Answered Did my Denon receiver just die? I'm scared

EeK9X

Novice Member
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Points
3
Age
38
Location
Brazil
Hello,

I've been a longtime lurker of the AVForums and many threads here have been of great assistance to me.

Now, I'm in desperate need of some help, because, apparently, my receiver just died.

What you should know:

  • Purchased a brand new Denon AVR-X2000 in late August of 2013;
  • Connected the receiver to a brand new set of JBL speakers using brand new speaker wires and Monster QuickLock MKII Gold Flex Pin Connectors;
  • Plugged the receiver into a Monster GreenPower Digital PowerCenter MDP 800 and plugged that into a grounded wall outlet (like every wall outlet in my then relatively new apartment - of 5 years);
  • The receiver has always had ample ventilation room in the top and back and no problems with temperature;
  • The receiver had been working flawlessly up until a few minutes ago, and never experienced any hardware or software failure until then (it was constantly updated to the most recent firmware via Ethernet cable).

What happened:

  • I had just turned on the receiver, my TV and an nVidia Shield TV to watch some Hulu, using a Logitech Harmony Hub and Smart Remote;
  • Because of that, the device was at idle temperatures (very low, considering I'm in Brazil and we're approaching Winter here);
  • After a few minutes (no longer than 5), I heard a loud pop and the receiver turned itself off. The front panel LED started blinking red;
  • Nothing "strange" was going on at the time: no thunderstorms, no blackouts. All other devices kept working just fine;
  • After the initial shock, I turned off all devices (including the receiver - LED was off), waited a couple more minutes and turned them back on again;
  • The receiver turned on normally (constant green light) but soon after that, I heard a "bzzt" noise coming from it and a tiny poof of smoke emerged from the top part. The LED reverted to blinking red;
  • I immediately turned everything off again and I'm now scared to even try to turn the receiver back on.

I googled the issue and came across a few posts mentioning that I should unplug all audio cables and test the speaker wires by turning on the receiver with one cable connected at a time, but considering I literally saw smoke coming out from the device, I'm afraid to even turn it on again - cables or no cables.

So, what do you guys think? Is it dead? Any help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 
— As an Amazon Associate, AVForums earns from qualifying purchases —
Disconnect all inputs and speakers from the receiver. If you are afraid of an explosion or fire take outside, plug it in and switch it on, see what happens.
 
If you saw smoke coming out of the receiver then it is safe to say you have an internal fault that needs repairs! Maybe a power supply issue or an output transistor destroyed. You will need to decide of a repair is worth the price or just buy a new receiver. I find the Yamaha range do run cooler than the Denon/Marantz range so would look at these if you decide on a replacement rather than a repair.
 
Load pop sounds like the Caps have blown, sadly may have taken the output stage with them.
 
Disconnect all inputs and speakers from the receiver. If you are afraid of an explosion or fire take outside, plug it in and switch it on, see what happens.

If you saw smoke coming out of the receiver then it is safe to say you have an internal fault that needs repairs! Maybe a power supply issue or an output transistor destroyed. You will need to decide of a repair is worth the price or just buy a new receiver. I find the Yamaha range do run cooler than the Denon/Marantz range so would look at these if you decide on a replacement rather than a repair.

Load pop sounds like the Caps have blown, sadly may have taken the output stage with them.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions, friends.

I tried unplugging all cables and plugging the receiver into a different outlet, using a different surge protector.

Immediately after plugging it into the outlet, without even turning it on, a lot more smoke came out from the bottom left part of the device (when looking at it from the front and above) and the red LED started blinking. The smoke would only stop after I unplugged it from the outlet.

So, I guess it's really toast? What kind of repair costs can I expect from such a failure?

I've already started shopping for a new receiver (the X3300W), but I gotta say I'm somewhat disappointed with Denon, not to say a little traumatized. I take care of my devices, and to see this happen without reason is very frustrating. Would you still recommend that brand after my experience? I'm looking for something that can handle 4K video at 60Hz.
 
As I already mentioned if your after reliability then look at Yamaha. Maybe the RX-A660 or above.
 
As I already mentioned if your after reliability then look at Yamaha. Maybe the RX-A660 or above.

Hi, xmb, and thanks again for the reply.

How does Yamaha compare in terms of setup? I've only owned Denon receivers, and they've all been a breeze to setup, thanks to Audyssey.
 
Sad to hear of your experience. I have had a Denon AVC-A1XVA for over 10 years now, and it's been perfect. Can anyone else beat this lifespan for a Denon Amp.? Maybe they are not so well made these days... Hope you get it sorted.
 
Have a read of this website and contact the people you bought it off and inform them of the fault and ask them what they are going to do for you as far as I can sed you have up to 6 years to return it for a free repair or a partial refund don't let them fob you off!!!

Sale of Goods Act - Which? Consumer Rights
 
The depends when you purchased the goods. A product should be durable, but what does durable mean. I think a failure within 2 years could be covered, but after that your going to struggle and rely on economic repair rules.
 
Sad to hear of your experience. I have had a Denon AVC-A1XVA for over 10 years now, and it's been perfect. Can anyone else beat this lifespan for a Denon Amp.? Maybe they are not so well made these days... Hope you get it sorted.

Thank you for your sympathy. I certainly wasn't expecting for my receiver to die anytime soon, even if I was planning on purchasing a newer model this year. It's sad to be forced to upgrade.

Have a read of this website and contact the people you bought it off and inform them of the fault and ask them what they are going to do for you as far as I can sed you have up to 6 years to return it for a free repair or a partial refund don't let them fob you off!!!

Sale of Goods Act - Which? Consumer Rights

The depends when you purchased the goods. A product should be durable, but what does durable mean. I think a failure within 2 years could be covered, but after that your going to struggle and rely on economic repair rules.

EeK9X lives in Brazil

As Dolus mentioned, I'm in Brazil, a country not exactly known for respecting consumers' rights.
 
Thank you for your sympathy. I certainly wasn't expecting for my receiver to die anytime soon, even if I was planning on purchasing a newer model this year. It's sad to be forced to upgrade.







As Dolus mentioned, I'm in Brazil, a country not exactly known for respecting consumers' rights.


Sorry didn't notice the Brazil part guess that would change a few things
 

The latest video from AVForums

TV Buying Guide - Which TV Is Best For You?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom