• 01-16-2005, 12:59 PM
    jonlesser
    NAD amp distorting heavily after running a bass guitar through it.
    My NAD 214 stereo amp is dead or dying. Any signal I run through it is extremely distorted and I have to turn up the volume to even hear that.

    Beginning a few months back it would sound fine and then all of a sudden die and the sound would become horrible distorted. The time it takes the amp to go from working fine to distortion box continually shortens from 20 to 10 to 5 to 2 to 1 minutes. Now it doesn’t work for anytime at all.

    I haven’t been playing nice with it recently. I have run a microphone and bass guitar through it. However, the amp had experienced the problem I described above before this.

    So my question is this: Is there any fundamental reason why running a bass guitar or mic through this amp would hurt it? Also, does anyone have any idea what might be wrong with my amp.

    Thank you!
    -Jon

    Ps here is my setup in case it’s helpful.
    NAD 214 Stereo Amp
    NAD 512 CD player
    Adcom preamp
    KEF Q55 speakers
    Monster XP cables
  • 01-17-2005, 06:32 AM
    bargainseeker
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jonlesser
    My NAD 214 stereo amp is dead or dying. Any signal I run through it is extremely distorted and I have to turn up the volume to even hear that.

    Beginning a few months back it would sound fine and then all of a sudden die and the sound would become horrible distorted. The time it takes the amp to go from working fine to distortion box continually shortens from 20 to 10 to 5 to 2 to 1 minutes. Now it doesn?t work for anytime at all.

    I haven?t been playing nice with it recently. I have run a microphone and bass guitar through it. However, the amp had experienced the problem I described above before this.

    So my question is this: Is there any fundamental reason why running a bass guitar or mic through this amp would hurt it? Also, does anyone have any idea what might be wrong with my amp.

    Thank you!
    -Jon

    Ps here is my setup in case it?s helpful.
    NAD 214 Stereo Amp
    NAD 512 CD player
    Adcom preamp
    KEF Q55 speakers
    Monster XP cables

    I think you are looking at either replacing your amp or paying for a major repair. I can't think of any user-fixable problems that would cause the symptoms you describe. Since you say that the problem started before you began using the bass guitar and microphone with the amp, I am not sure that your problem is related to how you were using it.
  • 01-17-2005, 08:38 AM
    kexodusc
    Are you sure it's the amp and not the pre amp? I'm not 100% sure, but if you've plugged instruments that provide too much gain into the system, I would suspect that could muck somethings up as well.

    Do you have another amp or pre-amp around you could use to isolate the two components to verify which is the culprit?
  • 01-17-2005, 01:20 PM
    bargainseeker
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by kexodusc
    Are you sure it's the amp and not the pre amp? I'm not 100% sure, but if you've plugged instruments that provide too much gain into the system, I would suspect that could muck somethings up as well.

    Do you have another amp or pre-amp around you could use to isolate the two components to verify which is the culprit?

    Good point about the preamp. I was picturing him plugging the microphone and guitar through a mixer into the amp. If he was plugging them into the preamp, then it probably is the preamp he has fried.
  • 01-28-2005, 04:34 PM
    hermanv
    Do not use HiFi gear as a guitar amp.
    Amplifiers for musical instruments are fundamentally different from home stereo amplifiers. At least in how they are rated.

    When playing a guitar through an amplifier the peak to average power approaches one. When playing music it is usually at least 10 to 1 and often 20 to 1. Your hifi amp can't take the abuse. Guitar notes sustain, requiring your amplifier to output massive power for a long time.

    When I was younger I repaired a number of HiFi amps for people that tried to save the cost of a musician's amplifier. False economics. Most musicians I know are incapable of resisting the urge to crank up the volume until the amplifier is well into clipping - ocassionally I have seen the smoke pouring out.

    No No No. :eek:
  • 02-02-2005, 11:41 PM
    royphil345
    Same problem...
    Ran an electric guitar through my guitar amp. Amp no longer works properly (distorts heavily) and it was very difficult to remove the guitar afterwards.


    sorry... couldn't resist ;)
  • 02-21-2005, 11:25 PM
    James.ca
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jonlesser
    My NAD 214 stereo amp is dead or dying. Any signal I run through it is extremely distorted and I have to turn up the volume to even hear that.

    Beginning a few months back it would sound fine and then all of a sudden die and the sound would become horrible distorted. The time it takes the amp to go from working fine to distortion box continually shortens from 20 to 10 to 5 to 2 to 1 minutes. Now it doesn t work for anytime at all.

    I haven t been playing nice with it recently. I have run a microphone and bass guitar through it. However, the amp had experienced the problem I described above before this.

    So my question is this: Is there any fundamental reason why running a bass guitar or mic through this amp would hurt it? Also, does anyone have any idea what might be wrong with my amp.

    Thank you!
    -Jon

    Ps here is my setup in case it s helpful.
    NAD 214 Stereo Amp
    NAD 512 CD player
    Adcom preamp
    KEF Q55 speakers
    Monster XP cables

    I'm a guitar player and a bit of bassas well
    Onethe unit you rplaying throughis ahom eunit .
    It's not a raw power amp .
    Your lucky yoou didn't bas your speakers righ tof .
    If you havelie a guitar bass or guitar pre mp sometime syou can pul this of witho t hurting anyhting . at low volume levels .
    . Itl ooks like you beat your amp up by playng at full blast and over loading it . Home units aren't ment to do this at all .Wrong tool for the job
    get a smal miro PA at a music store they aren't to pricey to buy one .
    Sorry to say you busted it good .
    James


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  • 02-23-2005, 04:21 PM
    malibushirl
    This may be way to simple a suggestion so forgive me if you have tried this.
    Have you checked to see if the fuse(s) are blown? If not do this and replace and you may be okay, otherwise you are in for some major repairs.