(the/my) Wife's son appears to have made a horlicks over connecting an auxiliary cable (for an iPod) to his 202.
There are only 2 devices in use on his 202, the record deck via a phonostage (an Artaxerxes) and a CD player. Aux2 is (normally) selected to RCA. for the deck.
In error he connected the iPod to the DIN Aux2 input, noted that no sound came out and then tried to play a record; massive distortion.
I have talked him through some fault-finding. All DIN sockets work. Cannot test the RCAs as he has no DIN to RCA lead to connect the CD player.
Using either of the 2 sets of RCA connectors fed from the deck produces a distorted sound.
I think that, somehow, he has damaged the phonostage. But, how could this have occurred? Even though the 202 has to be told which input to use (DIN or RCA) I guess that does not mean physical separation right at the input but much further along the chain. Feeding the phonostage with a +2V signal at its output appears to have caused the problem.
I cannot easily think of anything else to ask him to try? Is there?
I feel somewhat responsible as I bought the cable for his partner after she bemoaned the lack of a black box that would allow here to connect her phone to the system.
Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Richard Dane
Two things connected to separate AUX2 inputs is not good but I don’t know the technical details of what may have occurred. Certainly running 2V through an MC phono stage could possibly damage it.
Is the NAC202 working ok? Is it just the phono stage that’s gone wrong?
Posted on: 25 December 2017 by yeti42
Selecting RCA deselects DIN and presumably powered DIN but is it done by reed relay or semiconductor and is it only the hot connection that is switched? if semiconductor 2V shoved up it the wrong way may have got through, does the RCA input still work or just the DIN. A Naim CD player may have selectable RCA output if its a black one.
Posted on: 26 December 2017 by Huge
A 202 has an unpowered 180° DIN 5 Aux2 input as well as a powered 240° DIN 5 Aux2, which was used?
Assuming it was the unpowered 180° DIN 5 Aux2 input...
Does the iPod still work?
Was the Artaxerxes powered up at the time?
Two primary candidates for damaged bits in the Artaxerxes: The output capacitors and the output transistors; it's probably repairable.
You shouldn't feel responsible for him not reading the labels for the sockets on the back of the amp (or if he did read them and connected two things to Aux2 at the same time, then you shouldn't feel responsible for his stupidity).
Posted on: 07 January 2018 by u77033103172058601
Sorry about my lack of reply. MWS had connected both Aux2 inputs (the non-powered ones) with devices (both powered up). Whilst the iPod was still connected he tried to play an LP; distorted sound. He immediately thought he had damaged the phonostage. There ensued attempts at fault finding over the telephone.
When I finally, yesterday, managed to book a slot to visit him, it was fairly clear that it was a coincidental, but not causally related, fault with his Shiraz. The suspension had partially collapsed leaving the cantilever at an angle of around 5 degrees off the straight ahead position. At least I assume a partial collapse; the cartridge will be going off for assessment and, if economic, repair.
Quick check with the spare record deck I had taken up showed that the phonostage was still working (within the limits of the deck, an RP1 clone), so I replaced the Shiraz with a cheap MM cartridge, in his Attemiz,. He is able to continue to use his Xerxes until either the Shiraz is repaired or something else is sorted. Based on a couple of hours listening with him, the MM lacks something in terms of drive and sparkle, audible even in his modest system. But the MM is clearly better than a broken Shiraz.
I tried to offload the RP1 clone onto his partner's 14 year old son, but was told that he would not appreciate it.
Posted on: 07 January 2018 by yeti42
Poorly adjusted antiskate setting? My first 17D2 suffered a similar fate, admittedly after years of heavy use, when I was still setting antiskate on a rega arm using the scale on the adjuster to match the tracking force. That might have been coincidence too but using an ungrooved section of a test lp to set it put the setting at ~1.2g on the Regas scale for a tracking force of 1.95g when I set up my 2nd 17D2.
Posted on: 09 January 2018 by u77033103172058601
The Shiraz was sent off to Goldring and I got the report back today (great service, given I only posted it off yesterday).
A total re-build is needed, suspension, cantllever, coils and tip. But at a cost of around 20% of a new Shiraz MWS will have something that will, or at least should, last him another few years. It will not be a Shiraz, though, when it returns. But it will be better than his make-do cartridge I fitted on Saturday.
