Static Electricity Damage?

zaskarx

Active Member
I'm hoping I didn't damage my brand new Project phono preamp, I touched the top of my amplifier and received an almighty static shock, my finger is still smarting from it. My phono preamp immediately powered off, I am guessing this is by design, but a little paranoid that I may have damaged it. It powered right back on and sounds fine as far as I can tell. Is there any chance I did lasting damage to it?
 
I'm hoping I didn't damage my brand new Project phono preamp, I touched the top of my amplifier and received an almighty static shock, my finger is still smarting from it. My phono preamp immediately powered off, I am guessing this is by design, but a little paranoid that I may have damaged it. It powered right back on and sounds fine as far as I can tell. Is there any chance I did lasting damage to it?
If it works correctly, it's highly unlikely it's been permanently damaged.
 
My understanding is that static does not usually immediately kill sensitive components but can weaken them meaning that their life expectancy can be reduced.
You state that you touched the top of your amp. Is this an earthed case? If so and you’re lucky most of the energy went straight to ground and the protection circuit just got confused for a while.
 
Thank you for the replies, yes, there is a terminal on the back of the preamp, which I have connected to the turntable but not to ground. Correct, I touched the top of my amp, which is a Yamaha CR-2020 receiver. The top of the case has a metal grill (which I touched causing the static shock), this is inset in a wooden case, I don't think that the grill is grounded to the chassis in any way. The receiver has a non-polarized plug so I think it is grounded through the neutral side of the outlet. I just got the preamp and was testing it out, I had it sitting on top of the CR-2020's case temporarily, but the preamp has rubber feet so I'm really puzzled as to how such a shock could have made it to the phono preamp. The receiver and phono preamp are plugged into the same outlet.
 
I picked up a funky 80's Akai receiver last year. I thought is was cool looking and it sounded good enough to keep hooked up. One day while listening I got up to adjust the volume and when I touched the button I shocked the crap out if it. The receiver was toast. It was stuck on FM and very few of the buttons would work to change their settings. Oh well, now I discharge my finger on the metal rack my gear is on before touching anything.
 
Living in a seasonally cold place, we most of use forced air heat with no humidifier - man, we produce lighting like a mountain storm.
You get used to grounding yourself as much as practical.
And ya, grounded cases are great.
As to the OP, I'm not familiar with that unit, but that screen has to be grounded somewhere, or you wouldn't have shocked it. Or is it possible, the arc actually went to the dac and not the screen?
 
I had an Emotiva CDP that crapped out upon a mighty static arc from my finger. Repaired under warranty.
IIRC the cord isn't grounded.
It might be a good idea if they incorporated chassis grounding. Pretty sure it killed control panel and display.
I am thinking your phono doesn t have chips but I don't really know. SS devices don't like static discharges.
 
Yeah, its possible, althought it would have had to make quite a jump.

As far as chips I know it has opamps, but am not sure beyond that.
 
I have heard of stories involving phono cartridges and static discharge, resulting in destroyed coil windings........

I have used a metal discharge plate to ground myself before touching the table. But better to touch the table first, before touching the arm. (Need to have a metal plinth).
 
So, is it a good idea to connect the ground terminal on the back of the amp to some kind of ground source? I've never delivered a whopper shock to my amp, but sometimes I touch it and deliver a small shock and actually hear it as a small tick on the speakers. I was under the impression that the ground terminal on the back was just for a phono player / radio antenna. It kind of surprises me that most amps don't have a grounded power cord.
 
So, is it a good idea to connect the ground terminal on the back of the amp to some kind of ground source? I've never delivered a whopper shock to my amp, but sometimes I touch it and deliver a small shock and actually hear it as a small tick on the speakers. I was under the impression that the ground terminal on the back was just for a phono player / radio antenna. It kind of surprises me that most amps don't have a grounded power cord.

This is a good question would grounding amplifiers and receivers help protect them from static electricity shock??
 
Hmm the disadvantages of an all wood credenza??? Does having gear plug into surge suppressors help to prevent damage from static discharge???
 
I'm having issues with my monitor blanking out for a split second as well as my miniDSP stopping - I have to power cycle it to get sound back. In theory all audio devices plugged into same power strip should have a common ground. :dunno:
 
I'm having issues with my monitor blanking out for a split second as well as my miniDSP stopping - I have to power cycle it to get sound back. In theory all audio devices plugged into same power strip should have a common ground. :dunno:
I've experienced something similar off and on a couple times?? I think it's been a brief power surge?? And it happens so quick, if you blink ... you'd miss it! But the LED TV, would go off, then back on and the Rouk would reset?? I think maybe, I've seen the lights blink also?? But the modem and router never went down and the microwave and the coffee pot never reset??? Only the TV and the Roku notice the surge???
 
I've experienced something similar off and on a couple times?? I think it's been a brief power surge?? And it happens so quick, if you blink ... you'd miss it! But the LED TV, would go off, then back on and the Rouk would reset?? I think maybe, I've seen the lights blink also?? But the modem and router never went down and the microwave and the coffee pot never reset??? Only the TV and the Roku notice the surge???
It's a brief power outage. If it's brief enough, some devices will remain powered by their internal power supply filter capacitors whilst others will run out of power and reset.
 
It's a brief power outage. If it's brief enough, some devices will remain powered by their internal power supply filter capacitors whilst others will run out of power and reset.
That is kinda what I suspected??

But LED TV's do have caps in there power supplies?? I Googled images, cuz I wasn't sure. :)

And let me check ... OK I just pulled the Roku (Stick) out of the HMDI and it did not reset! But if the power does that, "Superfast Blink" thing, both it and the LED TV, notice it??? It doesn't happen often enough to worry about ... but I have seen it! First world issue I suppose. :)
 
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