Bizarre amplifier problem, Tangent AMP-100

[mykmallett]

My amp seems to be dying, tho I can't figure out what exactly is wrong with it. It resets when there is a signal coming into it. It is usable, in the sense that it plays a signal, but if you touch the volume dial it will trip off and back on again.

As I play music from my pc (usually the case) when a song finishes playing and there is no signal, the amp will then trip when the next song plays. Sometimes it just trips on and off for a few minutes and then stays on, again if I try and turn the volume(or use the remote) it goes off and on again.

Ive tried on different channels and Ive tried without any speakers attached and with different sources of input and different cables...



Now the puzzling part is that when I sent it to richer sounds for a repair, the guy phoned me and told me it was working perfectly and couldnt understand what I meant. When I got it back, it worked perfectly for a couple of weeks and then has suddenly started going batsh*t crazy again.

Any ideas? I thought it might be static or something as there is a crackling noise coming from the speakers constantly

The amp is a Tangent AMP-100. I am aware it is a budget amp, but I paid £90 for it just over a year ago and not in a position to spunk that away without investigation.

Any help (please)?

 

[The SMF]

your fault is intermittent, without it being constant it can never be sourced and therefore cant be fixed, like you said, the guys from richer sounds couldnt find anything wrong with it and then it was working fine when you got it back

its dead basically, you have no hope, but im guessin this is down to the relays, they are the things that click on and off (found in loads of electrical items, amps, plasmas etc...)

in which case its a PSU related problem

im no expert but ive had a few issues with electrical items in the past few years and this is as good as i can give

 

[Carrillion]

your fault is intermittent, without it being constant it can never be sourced and therefore cant be fixed, like you said, the guys from richer sounds couldnt find anything wrong with it and then it was working fine when you got it back

its dead basically, you have no hope, but im guessin this is down to the relays, they are the things that click on and off (found in loads of electrical items, amps, plasmas etc...)

in which case its a PSU related problem

im no expert but ive had a few issues with electrical items in the past few years and this is as good as i can give

You know, if you haven't anything of substance to contribute you and/or do not know what you are talking about, you are not forced to post, so-called 'Senior Member'.

@mykmallett, there is probably *nothing* wrong with your amp and here's why: my mate has the same one and he asked me to look at it because I dabble in electronics. What I discovered is that the Tangent amp-100 amplifier has an auto-off that switches it off when it thinks it's not being used. This is an absolute killer when you have a PC connected to it, because so many volumes come out of your PC depending on whether you're listening to compressed music on iTunes, low-volume amateur video on youtube this little amp is forever clicking itself on and off, even during quiet passages of music. I did google this to see if there was a way of switching this option off but to no avail. I guess if you listen to loud music that starts loud and finishes suddenly you'd be fine!

So, no, your amp isn't dead or malfunctioning - it's just badly designed. Shame, cos when it's actually on the sound out of it is quite nice.

Ebay it perhaps?