• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Speaker short - will this damage an amp?

johnnm

johnnm

Audio Enthusiast
Say you're listening to some speakers connected to an amp or receiver, and then you unplug one speaker and short the speaker wire (make the red touch the black). Will this damage the receiver/amp? Is it it dependent on the model? I'm curious about modern equipment as well as vintage equipment. I'm guessing it would cause at least a momentary surge of current in that channel...
 
Register to hide this ad
Very bad to short the wires. Avoid it at all costs. Some equipment deals with it better than others.
 
Shouldn't hurt a transformer-output tube amp (although the open circuit could well do damage); it will likely destroy a solid state output stage unless there is "overload protection" in place. Virtually all modern equipment (and most vintage equipment) has some semblance of protection on the outputs -- if only fuses.

The (very general) rule of thumb is: never open-circuit a tube amp and never short-circuit a solid state amp.

The corollary rule of thumb is: don't muck with the amplifier when it's running!
 
Over the years I have managed to short the output of transistor amp a few times. Definately not a good idea. In most cases got away with it, sometimes internal fuse blown or relay protection operated. Managed to blow one output stage of a nice compact JVC system by accidentally shorting output. Some years later, still not fixed.

One transistor amp that will withstand terrible abuse is the Quad 303. After all Pink Floyd used to use them!!!
 
Audio rule # 1

Power down equipment when kerfutzing with connections and you'll neven have to worry about this.

And, yes, it could cause damage.
 
If it's a SS amp, shorting the outputs is usually the easiest way to find out exactly how much smoke they packed in the amp..
 
I destroyed a Pioneer SX-650 a few years ago while changing speakers with the power on and music playing. I knew better, but thought I could do it anyway. I accidentally dropped the speaker wire, it shorted and I heard a pop from the receiver. The right channel was completely dead.

Since then, I always switch off the amp before I touch the speaker wires.
 
Great post for giving us all a reminder that we're still dealing with electricity here.:yikes:

Regards,

D-Ray
 
I've caught myself a few times going to unplug a speaker while the amp is on. It takes a second to realize that it's NOT a pain in the ass to turn off the amp. It's one switch.
 
Hey Willyrover, it's funny the effect an avatar can have on our perception. Having sat through three seasons of The Office on DVD over Christmas, I automatically doubt the veracity of anything associated with that guy's mug. Your post, however, unlike this one, was dead on point.

Regards,

D-Ray
 
It depends on the amp. But in general, avoid:D.

Also, in general, a class D amp + shorted output terminals = instant death. A protection circuit and fuses are not fast enough to help.

With other solid state amps, it's a crap shoot. For instance, part of the burn-in test for an NAD 3020 WAS shorting the outputs! One of my 3020s survived one channel being shorted, with the volume cranked, for about 5 minutes with no damage before my wife came to ask me why one channel wasn't playing one afternoon. One speaker was unplugged because I had been testing another speaker, and the two banana plugs had fallen on the floor on top of each other. The amp got hot, that's all.

Some of Nelson Pass' class A amps can play into a dead short with no issues.

However, I wouldn't try it with an old Hafler DH-500 :D
 
Thanks for all the replies. The reason I asked was because I tripped over a speaker wire a week ago, causing it to disconnect from the speaker. When I looked down at the wire, the ends were touching. Was connected to a Pioneer SX-1250, and the channel still works fine. Guess I was lucky.
 
From what you described, if your system was playing at a low level I wouldn't worry about it. Not at all a good idea though. Most newer recievers have current protection built in, mostly because the output sections are pretty weak. I recently read about Bob Carver shorting terminals on his early amps with a screw driver at full power to display how stout his designs were. Wouldn't want to do that on any of my stuff.
 
Renzor213 said:
From what you described, if your system was playing at a low level I wouldn't worry about it. Not at all a good idea though. Most newer recievers have current protection built in, mostly because the output sections are pretty weak. I recently read about Bob Carver shorting terminals on his early amps with a screw driver at full power to display how stout his designs were. Wouldn't want to do that on any of my stuff.
Click to expand...

Carver's Sunfire amps were specifically created with a different design that enabled them to handle dead shorts. He was just doing some good marketing by demonstrating their 'unique selling point". [Not quite unique, but almost.] Those amps are still among the best ever made for driving "amp killer" speakers!
 
Depends on the amp.

I'm always switching speakers around and short out my Yamaha RX-Z9 all the time. The amp shuts down and the display notes the short. Turn it off, fix the short, and the amp powers back up just fine.

I guess at $4,500, Yamaha didn't want to see these go up in smoke. :thmbsp:
 
It will trash the amp big time. I know this from experience. we accidentally killed the shop radio (early '80s Lloyd's receiver) doing this. But no big loss... there were 3 more channels to use... we eventually had all the speakers in the shop (both 4 and 8 ohmers) hooked up to the SAME channel because for some reason, the channels on that receiver kept dying one by one lol... needless to say the ****in thing didn't last too much longer.
 
Thanks for the heads up. I guess it's a good idea to check connections every once in awhile or else it's bye-bye transistor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom