Quote Originally Posted by oblongmouth
Hi first time poster, so apologies if i've posted in the wrong section.

I've just bought my first piece of 'serious' audio equipment, a discontinued Cambridge Audio Azur 540A (version 1) Integrated Amplifier.
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On attempting to power on the unit this evening I get a protection light flashing for approx 4 seconds (7 flashes) & the unit returns to standby mode.

In the manual it says 'CAP5 [their protection system] has detected the resistance on the loudspeaker terminals is too low. Check to see if there is a short circuit between the loudspeaker terminals.'
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The speakers were definitely working ok last night & after doing a little 'wiggling' of the speaker wires I got a little sound at first this evening, but having checked the connections multiple times both at the speaker & amplifier ends I've been unable to get the amp out of standby mode.

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The ostensible cause would be that the positive and negative speaker wires are touching each other either at the speaker or at the amplifier, for one or both speakers. However you say your have checked the connections carefully so this doesn't seem to be the problem. Don't forget to check the wires themselvers for any sign that there is a short along the length of the wire.

Eliminating the wires and the connections, the next step is to determine whether the actual problem is with the amp or the speakers. Can you try your old amp with the speakers? If you get sound as usual, then there is likely a problem with the Cambridge; it might be a blown fuse cause by an earlier short or something more serious. Or it's possible that the Cambridge just need to be "reset" before it gets back to normal; unplug it it for 20 minutes or so, then plug it back in and try again.

On the other hand, if you don'd get sound with the old amp, then likely the problem is with the spearks; they might have developed an internal short.

Conversely, if you have other speakers besides the ones you were using, then you could try them with the Cambridge. If you get sound ... etc.