Does anyone know why my Speed Box II has burnt ?

[mathiask]

Hi folks!

I'm reading this forum a lot, tyhough I'm not participating much, as I'm French.

I would like to expose my problem and maybe get some explanations. The fact is: my Speed Box seems to have burn. And it's the second time it happens, in the very same way it burnt the first time! Oh my...

Let me get you the facts. I often listen to music on the evening. I usually plug off the power supply of the speedbox, after having turned it off, just in case. One day (it was during the summer) I forgot to plug it off. The morning after, the Speed Box wasn't working anymore : I was able to turn it on, but the platter of the TT was'nt turning anymore. I took the Speed box off, used the original power supply of the TT and everything was working ok.

Then I sent the Speed Box to my retailer, which told me the inside components had burnt, just as if the Speed Box had been used to supply power to something else than the TT. Which of course was not the case (I'm a very careful TT user). So they replaced the inside components and send it back to me. I asked them for more explanations, but they didn't give them to me.

Well, yesterday, the same thing just happened again! I put the speed box in standby mode, but forgot to plug it off. The morning after, no speed box working.

I have no pikes of electrical tension in my appartment. I wonder what is the cause. My question is, how comes that my Speed Box burn when I'm not using it? Doesn't it stand to be plugged? Does it mean than using a speed box in a normal way mean taking the risk it burns without warning?

I dare to think that Pro-ject commodities are solid enough...

I'm very upset because, apart the fact it's the second time it happens, I think this speed box was quite an upgrade in the sound. So I wouldn't do without it...

Well, if someone has explanations or can testify of the same experience, I'd be glad to discuss the problem.

With my best wishes for you gentlemen!

M.

[Dr Pan K]

have you noticed an increase in the temperature?
have you checked the fuse ?

[mathiask]

The fact is, it has always been rather hot when I was using it. I've not checked the fuse ; my poor experience in electronics tells me it wouldn't do any good to open this Speed Box and check the inside... And as the retailer told me, several components had burnt the first time I encountered this problem... So I guess we know what happened the second time (as the symptoms are exactly the same). What I don't know is the cause of it all...

[Dr Pan K]

exactly which pro ject TT do you use ? does it have a 16V AC power supply ?

you might be using it with a non compatible motor. i suggest you take a look at this http://www.project-audio.com/inhalt/en/pdf/speedbox.pdf

[mathiask]

Hey,

Thanks for your answer. Yeah, I forgot the essential info: my TT is a Pro-ject Debut III, so it should be compatible. It has a 16V AC power supply indeed. And the fact is, the troubles do not appear when I use the turntable, but when the Speed Box is off and still plugged to the mains.

Thanks much!

Mathias

[kalypso]

Did you switch the turntable itself off with its own switch or just the speedbox?

regards, kalypso

[mathiask]

Both of them : I switch off the TT, then the speed box. When I have to switch on, I switch the speed box on first, then the TT. I think it is safer this way?

[Dr Pan K]

some debut models are not compatible with the speed box. (the debut III E and debut III/SB) i dont suppose yours is one of these ?

without the speed box your TT works properly ? does it produce any sound or excessive heat?

[mathiask]

Hi there, mine is a regular Debut III, all compatible. Without the Speed Box it works perfectly. No hum nor rumble, no vibration, no heat. Thnaks for your help.

[Dr Pan K]

as no obvious reason jumps in my mind i dont think i can be of any help unless i examine the burned speed box. not that this would give a definitive answer to the cause but it could be of some indication

[mathiask]

I understand. I'm waiting for the answer of the customer service, hope they'll give some more explanations.

I'm pretty sure the problem has nothing to do with the turntable, as it happens when the TT is off but the Speed Box still plugged and in stand by mode. Am I right?

[Dr Pan K]

if i remember correctly the speed box always stays in stand by mode. during stand by it should be almost cold (very low energy consunption). was it heating when in stand by mode ?

[mathiask]

Yeah, it was heating when it was in stand-by mode, just like it was on. That's why I plugged it off (and because I prefer no enrgy consumption to low energy consumption when I don't use it).

Can someone confirm that the speed box is cold when in stand by mode?

What is puzzling me is that the energy consumpion of the speed box (whether it is on or in stand by mode) shouldn't be such it burns the inside components. Do you think that something in the power supply is damaged from the beginning or so?

[Dr Pan K]

if someone could confirm that the speed box is cold when in stand by mode you would have y n1 suspect. the only weird thing is that happened on 2 different machines (unless u got re-adjusted the first one, which would explain everything)