Cambridge Azur 851A Problem! Help!!

What model is the replacement switch? Can you provide a link?

"Standby mode" 2.1 watts indicates that there is a problem with the standby power supply, and it is best to send it to a service center for repair.

Further sad tale of woe with my 851a…..after dealing with replacing that switch on the back 4 times, always ending the same, decided to just unplug it when not in use.  All was well until last week…listening to an instrumental acoustic guitar lp at very moderate volume (we could have a conversation with it playing w/o shouting), mid way through 2nd track the unit shut off completely!  Display said “over driven, ned to cool for 10 minutes”…..WTF??  Unit was cool to the touch, had been unplugged before putting on the lp.  Nothing else had been changed (same speakers, turntable, cartridge etc.), so I let it cool for 10 minutes while I fumed…started same lp, got mid way thru 3rd track and it shut down again.  Same message.  Stupidly thinking “3rd times a charm”, let it cool for 10 minutes, again.    Turned it on again, same lp, 2nd track started and it shut off again….same message.  Unit cool as a cucumber.  Unplugged it completely and removed from my rack, put my 40+ year old Kenwood KA-6006 in its place (noticed instantly much better bottom end than the Cambridge but that’s another story).  Talked with folks at Cambridge, marginally helpful…the seller (Music Room in Erie, CO total waste of time); chatted with nice lady at Panurgy in NJ (the ONLY Cambridge authorized repair place in the US)….bottom line I’ll be out about $300 just to find out what is wrong with the unit.  For a unit that cost around $1K four years ago….not feeling real good about Cambridge Audio right now….my ol’ Kenwood is sounding pretty good……

If it is going into auto shut off that quickly, and assuming that you don't have a short in your speaker or cables, there is a good possibility that one or more of the power output transistors is either shot or has come off the heat sink.  If that is the case, the "whole" amp is not going to get hot to the touch.  

As for the switch... if it is the same switch in my 851N streamer, it is a pretty cheap switch.  Since it is out of warranty, you might want to replace it with a robust, all metal single pole/single throw toggle switch.  You can find good one Grainger.com or McMaster.com.

Hope this helps...

Jeff

Update:  after considerable thought, sent unit to Panurgy in NJ for evaluation.  They and Manny from Cambridge convinced me repair to both channel amps was required and not prohibitively expensive so that was route taken.  Unit is back already (they also replaced that rear switch with a better quality one).  So far so good.  As a side note, while waiting I picked up an SAE P102 preamp (for a trade of fixing 2 turntables) and bought a Carver M-501t amp from Frenchtown Vintage Audio here in St. Louis.   Now I can have some fun choosing between the two configurations.  That Kenwood KA-6006 is still here too…..