• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

Audio research sp16

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#3
Indeed, this could be a problem if it is really dead. It's an obsolete part and you will either need someone else's SP16 to suck the code from or get AR to do it. Have you checked the supply voltage on pins 9 and 10? If that's fine is it driving the crystal ok. Testing on pins 1+2 with a scope. Use the probe set to 10X as 1X could drag down the crystal and make it stop oscillating, ground clip to logic ground.

Cheers
Matt
 
#4
You may also want to confirm a solid reset pulse. If you don't have a digital or storage scope, you can set up any 2-channel scope in X-Y mode, one channel on the CPU supply pin, the other on the Reset pin. If it's working right you'll get a momentary, nice square trace; you may have to keep your hand on the brightness knob to see it without burning at the stationary spot.

If everything is good up to this point, it's time to confirm that there are scan pulses everywhere they're supposed to be -- and none where they aren't (supposed to be). A static-damaged diode in the front panel has been known to hang up a CPU or two.

If it's still all good and AR isn't helpful, you might try looking for a 'dead' one at a good price.

Cheers
 
#8
audio research sp16

Hello, in principle the mute does not work for me and when I turn it on on the strip most of the LEDs turn on and when I turn to the mute it blocks and almost all the LEDs stay on.
I already contacted the factory directly and they do not sell me the chip, please I need help I do not want to lose this preamplifier.
 
#10
You can get the part.

Audio Research does not sell service parts directly to consumers because too many are not qualified to service products. You may be qualified, but they do not know that.
You can get the part through a dealer or distributor, who can order it for you. ARC will program the micro, they need to know whether it is for an SP16 (with phono) or SP16L (line stage only).
Are you in the US?
 
#16
I see 4 easy steps

1. Get someone who actually knows what they're doing to confirm that micro is really dead. Usually it is the clock or something stuck to one of the ports that causes the malfunction. But of course it may be the micro

2. Approach official dealer

3. The functions of the micro in that pre are quite simple. An alternative controller or even an Arduino will work. A few hours or at worst a day of programming/installation.

4. Sell it to someone who will enjoy getting it back to life. It is surprising how high are people willing to bid for similar broken junk.
 
#17
I keep trying to repair the research sp16 audio preamplifier they have sent me the micro-threading and the problem continues.
Now the mute Led but when it started to raise the volume it was included I bought several 74HC595AN ic and it crashes when the volume is turned up and the majority of the LEDs come on and I have to remove the power socket. I don't know what it can be? ? ????
 
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