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

Showing 1 response by mt10425

Randy Young does my vintage work and he lives in Clinton, Tenn. He goes by the name "Ezekiel" here on Audiogon. Very nice and honest guy, you might contact him.