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AUDIO FORUMS >> General Discussion and Support >> Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
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Message started by Doug on 02/16/21 at 18:15:49

Title: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by Doug on 02/16/21 at 18:15:49

Evergy Corp., our power company in Lees Summit, Missouri (an east side suburb of Kansas City), initiated a one hour controlled blackout this morning to help “protect” our 17 state power grid. Unfortunately, it came without warning while I was on a Zoom meeting with my employer. And yes, I had my main system on in the background, as there was no possibility of me needing to speak in this meeting.

My iPad (with Zoom meeting in hand) and I headed to the listening room to turn down all the volume knobs on the CSP3 and the power amp and to turn all the power switches off. When the meeting ended and the power came on, I went downstairs again to power up the system and resume listening to Mari Kodama playing Beethoven piano sonatas. All components powered up as normal, and the four tubes on the CSP3 each had their usual glow. Unfortunately, I got no sound from my speakers. After 30 minutes or so of troubleshooting I isolated the problem to the CSP3. I did discover that when I turned all volume controls on the CSP3 and the LFD NCSE power amp to max, and put my ear an inch from the FRX2’s, which are currently the full range drivers in my PAP Quintets, I could faintly hear piano playing. The CSP3’s output has fallen to extremely low levels and I have not been able to determine the cause. Any ideas what might happening here?

By the way, my 25th CSP3 is one of the very early versions that Steve made prior to the current fancy edition that matches the SE84UFO25.

Doug

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by CAJames on 02/16/21 at 18:20:30

First guess is the rectifier tube. If the tubes light up then the low voltage is good, as is the mains fuse, but you're missing the high voltage aka B+ that makes the amp work.

P.S. Best to all of you who are dealing with the deep freeze, I hope things get back to "normal" soon.

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by Archie on 02/16/21 at 18:28:07

What CAJames said but how could the power being cut cause this? It seems no different than turning off the amp's own power switch.

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by Lon on 02/16/21 at 18:44:50

It is probably turning it back on that was the cause. Rectifiers do fail. . . . NOS American and European less than Chinese in my experience. It may not be a failed rectifier, it may be one of the fuses in the fuse box underneat the chassis.

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by will on 02/16/21 at 18:50:51

Sounds logical that it could be the rectifier, but I don't think I have ever had a rectifier fail while still lighting up. When mine have gone, they shorted and blew the fuse (my very early CSP3 has only the IEC fuse), and were officially dead.....the rectifier no longer lighting up. I have no experience with the internal fuses, but I too can imagine that as a possibility.

Guessing that you bypassed the CSP3 altogether to verify it as the problem, running source ICs only on the amp?

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by piezoman on 02/16/21 at 19:18:37

agreed, very likely the rectifier. the high voltage plates can short, causing the IEC fuse to blow.....I don't know if Steve created a fused protection circuit underneath the chassis of the CSP3-25th Anniversary, I haven't needed to open mine up to confirm for you.

definitely replace the rectifier, after checking the fuse at the IEC of the power cord.....

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by Doug on 02/16/21 at 19:38:47

I’ve also seen many rectifier tubes fail upon start-up during the past 30 years, but all died by, what looked to be, violent deaths, followed by no sign of life afterward. My Sophia Electric 274B Aqua rectifier tube came up slowly at turn-on, as it always does, and it is glowing as beautiful as ever.

Yes, bypassed the CSP3 altogether to confirm it as the culprit.

And I too was wondering if the CSP3 might have internal fuses like the Torii Jr has. I’m going to open it to check.

Thanks for the all the replies!

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by Doug on 02/16/21 at 20:26:43

Wow! It’s always an amazing experience to see the guts of a Decware amp! The CSP3 is quite the beauty!

There are, indeed, three fuses sitting in a fuse holder/plate that is mounted to the bottom of the rectifier tube socket. All three fuses are in good condition. Everything else looked as it should, except for two drops of beeswax that had dripped from the larger caps underneath the output tubes.

Here’s where this episode becomes embarrassing. The preamp is fine. The tubes are fine. The interconnect cables are fine. The guy who knocked the selector switch pointing to the empty set of input jacks is an idiot!

All is well. :-[

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by will on 02/16/21 at 20:46:11

Glad you found it to be an inadvertent switch thing. Happy days again!

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by CAJames on 02/16/21 at 20:52:19

I'd take that every day. Glad the story had a happy ending!

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by piezoman on 02/16/21 at 21:16:27

Hey Doug, great news! I go thru that kind of thing all the time, lol

Happy listening!

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by Lon on 02/16/21 at 21:21:52

Great news!

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by Steve Deckert on 02/16/21 at 21:40:04

If I had a dollar for every time I waited for something to come on only to realize it needs to actually be plugged it in first...

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by Archie on 02/16/21 at 22:42:33

And even better news is that Steve told me that when the beeswax caps drip and develop an air gap inside, they sound even better!

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by piezoman on 02/17/21 at 00:21:22

Hey Archie, that sounds very interesting......can anyone explain it?

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by Archie on 02/17/21 at 00:34:58

You'll have to ask Steve. Way beyond my paygrade!

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by piezoman on 02/17/21 at 00:55:05

Aye, maybe Steve will chime in!

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by Ellsworth on 02/17/21 at 01:15:49

I had to smile at this as I feel like I am the only one who ever has this type of stuff happen to them. So glad to hear that the situation is fixed. That is a great feeling when you get music back after troubleshooting.

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by Archie on 02/17/21 at 01:25:58

Nope, you're part of the silent majority! ;D

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by MrDerrick on 02/17/21 at 02:15:30

I have been down that same road...........

Bought a new music server and could not find/see the power button to turn it on.
I have a bad habit of forgetting that I turned the ZBIT all the way down, wondering why I have no sound.
For some reason BubbleUPnP likes to switch to an inactive renderer on me, where did the music go?

Doh!

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by bikehappy1 on 02/17/21 at 02:49:30

Remember the old Chechen & Chong? I turned it on man!

Title: Re: Power Blackout......Injured CSP3-25
Post by HockessinKid on 02/17/21 at 11:27:53

Everyone has those oops moments. Sometime I forget to turn up the attenuator on my CSP3 preamp when powering up the system. After a few choice swear words, I eventually figure out my mistake.

HK