Common Amplifier Problems and How To Fix Them

If your amp for your home or car has ever stopped working suddenly, you may be curious to know what causes such problems and what you can do to fix them. By knowing some of the common problems that plague amplifiers you can be able to find the solution any time they occur. However, you need to realize that amps are just like other mechanical devices and can stop functioning because of one problem or another. You can find a way to fix them or you can take your amp to a professional if need be.

Table of Contents

Let’s check out some of the common amp problems and how you can fix them

No sound or distorted sound from your speakers

If your amp is on but you don’t hear any sound or the sound coming out is distorted, you should first check your source audio. If you’re using your phone to play your music using a cable, connect it to another speaker to see if it works. There could also be a problem with your speakers or the cable that connects to both your amp and speakers. You can try unplugging the RCA cables from both your speakers and amp, then reconnecting them again. You should also check if the volume on both is turned on and if there’s still no sound, you should check if the audio jack on both are faulty or damaged and replace them. Also, make sure that you choose the right audio source for your speakers, and there’s still no sound or it’s distorted the cables might be faulty.

How you can stop amplifiers from clipping?

Overheating

Most domestic amps produce a lot of heat which makes them more prone to overheating. However, this will mostly happen if you use your amp over a long period without allowing it to rest or if you place it next to other heat-generating devices. That’s why you must position your amp in an open area where there’s lots of room to breathe away from walls. Make sure that you don’t crank up your amp settings too high.

Amp doesn’t power on at all

For your amp to power on its needs the correct amount of power. Check if the power cable ends connected to your amp and the one connected to the wall socket are properly connected for the current to pass through. Also, if there’s not enough voltage passing through the power cables, your amp will not turn on.

Humming sound from the speakers

This is a common problem with home amps that affects the quality of sound which creates a lot of noise. This could be caused by the volume control on your amp that’s not working properly which affects the sound input when you turn your volume up or down. If the volume control isn’t the problem, it could be other components in your amp. Disconnect each component faulty and check if the humming persists to figure out which one is, but make sure you’ve disconnected your amp.

A lot of distortion or hissing from your speakers

If your amp is faulty or underpowered it can cause your speakers to produce a lot of distorted sounds. It could also be caused by incorrect wiring, speaker wires, ground loops, patch cable, or other factors that can cause sound distortion. Check of the speaker wires and patch cables are wired properly. If the cable that runs from your head unit and amp are near any ground or power cables, they can pick up some interference that can cause sound distortion. That also goes for your power wires, so make sure they’re not near any power or ground cables and use high-quality cables and wires that have good shielding.

Protect mode light is on

If the protect line on your amp is turned on, it’s a way of protecting your amp from any further damage to its internal components. To find out where the problem is, inspect each speaker and subwoofer on your audio system. You can use an ohmmeter to check if any of the speakers is grounded out if the wires are loose and in contact with the ground or bare metal. Also, check and replace the RCA patch cables. You can also opt to take your amp to a professional if you don’t know what to do.

Summary table

Causes	How to fix them
No sound or distorted sound	Check your source audio if the cables are connected properly. Also, check for faulty or damaged audio jacks that need replacing.
Overheating	Avoid using your amp for extended periods and place it in an open area to allow it to breathe.
Amp doesn’t power on at all	Check the power cable ends from and to your amp are properly connected and that there’s enough voltage passing through.
Humming sound	Check if the volume controls are working properly and if all other components are working properly.
Hissing and lots of distortion	Check the speaker wires and patch cables are wired correctly and if they’re close to any cables or wires that could be causing interference.
Protect mode is turned on	Use an ohmmeter to check your speakers and subwoofer wires. Also, check for faulty RCA cables and replace them. Also, take your amp to a professional to check all the internal components.

Conclusion

The next time your home audio or car amplifier is acting out, there are a few things you can do to fix the problem, but if you don’t know what you’re doing you can always take your amp to a professional to fix it. However, there are some simple things you can do to fix some of the common problems with your amp.