Insight on XPA's

[bluemeanies]

I recently had issues with both of my newly acquire XPA1 amplifiers. I only had them for approximately 10 days when I noticed that when I turned them on the red LED lights stay on for maybe five seconds and then the blue LED lights shot halfway across the front panel. Along with this I had noise coming from both speakers sounding like distortion. It sounded as if there were wires trying to make a connection, that something was not plugged in correctly.
Thru instructions from the Emotiva tech I disconnected all cables including the trigger cables. I turn both amps on and the same response occurred only of course I could not hear any noise. However I did see the blue LED lights shoot about halfway across the front panel of the XPA.
All speaker cables are new and also I had just purchased two new balanced cables from BJC.
Needless to say I am disappointed and shipped both amps back to Emotiva last Friday. They should be back in Tennessee tomorrow.
I am still in the thirty day window so I am hoping that Emotiva sends me two new amplifiers.
All of this said I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts as to what could have occur to present this issue. The XPA's were plugged into a dedicated 20amp circuit. I even tried a dedicated 15 amp circuit only to have the same problem.
I had a friend who is an electrician check both circuits only to find nothing wrong.

Any thoughts? Anyone?

Thanks

[Gary Cook]

The chances of 2 x XPA-1's failing at the same time without a common cause is pretty slim I'd reckon. Since you have had the 110 volt circuit checked then I'd be looking for other reasons.
Here's what I would do;
Unplug all inputs and outputs, everything (except power cables) from the 2 x XPA-1's, power them up and watch the LED's if they perform as normal then it's a connection problem.
Speaker cables would then be where I would start, check them out carefully and if possible try another pair.
Then interconnects, check them out and if possible also try another pair.

The problem is obviously there, you just have to take the time to work your way through the eliminations.

Cheers
Gary

[linvincible]

I have exactly the same thing with one of my XPA-1 G2 (out of 4)
it does it only in calsse A/B mode, not in class A
Mentionned it to the support a few days ago and waiting for reply...

[bluemeanies]

Hey Iinvincible...Sorry to about your problem. But also I am glad my situation is not a lone issue.
I myself have done everything graycook had stated above.
In my situation everything was disconnected and the blue LED light still ran across the front panel before the signal blue dot remained.

Did you call support? And who did you speak too. It will be interesting to hear what they tell you.
Please kept in touch....PM If you want.

[KeithL]

When an amplifier (or any electrical circuit) is first turned on, it takes a few seconds for it to reach equilibrium. In the old days many amplifiers had output relays that disconnected the speakers while this was going on (so they could make all sorts of odd noises and weird voltage fluctuations and you wouldn't hear them). Modern amps usually don't use relays - for various reasons. However, with modern amps, the transition to normal operating levels is usually pretty well controlled. Even though you may hear a gentle thump or swishing noise as the amp "comes up", we design them rather carefully to avoid anything potentially harmful to speakers or your ears.

What I'm getting at here is that a quick flick of the LEDs while the amp is powering up is NOT a problem; and neither is a swishing noise or a gentle thump. The meters read voltage from inside the circuitry. What you're seeing is a slight fluctuation in the voltage as it reaches stable equilibrium (the fluctuation could be in the amp circuitry or in the meter circuitry). As long as it only happens for a few seconds on startup, and isn't accompanied by major movements of your woofers - or really loud noises - it isn't a problem. (It's the same as when as when all the lights on your dashboard light up red when you start the car - they may not light in the exact same order every time - and, as long as it goes away in a few seconds, don't worry about it.)

[bluemeanies]

Thanks Keith for your explanation it is way more information than what I received from Emotiva tech support when I called.
I am not bashing here.
Some people have a better explanation than others or franlkly know a bit more. I can handle that reasoning.
The blue LED lights go from a moving motion to a single blue dot in about five ten seconds...no more. The XPA's perform beautiful after start up. This does not happen all of the time and also after the amps are on for a time it does not happen when changing sources or if I would turn them off then restart them they operate just fine.
I am disappointed that I had to send them back but at the same time I am looking forward to getting Emotiva back into my system.

[Lsc]

We need an Ask Keith L. section somewhere. Along with searchable FAQ.

Especially for newbies. I have a buddy who thinks there are a lot of idiots on the forums, when they are just new and trying to learn. So mean.

[bluemeanies]

Agreed

[Porscheguy]

Feb 10, 2014 16:18:41 GMT -5 bluemeanies said:

I recently had issues with both of my newly acquire XPA1 amplifiers. I only had them for approximately 10 days when I noticed that when I turned them on the red LED lights stay on for maybe five seconds and then the blue LED lights shot halfway across the front panel. Along with this I had noise coming from both speakers sounding like distortion. It sounded as if there were wires trying to make a connection, that something was not plugged in correctly.
Thru instructions from the Emotiva tech I disconnected all cables including the trigger cables. I turn both amps on and the same response occurred only of course I could not hear any noise. However I did see the blue LED lights shoot about halfway across the front panel of the XPA.
All speaker cables are new and also I had just purchased two new balanced cables from BJC.
Needless to say I am disappointed and shipped both amps back to Emotiva last Friday. They should be back in Tennessee tomorrow.
I am still in the thirty day window so I am hoping that Emotiva sends me two new amplifiers.
All of this said I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts as to what could have occur to present this issue. The XPA's were plugged into a dedicated 20amp circuit. I even tried a dedicated 15 amp circuit only to have the same problem.
I had a friend who is an electrician check both circuits only to find nothing wrong.

Any thoughts? Anyone?

Thanks

I'm no expert, but I would say they are defective.

[Gary Cook]

Feb 11, 2014 7:14:06 GMT -5 bluemeanies said:

In my situation everything was disconnected and the blue LED light still ran across the front panel before the signal blue dot remained.

That's normal behaviour for my amps.

Cheers
Gary

[bluemeanies]

That might be the case Gary but if it was the Tech at Emotiva did not express that to me or explain why the XPA's would operate that way.
I think Keith gave a plausible reason.
In the end I am sitting here without my XPA's. Believe me I did not want to send them back.

It seems I was not the only one that had operating issues such as this...Iinvincible had a similar problems.
I do hope that besides getting back the XPA's I get an explanation.
It could be a standard operating procedure that was never addressed in the operating manual.

[Darksky]

*

[Darksky]

My XPR amps boot in much the same way. The red lights do not stay on for five seconds, only for two, then the blues flash once and come on. IIRC that was what my XPA2/3 amps did as well. The XPA amps emitted as oft ump as they powered up, but the XPRs are silent

Sorry for your difficulties.