Cambridge Audio Azur 540A Amp not working

[Conchis]

I had to clear all my television and audio stuff upstairs over the weekend in preparation for my living-room being re-ceilinged.

All done now and have moved the audio stuff back downstairs, wired up the speakers, CD player, amp. Yet when I switch on the amp, I get the blue light for 'on' but can't get any output for CD/Aux/etc. - the blue light just flickers above the settings and then goes out. The protection light comes on as well.

I've looked online and someone suggested just letting the amp 'charge' for a bit, then trying again.

Rather puzzling, as it was working fine when I disconnected it on Saturday.


Any ideas?

[Stunsworth]

Are the speaker cables attached correctly? No short circuits, +ve and -ve attached to correct binding posts?

[Dave2002]

If not an obvious fault, unplug everything, power the amp down and pull the plug out.

Then rewire the speakers and just one input source. See if there's any output from that one input source. If yes, then add others in turn, if not unplug the first input source, and try one input source at a time - preferably powering everything down between each disconnect/connect attempt.

If that doesn't work, then more head scratching required.

If you have another amp, you could test the speakers with that - to ensure that the cables to the speakers and the speakers themselves are working.

[richardfinegold]

Is there an internal DAC in that amp? Sorry, can't check the specifications from here. If there is, then that may be the problem. If on the other hand,you use analog outs from the CDP and analog cable for everything else, then it's either thepower amp or pre amp section (I am assuming this is an integrated amp). If you have a separate pre amp or power amp available to you could try hooking them up to Cambridge to narrow it down

[Bryn]

I had to clear all my television and audio stuff upstairs over the weekend in preparation for my living-room being re-ceilinged.

All done now and have moved the audio stuff back downstairs, wired up the speakers, CD player, amp. Yet when I switch on the amp, I get the blue light for 'on' but can't get any output for CD/Aux/etc. - the blue light just flickers above the settings and then goes out. The protection light comes on as well.

I've looked online and someone suggested just letting the amp 'charge' for a bit, then trying again.

Rather puzzling, as it was working fine when I disconnected it on Saturday.


Any ideas?

Appologies in advance if this seems just too demeaning, but I notice from the pdf of its manual that there is an additional on/off switch on the back of the amp. Could this have been accidentally set to the off position during the amp's removal?

[Conchis]

Appologies in advance if this seems just too demeaning, but I notice from the pdf of its manual that there is an additional on/off switch on the back of the amp. Could this have been accidentally set to the off position during the amp's removal?

Yes, I spotted that one. No, it was 'on' when I removed it and I've played about with the switch since. But thanks for your thoroughness in checking the manual! :)

[Bryn]

Yes, I spotted that one. No, it was 'on' when I removed it and I've played about with the switch since. But thanks for your thoroughness in checking the manual! :)

Well, they do say, "If all else fails, consult the manual".

[Dave2002]

Are there any fuses? I once had to change some fuses in a Rotel amp, though I can’t remember whether anything lit up before I put the new ones in. Also, there’s no obvious reason why fuses would have blown, unless something shorted during your strip down or re-configuring processes. It’s perhaps worth checking the manual for that.

If you do find that the fuses are suspect you could replace them, but if you’re not sure how to do it it’s best to leave the job to a repair shop. Some large capacitors in some amps can store charge for a possibly long while, and could cause injuries even if the amps are disconnected from the mains. Don’t even think of trying to discharge any capacitors by shorting them out.

[MrGongGong]

Well, they do say, "If all else fails, consult the manual".

I think it's
RTFM

[Conchis]

Some follow-up on this.

the fault was not with the amplifier at all. I took the amp with the speaker leads and banala plugs into my branch of Richer Sounds. The s.a. checked the amplifier by connecting it to some of their own speakers and it came up fine (he used a Sting album as a demo - I think Sting's music is mostly uninteresting but I have to say its perfect for this purpose!). Before this, he'd checked the wires at the end of the banana plugs and recognised it as the handiwork of a colleague - 'I have given him a hard time about this!' he said. Apparently, the wires weren't sufficiently cut and tidied, so he 'groomed' them for me. I took it back, and all was good.

Very happy now, after a long, disruptive and music-less period! :)

[Ein Heldenleben]

Banana plugs are the invention of a malevolent spirit sent to earth to plague us...