[Grendizer]

Hello people. Well. I bought a new amp. I guess it's faulty but I'd like to discard it's something related to my system or some kind of interference.
First. Ive been using a dacmagic , Pro-ject headboxII amp and headphones with no problems at all.
When I tried the amp the music was nice. For like about 20 seconds. Then very loud pops and cracks started. I turned volume down fast but the noise didn't stop. It even got louder. Then I took my headphones off my head (sound was so loud it hurt) and then I powered it off. After I turned the volume down cracks and pops remained but there was a (very loud too) clack that sounded like the real culprit.

Anyone with knowledge on internal parts of amplifiers can tell me his opinion about what can cause this?
I am already waiting for UPS to come for the amp and send it back to get a new one. I wouldn't care if it just didn't work but it blew my headphones. Now music sounds like metal and highs are distorted. It's listenable but sounds strange.

I was so hyped about this amp. And now no amp, no headphones and money lost. The 20 seconds I could hear music through the amp sounded very nice though.

 

[AmanGeorge]

Sorry you're having these issues! What evil amp is the culprit?

Just a quick question (and forgive me if I'm insulting your intelligence) but have you tried plugging the headphones back into the Pro-ject headbox to make sure it's the headphones that are blown, not just a faulty amp?

 

[rosgr63]

Is your source a computer?

 

[Grendizer]

It's a dacmagic connected through optical to my computer.

Aman, of course. That's how I used the headphones. New amp is unusable.

 

[rosgr63]

Hi,
I occasionally get some cracks and pops and I am 95% sure it's a cheap USB hub I am using to feed my DAC.
Could it be your sound card?
Are you on a Mac?

 

[Grendizer]

No no. This is something huge that destroys headphones and ears. It's continuous once it starts and volume level has nothing to do with it.

I've had no problems with my soundcard and dacmagic with the headbox2 so I don't think it's the soundcard.

 

[boomana]

Sorry to hear about your problem, but since you've had other problems:

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f46/au...please-397999/

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/noi...box-ii-398533/

it's hard to tell what's going on in your audio chain. What specifically are you currently using (headphones, soundcard, amp, etc.) now? Were any of them in use with past noise problems? Have you done any troubleshooting as suggested?

 

[Grendizer]

Yes. Everything is running fine now. I also had noise coming from my videocard when stressed that got solved with optical. But issues are so different that I don't relate them.

Description of my audio chain: PC->optical cable to dacmagic that has 2 outputs: 1 balanced (to studio monitors) and 1 unbalanced(to headbox).
Everything is working ok.

 

[jbloudg20]

I don't understand how hard it is to tell us what gear you have.

What soundcard are you using?
What amplifier are you using?
What headphones are you using?

 

[Grendizer]

Ouch.
soundcard:asus xonar dx
dac: cambridge audio Dacmagic
old amp(no prob): pro-ject headbox 2
newamp(big prob): Lake people G100
blown headphones:Akg K702
monitors: ESI Near05

Using foobar with wasapi, vistaX64.

 

[squall343]

before u send it back, maybe u can take a few internal shots of the amp

and see whether there is any cooked parts?

 

[bjorn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by squall343 /img/forum/go_quote.gif before u send it back, maybe u can take a few internal shots of the amp and see whether there is any cooked parts?

Wouldn't that be risking the warranty? The manufacturer could claim that it had been tampered with if they discover that it has been opened. It seems unwise to do that given the circumstances.

 

[plonter]

sorry about your cans man, what are you gonna do..? are you gonna get new pair?

 

[corrupt_file]

Did you see any smoke escaping from your amp? Once smoke's gone there's a good chance it won't work

but seriously, see if you can look inside of the amp, maybe through air circulation grill? check if capacitors are lookin normal. If they are toast, they should be fat around the top part.

 

[That dude]

You could contact AKG and see what they have to say about this. I think if you grovel and beg sufficiently, they may reduce the repair costs.