Hi all,
I've tried searching for answers to this problem, but can't seem to find anything definitive to confirm if my AV Amplifier is faulty or not.
I have had my Sony STR-DH810 AV Amplifier for around only 18 months and up until about a fortnight ago it had been working fine. No adjustments or alterations in the speaker setup or components connected have been made.
All of a sudden it has started to make a sort of buzzing noise instead of normal sound after an intermittent period of operation. This can vary from only around 30 minutes to up to nearly 2 hours whereby it is functioning correctly until then.
If I do not switch it off the buzz continues and a Protect message appears in the display. I can't remember if it then switches itself off or if I have to still do so. I have not been using the product for the last fortnight as the fault seemed to get more frequent and is very annoying as you can probably appreciate.
In the manual the only reference I can see to such an issue is in the Troubleshooting section where it states "There is no sound, no matter which component is selected, or only a very low-level sound is heard." This pretty much describes the problem as it doesn't' matter what source you are using at the time. One of the suggestions made in the manual states "The protective device on the receiver has been activated. Turn off the receiver, eliminate the short-circuit problem, and turn on the power again."
I can't find any evidence of a short circuit anywhere in the speaker system. I am using high quality very thick shielded speaker cables for all the speakers.
I have tried eliminating the problem by disconnecting the speakers one at a time and then trying to use the system again. No matter what speaker is disconnected the issue still occurs. I went through them all one by one (5 speakers and a subwoofer) disconnecting and retrying until I got down to no speakers connected at all. I'm not 100% sure but I think the problem still occurred even with no speakers connected. I was using the TV for sound at this point although the signal was being fed to it via the HDMI out port on the amp.
I have tried disconnecting everything and rewiring the system on more than one occasion but to no avail.
I am at a loss as to what has happened although I read one post on another forum about components inside possibly failing and even stating how to open the unit and do a DIY repair on them! I am totally disillusioned with this product and Sony now after this experience. I should have know better than to buy Sony, as I have been of the belief that the quality and reliability of their products has been on the decline for many years.
I really just want to know if this is worth repairing or should I just trash it and buy a new AV amplifier from a different manufacturer.
Any advice or suggestions are most welcome.
Many thanks,
Chris
