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Dropped tube amp - should I turn it on?


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So I had a little accident the other day. Forgot how much my Line Magnetic LM518 weighed, and as I was midway through pulling it off a shelf... the forces of gravity took over. My hi-fi life flashed before me, as 35kg of expensive gadget hurtled irretrievably downward. 

 

Fortunately, I’d installed the tube cage before moving, as it ended upside down, with a bent cage, but tubes seemingly intact. 

 

I haven’t had the nerve to fire it up since. But I’m thinking of testing it tonight. I know that I have to have my speakers connected before turning the amp on, so my question is- should it be safe to power up? Are there any specific dangers, if any of the wiring is damaged? 

 

Has as anyone been in this predicament before? TIA

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Take a good hard look at where the valves are seated from above and below if you can it might be worth jiggling them and pushing down to make sure they are in good contact. I'm a novice too

Edited by DEANO23
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Guest Muon N'

I'd be lifting the lid to see if any internals were dislodged, or any signs of something from the impact....tubes could be damaged internally from the impact shock.

 

Would be good if you had a variac to bring it up in voltage very slowly.

 

Hope for the best result, for you and amp.

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Guest Muon N'

I dropped a Yaqin I was working on once, well it was on It's side on the small bench and decided to right itself so it took a leap you might say, I broke It's fall in part with my forearm out of reaction, but it still managed to put a nice hole in the gyprock wall next to the bench and my arm was a bit worse for wear O.o

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6 minutes ago, Muon N' said:

I dropped a Yaqin I was working on once, well it was on It's side on the small bench and decided to right itself so it took a leap you might say, I broke It's fall in part with my forearm out of reaction, but it still managed to put a nice hole in the gyprock wall next to the bench and my arm was a bit worse for wear O.o

How was the amp? 

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Guest Muon N'
17 hours ago, Bassline Junkie said:

How was the amp? 

It was OK, apart from a scar on a aluminium strip that went down the side for dress, ironically I had 2x same strips spare but finally tossed them about 2 months before hand :$

 

But then it has two points where first the gyprock absorbed some impact and then a second with my arm which was under the amp between amp and floor, the threaded rod leg of the bench was responsible for the scare I think, on the way down.


Edit: I don't think the amp even noticed the gyprock :lol: and likely not my arm either ?

Edited by Muon N'
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Just connected the speakers and turned on the amp. No issues to speak of. Haven’t got my turntable or DAC set up yet, but so far so good. 

 

@sloper this is indeed the stuff of nightmares. Think I’d rather drop my baby than my amp lol ? At least babies kinda repair themselves....

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I suggest you open the amp and look for any mechanical damage around heavy items like transformers and any pulled or damaged wires. Based on that photo the cage served its purpose very well. 

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