Electrical Storm Knocks Out Audio....

Alan Pummill · 05-07-2003, 04:49 AM

Help....

All of my components are hooked to a Monster HTS 5000 Power Center. This morning, a close lightning strike seems to have knocked all audio signals out coming from my Pioneer Elite VSX-09TX receiver. Everything else, (all source components, and video), seem to be OK.

I am hearing a intermittent thumping noise from all my speakers that remains at a constant volume no matter what the master volume is set to. This thump is only coming from the speakers being pushed by the receiver, (the center and rear speakers). My front speakers are connected via a Carver AV-705x amp, no thumping here, but no sound either!!

I have unplugged, replugged, hit the reset button on the receiver......is my receiver toast??

I have been wanting a new receiver, but not right now...does anybody have any input or suggestions on this??

Jerry Klawiter · 05-07-2003, 05:30 AM

Make sure if you need to file a claim with Monster Power,
Do not let them know if you had any back-door entries into the AVR. Not saying you did but it happens, they will then deny the damage claim.

Alan Pummill · 05-07-2003, 05:36 AM

Jerry,

What does back door entries mean??

Jerry Klawiter · 05-07-2003, 05:44 AM

That would be a unprotected in,
Such as a sat dish cable went directly to the sat receiver
and did not first pass into the Monster power.
This would be a problem if that same sat receiver had video or audio being routed to the AVR.
Many times people look past these things and if you let the cat out of the bag, they will not pay.
You would need to look over all your connections.
Many times people fudge in area's they should'nt
Say your sub was to far from the monster power,
now you plug that sub into a unprotected A/C source.
You just opened your whole system to a spike via the sub cable to the AVR.
Good luck, I hope it's not bad.

LaMarcus · 05-07-2003, 06:13 AM

Gee whiz Allan, that's terrible. I know how good your system sounds, that's a crying shame if it's sustained irreparably damage.

Hope it all works out for ya bud.

**HTF Ads**

Chu Gai · 05-07-2003, 06:23 AM

Yeah, you guys out in the midwest had some nasty activity there recently with the storms and tornados.
As a start, I'd unplug the receiver for a few hours and see if it comes back.
In order for your equipment to have been protected, everything that's hooked together in one way or another needs to have been put on the surge protector. A surge doesn't necessarily have to come in via the AC lines, the cable or satellite line is certainly possible. Now if that wasn't protected then you're sh*t out of luck. While I haven't read the warranty for attached equipment regarding the Monster unit the following general rules for these b*llsh*t warranties generally apply.

Everything that's connected needs to have been protected. If they ask you to send the Monster unit in, it'll likely be at your expense. They may do that to determine if there was a defect. They can tell if the unit did its job or if you're trying to pull a fast one.

If you ran Monster for this and Panamax for that you're screwed. The warranties apply only when you're protecting everything with products from the same manufacturer.

An estimate for repair will likely be required and they'll compare that to the fair market value (boy are you in for a shock on that number) and choose the lesser of the two.

You'll probably be responsibe for delivering the unit to an authorized place of Monster's choosing. More money out your pocket.

Now if your unit is still under warranty, you might want to bring it in and see if they'll repair it at no charge. Can't hurt.

You can file a claim under your homeowner/renter's policy. You do have one and if so I take it you opted for a rider with a full replacement cost?

You can always write it off on your taxes.

OTOH, maybe the unit just died on it's own. Won't know though till you bring it in.

If you're a homeowner look into getting a whole house surge protection device installed at either the meter or the breakers. Those are much much...did I say much enough?...much much more effective at dealing with surges since the path to earth ground is short. A whole house unit protects all incoming lines: AC, cable, phones. Unless you're in the very NW corner of Ohio, you've got a fair amount of lightning that strikes the ground. Hence, I'd be looking at something like a 2000 joule whole house unit. Various electrical supply houses ought to have something.

Alan Pummill · 05-07-2003, 06:55 AM

I think I'm screwed!!

I had the cable running straight into the cable box. I can remember that the HTS 5000 seemed to degrade the picture quality of my cable signal.

Hopefully, a new receiver is all I need. I "WILL" run the cable through the HTS 5000 from now on.

Now I can get a receiver that will take advantage of my new Elite DV-47Ai DVD players SACD and DVD-A capabilities!! But my wife works at Pioneer and gets a 15 year anniversary award of $750 that is to be used toward Pioneer equipment. But I can't buy anything until the employee sale in September....what a bummer!!

Jon_Welker · 05-07-2003, 08:16 AM

Your are the luckiest man I know! Your wife works at Pioneer?!?! Sweeeeeetttttt!!!! Must be some nice fringe benefits there.

MikeRP · 05-07-2003, 10:37 PM

Alan:

Well the same storm went thru here on ts way to you. But, by dumb luck..........I had no lightning strike and I do have all my equipment going through the Monster Power - I have, I think the 2000 model. Cable and the worksall through it.

Now what disappoints me is that I wanted that 09TX!

Sorry Alan.........I feel for you......

Mike

Alan Pummill · 05-08-2003, 05:24 AM

Thanks Mike,

Kevin said I could use his old Sony receiver until September when I get my new Elite receiver from my wife's anniversary award!!

Last night, I ran the cable input through the HTS 5000 and then into the cable box. I ran a coaxial cable directly to my Elite PRO-620HD RPTV so that we could watch TV with sound from the internal speakers of the TV.

Mike, I don't know if the 09TX is fixable. My wife is going to talk to the engineers at Pioneer about it. If I can get it fixed on the cheap, you can buy it from me on the cheap!!

I had Time Warner out here a few months ago about picture quality, and I'm pretty sure the tech told me to run the cable directly to the cable box. I wonder if I could get any money from T-W on this incident??