diff --git a/content/posts/2017-09-11-denon-avr-4520-repair.md b/content/posts/2017-09-11-denon-avr-4520-repair.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2398b7c --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/2017-09-11-denon-avr-4520-repair.md @@ -0,0 +1,124 @@ ++++ +date = "2017-09-11" +title = "Denon AVR-4520 Repair" +tags = ["repair", "audiorepair"] +categories = [ "Audio Repair" ] +description = "Sold from 2012-2015 as the top-of-the line AV receiver from Denon, I got my hands on a unit with power protection issues. Here's the repair log the Denon AVR-4520." ++++ + +![Denon AVR-4520 - Front view](/img/denon-avr4520-frontview.jpg) + +## Background + +Recently I came across a **Denon AVR-4520** on _Marktplaats_. I was immediately interested because it's +a Denon, an undamaged high-end model, and sold with a defect. The seller was dumping his entire AV +stack, including Blu-ray player and Jamo floorstanding speakers. Reason: the AVR would _sometimes_ +go into power protection mode. + +I tend to stay away from AVRs that have no audio or video. 9 out of 10 times there's an issue with +HDMI that can only be fixed with an expensive replacement of the entire HDMI board. Power protection +faults can be caused by many different issues, but I'm mostly can be fixed by replacing a few damanged +components. After some haggling I bought the unit and received it a few days later. + +![Denon AVR-4520 - Back view](/img/denon-avr4520-backview.jpg) + +## Diagnosis + +With the **Denon AVR-4520** on my bench I was ready to start diagnostics. + +Before hooking up any new device to mains power and powering it up I like to lift the cover and do +a quick visual inspection. Although this unit is _packed_, I was able to check the amp boards and +see no obvious damage. + +The first time powering up a unit is exciting. Will it blow up? Will it release its magic smoke? +Not this Denon. It turned on just fine. _Wait what?_ I then performed a factory reset as described +in the service manual - just to erase any problematic settings. + +The previouw owner claimed that the unit would _sometimes_ go into power protection mode. Ok, +let's see if I can reproduce that. I turned the amp off an on about 30 times. No problems. + +Time to hook up a source and a pair of headphones and see what happens. I prefer starting out +with analog stereo input, as has fewer parts that could have failed already. The amp played +perfectly fine. Next I hooked up a pair of speakers and enjoyed my tunes for a bit. + +![Testing the Denon AVR-4520](/img/denon-avr4520-testing-01.jpg) + +I let the amp play for about an hour without issue. No power protection, just music. I hooked +up HDMI to my monitor and attached an UTP cable for network connectivity. HDMI Out seemed to +be working fine as well as Internet radio. Why was this amp going into protection mode? And _when_? + +Then I turned it off and on again: power protection mode! + +Aha! My assumption was that the amp does not fail when getting hot, but does fail when hot and +powering on. First test: let the amp cool down and see if it turns on. After resetting the power +protection it started up fine. + +Next I checked the error messages to see what _kind_ of power protection was triggered. The service +manual tells me to power on the amp with `ZONE/REC SELECT` and `STATUS` buttons pressed, then +select `2. PROTECTION`. This restarts the amp in diagnostics mode. Pressing the `STATUS` button allows +you to browse view the last type of power protection triggered. + +![Power Protection: DC](/img/denon-avr4520-dc-protection.jpg) + +So, **DC Power Protection**. The service manual provides the following bit of schematic. The `DCDET` +(for DC Detection) net goes to the CPU and should be _active low_, meaning that measuring ~0V triggers +protection mode. + +![DC Power protection circuit](/img/denon-avr4520-dc-protect-circuit.png) + +This circuit monitors the amp outputs (e.g. output to the speakers) for a DC voltage. Normally, these +outputs are _very_ close to 0VDC and have only an AC voltage. Having any significant DC output can and +will damage your speakers, so it's a good thing the amp shuts itself down when there's a problem. + +To figure out which channel(s) are outputting DC I first measured each channel with my multimeter. To +do this, turn on the amp, select an input that has no signal coming in and turn the volume all the way +down. You cannot measure the DC directly on the speaker terminals on the back, because they may not be +enabled (e.g. if running in `STEREO` mode, only FL+FR are enabled). + +![Measuring DC on speaker outputs](/img/denon-avr4520-dc-on-output.jpg) + +All channels were withing 3mV of `GND`, so no issues there _when running the amp_. + +Then I remembered that the problem with DC protection only occurs when powering up the amp _and_ when +the amp is hot. To do this, I let the amp run for about 30 minutes, cycled the power and it went into +protection mode. + +Each channel has its own little amp board with an easily accessible connector for the output. This output +connects to the DC protection circuit shown above and the speaker temrinals. So I started unplugging +connectors until the amp would start up without issue. This way I quickly figured out that the `SBR` or +_Surround Back Right_ channel was the one causing the DC Protection mode. With just that board disconnected, +the problem does not occur. + +Knowing the issue lies in one specific channel helps a lot (especially since this is an 11.2 channel amp). + +Next I wanted to see how the DC voltage on the output behaves on a good channel vs. the bad `SBR` channel. +The working theory being that the `SBR` channel must be doing things the DC protection circuit does not like +_during start up_. I already confirmed the DC on the `SBR` channel was well within parameters while running +the amp and measuring the voltage. + +This is where a 2+ channel oscilloscope comes in _very_ handy. I hooked up my scope to the `FR` and `SBR` channels +to see what the DC voltage on each channel does during start up. + +Blue is the `FR` channel, which works correctly, yellow is the bad `SBR` channel. + +{{< youtube QnaiWPzQGj0 >}} + +It's clear that the blue `FR` DC output stabilizes much quicker than the `SBR` channel. Here's a close-up video +of the scope output. + +{{< youtube rtnBzLxHoA0 >}} + +This means one (or two) of two things: + + 1. There's a bad capacitor on the `SBR` amp board + 2. The output transistor(s) are faulty when warm + +Next step: take out the board and check the capacitors. + +![](/img/denon-avr4520-sbr-amp-board.jpg) + +I always mark the capacitors with a permanent marker by ticking one side (e.g. ) + +## Repair + +[hifiengine]: https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/denon/avr-4520.shtml \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/static/img/denon-avr4520-backview.jpg b/static/img/denon-avr4520-backview.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d45e624 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/img/denon-avr4520-backview.jpg differ diff --git a/static/img/denon-avr4520-dc-on-output.jpg b/static/img/denon-avr4520-dc-on-output.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..adc5ed2 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/img/denon-avr4520-dc-on-output.jpg differ diff --git a/static/img/denon-avr4520-dc-protect-circuit.png b/static/img/denon-avr4520-dc-protect-circuit.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..115ceef Binary files /dev/null and b/static/img/denon-avr4520-dc-protect-circuit.png differ diff --git a/static/img/denon-avr4520-dc-protection.jpg b/static/img/denon-avr4520-dc-protection.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e68da57 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/img/denon-avr4520-dc-protection.jpg differ diff --git a/static/img/denon-avr4520-frontview.jpg b/static/img/denon-avr4520-frontview.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5bd40a7 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/img/denon-avr4520-frontview.jpg differ diff --git a/static/img/denon-avr4520-sbr-amp-board.jpg b/static/img/denon-avr4520-sbr-amp-board.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..43a2ed5 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/img/denon-avr4520-sbr-amp-board.jpg differ diff --git a/static/img/denon-avr4520-testing-01.jpg b/static/img/denon-avr4520-testing-01.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1beaa42 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/img/denon-avr4520-testing-01.jpg differ