Schiit Vidar dropping audio

[El Sergento]

Hello folks,

I run 2 Vidars as mononlocks. After several years of flawless operation, one has recently started to drop audio completely or to output distorted audio at very low levels within the first 2-5 minutes of powering on.

All cables and channels have been swapped with the functioning Vidar and the problem persists. I have also tested the same front end with a different amp with no issues. At this point, I'm very confident that the issue is the amp.

If it helps diagnose the problem, I can recover from the dropped/low-level/distorted audio by turning the volume way up. This spike in volume "wakes" the amp up and then it performs as expected.

Source: DAC, Gustard X16
Preamp: Schiit Freya
Amps: Vidar X 2
Speakers: Triangle Borea BR08
Connectivity: All balanced

I thought I'd post here before I ship it out to Schiit for repairs. The amp is out of warranty, and I'm in Canada, so if this is an easy fix I'm willing to give it a go. BTW, Schiit customer support has been awesome.

Thanks

 

[redk9258]

Sounds like a speaker protection relay. The contacts are oxidized or burned. Do you turn the power on or off with the volume up?

 

[El Sergento]

Sounds like a speaker protection relay. The contacts are oxidized or burned. Do you turn the power on or off with the volume up?

Do you mean if I turn the power on or off while music is playing? If so, no. I'll always make sure all music is off before turning on or off.

 

[redk9258]

I know nothing about this amp. That said, most amps have a speaker protection relay. It usually takes 4-10 seconds to click in allowing the signal the flow to the speakers. This allows the circuits to stabilize so you don't get a thump at turn on. Do you hear a relay click a few seconds after power up? If so and you feel comfortable opening the amp up. You can find the relay and then when it's acting up, tap the relay with a chopstick, Bic pen, or other insulated tapping apparatus to see if the sound comes back. If so, you know that the relay either has dodgy contacts or the solder could be bad.

 

[Jefft91]

While it could very well be the relay dropping the signal, it could also be any mechanical connection in the signal path that has developed resistance due to corrosion. I would suggest cleaning all switches and potentiometers as well as the relay.

 

[El Sergento]

While it could very well be the relay dropping the signal, it could also be any mechanical connection in the signal path that has developed resistance due to corrosion. I would suggest cleaning all switches and potentiometers as well as the relay.

I know nothing about this amp. That said, most amps have a speaker protection relay. It usually takes 4-10 seconds to click in allowing the signal the flow to the speakers. This allows the circuits to stabilize so you don't get a thump at turn on. Do you hear a relay click a few seconds after power up? If so and you feel comfortable opening the amp up. You can find the relay and then when it's acting up, tap the relay with a chopstick, Bic pen, or other insulated tapping apparatus to see if the sound comes back. If so, you know that the relay either has dodgy contacts or the solder could be bad.

There's definetly a relay click after power up, pretty loud. Also, I've read up a bit more on relays and it's pointing in that direction. I'll open it up and start by tapping on the relay to see if that helps. I'll also clean the contacts, but there's no potentiometers to clean as it's a power amp with no controls.

 

[El Sergento]

Could someone help me identify the speaker relay(s)? See attached pics:

s.

 

[Namlook]

Those orange boxes near the rear of the unit. If a channel drops out, tap on the relay on the appropriate side with a chopstick and see if it comes back. If yes, the relay needs to be replaced.