Does my power amp work?
August 14, 2010 6:43 AM Subscribe
I inherited a NAD 214 stereo power amplifier. I plugged it into power and the lights came on. In order to get it out of the house (spring cleaning) I listed it on ebay for $5 and said it powers up fine. But now it's getting lots of attention and I have people asking me if it works properly.
The thing is, I'm not even really sure what it is supposed to do. How can I test whether it works properly? I'd be tempted to just plug random stereo bit and pieces in to see if anything happens, but I don't have a component stereo system. Are there any easy ways to figure out if it is in good working condition? Thx
The thing is, I'm not even really sure what it is supposed to do. How can I test whether it works properly? I'd be tempted to just plug random stereo bit and pieces in to see if anything happens, but I don't have a component stereo system. Are there any easy ways to figure out if it is in good working condition? Thx
Second hand NAD amps tend to be pretty desirable as it goes. In other words, it's worth a whole lot more than $5. In fact, it'd be worth more than $5 even if was broken (depending on what was wrong with it), just for the parts and/or fixability.
posted by iivix at 6:57 AM on August 14, 2010
posted by iivix at 6:57 AM on August 14, 2010
So in other words, even if you listed it as untested (but powers up), for $5 I reckon you'll still sell it to someone.
posted by iivix at 7:01 AM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by iivix at 7:01 AM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Just to clarify, it's an auction with the reserve at $5. Not buy it now. So now that the price is rising I'm anxious to make sure it works. I know I should've done this before I listed it, but my cleaning frenzy did not allow such 'tinkering'.
posted by bingoes at 7:08 AM on August 14, 2010
posted by bingoes at 7:08 AM on August 14, 2010
I'm of the opinion that you should leave the listing, and respond to questions with, "I don't have the time or know-how to test it, I'm just selling it as-is." If the starting price is $5, and you make no promises as to the machine's quality, the top bidder will get it for what they consider to be a reasonable price for the risk of it not working, which will be a lot more than you expected for it. Stick to the "As-is, lights turn on when powered up but nothing further tested, no promises" line, though, and maybe edit your listing to emphasize that fact. Even if you hooked it up to a source and you think it works fine, you still run the risk of having some audiophile dispute the auction because he thinks there's an audible hum or zero-crossing distortion or corroded terminals or something. "as-is, no guarantees" helps a lot.
If, for some reason, it doesn't sell, then worry about testing it and making it a more desirable listing. As people said upthread, though, if that amp is valuable in any condition and you expected, at worst, $5, you're still coming out ahead.
posted by AzraelBrown at 7:37 AM on August 14, 2010 [3 favorites]
If, for some reason, it doesn't sell, then worry about testing it and making it a more desirable listing. As people said upthread, though, if that amp is valuable in any condition and you expected, at worst, $5, you're still coming out ahead.
posted by AzraelBrown at 7:37 AM on August 14, 2010 [3 favorites]
Do you have two speakers to connect to it? And some kind of source, like an iPod or mp3 player (or even just a line out from a computer)?
posted by Rhomboid at 7:38 AM on August 14, 2010
posted by Rhomboid at 7:38 AM on August 14, 2010
What do you have in terms of audio equipment? Basically if powers up, all you've got left to test is that sound goes in and sound comes out. As mentioned, anything going in via phono (watch the volume!) could work as in input, and any speakers with bare wire connections (from a midi system perhaps) could be attached. It looks like it has a clipping LED, so even attaching an input with no speakers should tell you that sound is coming in, as you can trigger the LED. That said, it's not quite as simple as that because it's a power amp, so there are potentially two problems with this - 1) the amp may have some kind of protection circuit that kicks in if it detects the wrong kind of input (it's designed to be paired with a pre-amp), 2) you risk damaging the speakers or the amp by attaching the wrong spec of speaker to it (as a smaller midi system speaker is likely to be).
posted by iivix at 7:49 AM on August 14, 2010
posted by iivix at 7:49 AM on August 14, 2010
Response by poster: I have speakers that are basically the equivalent of computer speakers, and can arrange a line in. So I could give that a gentle try and see if sound comes out? I can do that easily. Thanks.
posted by bingoes at 8:02 AM on August 14, 2010
posted by bingoes at 8:02 AM on August 14, 2010
Well apparently when it was new it was worth 500 bucks or so.
working used are going for 2-300 dollars.
I'd stick with AzraelBrown's advice.
posted by Max Power at 8:18 AM on August 14, 2010
working used are going for 2-300 dollars.
I'd stick with AzraelBrown's advice.
posted by Max Power at 8:18 AM on August 14, 2010
Is it a Japanese mfg. NAD or is it a China mfg. NAD (see mfg plate on back)? The Japan mfg. NADs are bombproof for a couple of decades.
NAD is good stuff. Hence the inquisitiveness.
Uh. Yeah, hook it up and test it like you said. It is an AMP. It has NO volume control. The sound that comes out might be full on 80W and blow whatever speakers are hooked up to it. Hook up the speakers before you turn it on, some amps don't like wires being attached when powered up.
Without a device that feeds an adjustable signal too the NAD, there is no 'gentle' way to see if it powers speakers.
