I don’t normally ‘do’ hifi – the construction often makes hifi repair inconvenient, and I don’t get to the opportunity to rock out when the repair is finished. However I took this hifi repair on for an associate who was very helpful to the Engineering team I work with in my ‘day job’. It’s a Restek Charisma – ebay tells me its worth what I’d call ‘silly money’!
The amp quite simply wouldn’t turn on.
Medium High end linear Hifis often have what’s called a ‘soft start circuit’. These prevent a massive inrush of current into a highly spec-ed transformer, the like of which you wouldn’t see in a guitar or bass amp, though you may be familiar with the ‘dong’ that you get when you turn on a powerful bass amp or linear PA – that’s the sound of the current vibrating the mains transformer. This soft start circuit uses another small mains transformer to power a couple of relays that then allow current to pass from the meaty mains transformer. This small transformer died resulting in a complete lack of anything. Replace the transformer and we’re good to go again as seen in all the pretty lights on the picture.
If you have a hifi repair, please do get in touch though I’m afraid I don’t always take them on.