Expert: Cleggsan - 11/1/2011

Question
QUESTION: I have a Kenwood KA-127 amplifier. It worked fine until one day i went to turn it on and the display screen did not come on. I hear it click and the little red light on the volume knob turns on,
but nothing works. I have checked the fuse right near the power input, but it appears to be fine. Any idea what's wrong?

ANSWER: Perhaps it has gone into protection mode.  Check it by doing this:

- unplug the power cord.
- disconnect all the speaker wires at the back of the unit.
- wait one full hour before turning it back on.

If everything seems to be okey now, power it off and connect only one speaker wire at a time.

A shorted speaker or speaker wire can cause a shut down.  And, of course it could be something that failed within the unit.

Lastly, make sure you don't have the tape monitor switched into the wrong position or the speaker selector on B rather than A or something like that.

Let me know if have further questions.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your quick answer. I have actually done all of the things you have listed, but still no luck. Do you think it is time to bring it to a repair man? Also, is my problem consistent with a blown fuse? I thought it might be worth trying a new one even though the old one appears to be ok.

Answer
Yes, either try a new fuse or test it with an ohmmeter.  Chances are it is not a fuse problem but in rare cases it is.  You never know for sure.

Actually, audio equipment repair is much less expensive than if it were a tv.  A good audio repair technician can usually fix these kinds of things in short order at low cost.  The secret is being able to diagnose the problem and zero in on the culprit and good technicians can do that.  I recommend you find a good shop.