- I'm not seeing any NAD 214 on ebay.
posted by buzzman at 8:32 AM on August 14, 2010
NAD is good stuff. Hence the inquisitiveness.
Uh. Yeah, hook it up and test it like you said. It is an AMP. It has NO volume control. The sound that comes out might be full on 80W and blow whatever speakers are hooked up to it. Hook up the speakers before you turn it on, some amps don't like wires being attached when powered up.
Without a device that feeds an adjustable signal too the NAD, there is no 'gentle' way to see if it powers speakers.
- I'm not seeing any NAD 214 on ebay.
posted by buzzman at 8:32 AM on August 14, 2010
I'm of the opinion that you should leave the listing, and respond to questions with, "I don't have the time or know-how to test it, I'm just selling it as-is."
I have known people who get hold of 'as is' equipment, test if it works, and if it works fine they list it with one ebay account saying "tested and works" and if it doesn't work (and they can't repair it) they list it with a different ebay account, claiming "Sold as is, don't know how to test it". The price I am willing to pay for an 'as is' item on ebay is based on the assumption I'm buying from someone who has tested it and found it to be broken and unrepairable.
I'm of the opinion that something listed on ebay "as is" ought to sell for little more than the cost of postage.
Of course, there may be other buyers who are less cynical than I am; the scammers must be preying on someone, after all.
posted by Mike1024 at 11:59 AM on August 14, 2010
I have known people who get hold of 'as is' equipment, test if it works, and if it works fine they list it with one ebay account saying "tested and works" and if it doesn't work (and they can't repair it) they list it with a different ebay account, claiming "Sold as is, don't know how to test it". The price I am willing to pay for an 'as is' item on ebay is based on the assumption I'm buying from someone who has tested it and found it to be broken and unrepairable.
I'm of the opinion that something listed on ebay "as is" ought to sell for little more than the cost of postage.
Of course, there may be other buyers who are less cynical than I am; the scammers must be preying on someone, after all.
posted by Mike1024 at 11:59 AM on August 14, 2010
I have speakers that are basically the equivalent of computer speakers, and can arrange a line in.
I'm a little unclear but to test it properly you need to hook up the speaker outputs to speakers. Computer speakers would work as long as they aren't powered speakers, but most computer speakers are powered, so they need a line-in signal. You could hook the NAD's line out to the computer speakers line-in, but that won't tell you if the amplifier portion is working properly.
I plugged it into power and the lights came on.
This really depends on the amplifier but a lot of times the lights are on a separate circuit with it's own fuse, so powering something on so the lights come on would only tell you that the light circuit works. I don't know this model so it might be different. But as a general rule lights coming on doesn't tell you much.
posted by 6550 at 12:23 PM on August 14, 2010
I'm a little unclear but to test it properly you need to hook up the speaker outputs to speakers. Computer speakers would work as long as they aren't powered speakers, but most computer speakers are powered, so they need a line-in signal. You could hook the NAD's line out to the computer speakers line-in, but that won't tell you if the amplifier portion is working properly.
I plugged it into power and the lights came on.
This really depends on the amplifier but a lot of times the lights are on a separate circuit with it's own fuse, so powering something on so the lights come on would only tell you that the light circuit works. I don't know this model so it might be different. But as a general rule lights coming on doesn't tell you much.
posted by 6550 at 12:23 PM on August 14, 2010
> But as a general rule lights coming on doesn't tell you much.
On most amplifiers it will at least tell you that the protect circuit isn't immediately engaging on power up (provided the light you're seeing isn't labelled "PROTECT" or "OVERLOAD" or something like that,) which is a good sign. It's definitely worth hooking up to speakers and a computer or ipod just to make sure it's passing audio so you can list that in your auction, even if you're not able to pass judgement on the quality of the sound. Anything with a headphone jack and adjustable volume will do, just get a cable like this and plug it in. Even if you have only one speaker to test with you can attach it to one pair of terminals, test, then turn the amp off and move it to the other pair to check the other channel. The speaker you use should say "8Ω" on the back somewhere.
posted by contraption at 12:33 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
On most amplifiers it will at least tell you that the protect circuit isn't immediately engaging on power up (provided the light you're seeing isn't labelled "PROTECT" or "OVERLOAD" or something like that,) which is a good sign. It's definitely worth hooking up to speakers and a computer or ipod just to make sure it's passing audio so you can list that in your auction, even if you're not able to pass judgement on the quality of the sound. Anything with a headphone jack and adjustable volume will do, just get a cable like this and plug it in. Even if you have only one speaker to test with you can attach it to one pair of terminals, test, then turn the amp off and move it to the other pair to check the other channel. The speaker you use should say "8Ω" on the back somewhere.
posted by contraption at 12:33 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'd look around at Audiogon and perhaps ask there. Better audiophile site than Ebay.
posted by Ideefixe at 4:46 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by Ideefixe at 4:46 PM on August 14, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks all. I tested it with an unpowered computer speaker and it seems to work just fine.
posted by bingoes at 5:14 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by bingoes at 5:14 PM on August 14, 2010
« Older Will carpet beetle eggs survive the move? | How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by glenno86 at 6:51 AM on August 14, 2010