NAD 3240PE - another disaster for Andrew

andrew25

New Member
Well, my foray into hifi has been a total disaster.. Or maybe this is normal in the vintage world?

My NAD 3240PE just started smoking.. slow wisps of dark electrical smelling smoke just started wisping up from the back of the amp. :tears:

Can you believe my luck.. after blowing my speakers with the same amp: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=155155.. So, I pretty much have a record player and a CD player at the moment..

I have turned the amp off - it has stopped smoking. Should I never turn it back on?

What should I do? Try to get the amp repaired at great expense? Or buy another one?

I have two possible explanations - some comments would be great.

1. The amp has been making a low hum ever since I bought it... could this be related somehow?

2. I added this little adaptor because I was told it would help to connect my ipod safely:

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Could this be the cause? I was only trying to make it safer.. just my luck.
 
Andrew, I just read your thread about your speakers, and my heart went out to you. See, when I was 20, I had a girlfriends father give me, read again...GIVE ME...a Pioneer SX-1250, MINT AS HELL.

What did I do?? After it broke down, I tossed it in a dumpster. Luckily, you've probably never done anything that stupid...

I noticed you have a Technics SL-PS700D.(or is it a 770?) That's a hell of a cd player. And those AR6's??
You already know.

I suggest you grab one of those Pioneer SX-680 or 780's that are on the 'bay now, and sit your NAD aside for awhile. I think you could get one of those amps for around 1 benjamin...

Good luck to you, bro.
 
Thanks onwardjames.. so it is fried. And probably my fault again no less.. It all feels kind of surreal... It's not rocket science, yet I seem to be breaking everything I touch!

Thanks for the recommendation of a new amp - I'll scour the Australian ebay. Your comments were very kind!

P.S. It is a SL-PS900 - is that still okay?
 
Okay, didn't read all ur thread before I responded.

Your cd player is VERY NICE. Solidly built. I used them for years in radio. I was a dj for 12 years. We loved those machines.

Your amp should not be turned on again. Sounds like one of your caps leaked, or popped. That would cause smoke, as they are full of a gelly type stuff. I am no techie, but that's what happened to my Pioneer SX-1250. It is TRULY a horrible feeling. Once did that same thing with a Fender amp while playing onstage in my rock band. Little guy just had smoke pouring outta her...

Get it serviced, by a reputable repairman. Great lil amp.

In the meantime, those I mentioned would sound great. A richer sound than the NAD, to my ears.

This hobby costs like any other, but sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug!

We've all had good scores, and shite luck othertimes. Part of it.

Good luck!
 
Oh, as for good guidelines for safety of you and the equipment...

Unless you're a repairman, leave it to the pros.

Never unplug a speaker lead from the speaker WHILE ON. If those two wires touch....booom.

The volume of some of my amps never goes past halfway. That's called "headroom" and its to boost the gain of lighter passages. With today's loudness wars, it can mean harmful dc current, instead of watts. Bad for speakers. Turns them into a lightbulb. Literally.

That's all I know.
Anyone else have tips for Andrew?
 
Thanks again onwardjames, great advice. Yeah, it is the worst feeling. Slow dark smoke just drifting out of the back of my beautiful black amp. I thought those things were built to last forever!

I've looked for a Pioneer SX 680 or 780, the closest thing I can find is this SX-700L: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Vintage-SX-7...ryZ14998QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem is that decent?

Also there is a NAD 3020i: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NAD-Integrat...oryZ3280QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem not sure how that rates..

And this Technics looks kinda funky: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Technics-SU-...oryZ3280QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem and well priced too at this stage.

Opinions would be greatly appreciated...
 
Checked out ur options...pioneer is a no, imho. The Technics could be a sleeper..... the NAD is, if I remember, not too shabby.

Still would go for the JVC. Loved that little amp.
 
Checked out ur options...pioneer is a no, imho. The Technics could be a sleeper..... the NAD is, if I remember, not too shabby.

Still would go for the JVC. Loved that little amp.

The JVC certainly looks nice - but as with all good vintage equipment - it is located in the States! it showed up on the Aussie ebay because the seller is prepared to ship it here - for US$100 so in total that would be a bit too expensive for me unfortunately... :) Does look great though!
 
The JVC certainly looks nice - but as with all good vintage equipment - it is located in the States! it showed up on the Aussie ebay because the seller is prepared to ship it here - for US$100 so in total that would be a bit too expensive for me unfortunately... :) Does look great though!

Maybe check the classifieds in your area and yard sales too. Ebay items often command top dollar but local folks might not be sure, or care, what their stuff is actually worth. I am not an especially lucky person but I found a 100% functional Pioneer SX-880 for $10 at a yard sale last spring and a Yamaha CR-440 receiver in a classified ad last week, again for $10. Those same classifieds led me to a cache of Yamaha separates valued at nearly $600 (my guess) for a mere $125.

The nice thing about buying locally is that you can usually inspect the items before you buy and because you're right there, you can transport the equipment home in the back seat of the car, avoiding shipping damage.

Best of luck!
 
The low hum plus the smoke does sound like a bad capacitor. These are actually an easy fix and not very expensive even if you have it done, so maybe you should look into 'repair before despair'.
 
The NAD 3020i is a nice integrated amp, and is the last iteration of the 3020, at least in some countries.

But, all may not be lost. If you open up your 3240, it should be obvious where the smoke came from at least. Also, you will find at least 4 fuses, 2 for the preamp section and 2 or more for the power amp section. Pull the fuses for the power amp section, assuming they are still intact, pull the pre-out/main-in jumpers, and see if the preamp section is still in working order.

If so, the 3240 can be run as a preamp only, and a nice one at that. The power amp section of the 3240 has NAD's "power envelope" circuitry, which can be a serious PITA to work on, especially if your repair person doesn't have the service manual or a schematic.
 
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