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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: ts on November 16, 2018, 08:36:36 AM

Title: Wall warts going dead?
Post by: ts on November 16, 2018, 08:36:36 AM

Never had this happen before. 2 died in the last week powering the same gear. Both used in home and in different receptacles. I ordered a new one just to run another test. And yes I did check both dead ones with a volt meter. Any ideas? Can these things go bad? One is used to power an amp and the other a DAC, but I’m pretty sure they both died while powering the amp. I’m positive the second one did as I was listening without the DAC in the chain.

Both wall warts are the same. 16V 500mah.

Thanks for the help.

Title: Re: Wall warts going dead?
Post by: morst on November 16, 2018, 03:36:50 PM

Quote from: ts on November 16, 2018, 08:36:36 AM

Never had this happen before. 2 died in the last week powering the same gear. Both used in home and in different receptacles. I ordered a new one just to run another test. And yes I did check both dead ones with a volt meter. Any ideas? Can these things go bad? One is used to power an amp and the other a DAC, but I’m pretty sure they both died while powering the amp. I’m positive the second one did as I was listening without the DAC in the chain.


Both wall warts are the same. 16V 500mah.


Thanks for the help.

Yes, these things are usually very cheaply made.


The amp could have a short or something and draw more than the capacity. That could cause failure.


 Do you have a meter like a "Kill-A-Watt" that you can run through to see how much power it's drawing?




(http://www.p3international.com/products/images/main_p4400.jpg)

Title: Re: Wall warts going dead?
Post by: ts on November 17, 2018, 09:23:59 AM

Quote from: morst on November 16, 2018, 03:36:50 PM

Quote from: ts on November 16, 2018, 08:36:36 AM

Never had this happen before. 2 died in the last week powering the same gear. Both used in home and in different receptacles. I ordered a new one just to run another test. And yes I did check both dead ones with a volt meter. Any ideas? Can these things go bad? One is used to power an amp and the other a DAC, but I’m pretty sure they both died while powering the amp. I’m positive the second one did as I was listening without the DAC in the chain.


Both wall warts are the same. 16V 500mah.


Thanks for the help.

Yes, these things are usually very cheaply made.


The amp could have a short or something and draw more than the capacity. That could cause failure.


 Do you have a meter like a "Kill-A-Watt" that you can run through to see how much power it's drawing?




(http://www.p3international.com/products/images/main_p4400.jpg)

I agree. It was the amp that blew both wall warts out. So the amp does need to be serviced or another wall wart will blow.