Why are my mosfet fuses blowing?


I have a Classe CA-200 Power Amplifier/200 watts per channel into 8 Ohms (side heat-sink version)which is driving a pair of Thiel CS2.3s with upgraded coaxial tweeter/midrange. Sound is very good. I listen at relatively high volumes and recently (over the last year) the amplifier is getting hot within 60 to 90 minutes of listening and the mosfet fuses (2AG 1/2 PT, 1/2 amp fast blow) have been blowing. Do I need a higher powered amplifier to listen at high volume? Should I look for a used CA-200 and use one to drive each speaker (700watts into 8 Ohms)? Thanks.
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Showing 1 response by bob_bundus

The way you've written this I'm assuming that initially you had no problems at higher output levels but now the B+ rail fuses are failing? Both channels doing this? You might have the amp bench tested by a tech. Have it run at rated power into dummy loads of similar impedance to the Theils for a couple of hours to find out if it holds up.

Something in the load is possibly degrading if the amp is OK; possibly capacitors breaking down in the speaker crossovers is what she's alluding to. Or there could be a voltage protection device in the crossovers (such as zeners or varistors) which are now stressed from repeated overloading.

If it's always been this way then yes, you'd probably want "more power Igor".