp directly into a wall outlet as is recommended by Emotiva. If the problem persists with the amp plugged directly into uninterrupted house current (by way of a wall outlet) wth nothing at all plugged into the back of the amp, then a call to Emotiva tech support is your only recourse as service is likely required. it is normally plugged into a line conditioner (Everything else plugged into the conditioner is working fine). I removed the power plug and went directly to a known working outlet and the same issue appears. I have emailed Emotiva Tech Support but no answer as of yet. It certainly sounds like it's time for service. I know it's much more convenient to send an email, but I can tell you from my own personal experiences that you will get a much quicker, if not immediate, resolution if you call and ask to speak to technical support. To me, the folks at Emotiva have always been a pleasure to work with and have always went the "extra mile" to make me a happy customer, but responding to email isn't their strongest method of communication. You will get a reply, but it most often won't be a "quick" one. |
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Post by hlevinson on Jul 26, 2017 16:58:50 GMT -5
I heard back from Emotiva Support and they thanked me for doing all the troubleshooting (Inputs, power outlets, power cable etc.). The last thing they suggested I try was to remove the cover and blow any dust out of the unit. I did open it, but it looks brand new inside, not a speck of dust. I blew it out anyway, but still have the same fault issue.
The unit is less than 4 years old and still under warranty, So I packed it up in the original box and will ship it out tomorrow for warranty repair. They did mention that the service time is 7-10 days after they receive it, which is reasonable. Luckily I was using the XPA-3 for my rear speakers, so my AVR amplifier will have to fill in for a few weeks time.
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Post by leonski on Jul 30, 2017 14:36:42 GMT -5
Any internal fuses to check? Did you do so?
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Post by hlevinson on Jul 30, 2017 19:22:56 GMT -5
Any internal fuses to check? Did you do so? When I opened it I did not see any visible fuses nor did the Emotiva Support ask me to check any fuses. |
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Post by hlevinson on Aug 22, 2017 18:32:02 GMT -5
just a follow up. i received my repaired XPA-3 yesterday. I hooked it up today and it works perfectly. What impressed me most was the constant communication from Emotiva during the service process. I received many emails letting me know the status such as:
Email 1 - Item reeived
Email 2 - Estimated repair time, next in queue for repair
Email 3 - Service complete
Email 4 - Tracking number
The entire process took 3 weeks (And that includes shipping both ways)
Overall a highly satisfied customer.
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novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
Posts: 27,222 
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Post by novisnick on Aug 22, 2017 18:42:50 GMT -5
just a follow up. i received my repaired XPA-3 yesterday. I hooked it up today and it works perfectly. What impressed me most was the constant communication from Emotiva during the service process. I received many emails letting me know the status such as: Email 1 - Item reeived Email 2 - Estimated repair time, next in queue for repair Email 3 - Service complete Email 4 - Tracking number The entire process took 3 weeks (And that includes shipping both ways) Overall a highly satisfied customer. Glad you had a great experience, sounds as if you experienced Emotiva SOP! Isn't it nice when its not a surprise that most of their customers have the same experience! I just had a piece in for repairs and it may gave taken a few days less then yours. Great gear plus great service and wonderful people makes for a great company/family! 😁👍 |
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Post by brubacca on Aug 22, 2017 18:43:24 GMT -5
Fantastic. Glad to hear they did a good job for you.
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Post by hlevinson on Sept 5, 2017 9:20:07 GMT -5
Well I got my unit back and it worked for about 5 minutes. The unit went back into fault / protection mode with all 3 status LEDs showing red. I was able to power the unit down and restart it. Now there is no sound at all coming from any of the channels. I emailed Emotiva support today and I am sure it will have to go back for more repairs.
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Post by lehighvalleyjeff on Sept 5, 2017 22:43:00 GMT -5
Well I got my unit back and it worked for about 5 minutes. The unit went back into fault / protection mode with all 3 status LEDs showing red. I was able to power the unit down and restart it. Now there is no sound at all coming from any of the channels. I emailed Emotiva support today and I am sure it will have to go back for more repairs. Sounds like something shorted internally to trigger the fault protection. Just curious as to what they found was the issue the last time it was in for service? At least you can be confident that your issue will eventually be solved as their customer service is pretty awesome. |
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Post by teaman on Sept 5, 2017 22:47:43 GMT -5
It took them two visits to figure out my ERC-2 issues as well. Hopefully second time is the charm. Hoping Emotiva is willing to pay for the return since the problem wasn't solved. At the same time I am just wondering why it took you two weeks since getting it back from the first service call to follow up?
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Post by leonski on Sept 6, 2017 2:24:34 GMT -5
Actually, I think you've gone BACKWARDS.
Original problem was center and right lights going 'red'.
Now?
All Three.
When you ship it back this time, make CERTAIN they can reproduce the problem and check when complete with a 24 hour burn-in.
I had a Pioneer receiver a LONG time ago. The SX-727 sure looked real Space-Age. But the tuner would go off center when the tuner warmed up. It would suddenly 'jerk' off center.
The tuner had both center channel AND signal strength meters. Nice. And sort of useful, too. But they claimed they could NOT reproduce the problem. BS on them. The receiver was
out in the open and not restriced for airflow in ANY way and used in a cool house. This was before I could make an iPhone Video and send to those lying rats.
I eventually gave up and sold that piece of Junk. The preout / mainin jumpers saved my life.
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