Pioneer VSX-522 Receiver. It's Dead, Jim!

Went out with a bang

[@ATSNorthernMI]

I had a nice pioneer surround receiver I bought on rent to own. It had all the bells and whistles of a early 2000's pioneer but it started doing AMP ERR and shutting down. I had to hit advanced surround and band to get it to power back on. It started doing it once in a while until I kept doing it every couple of minutes. I looked up that the amp packs were bad and started putting out DC to the speaker outputs. They were some hybrid chips that I couldn't get at the time so I smashed it into a bunch of pieces and threw the plastic bits in the trash and the metal in the metal bin.

[@SDsailor7]

Good ol BPC

[@rolfgerig9829]

I see a very highly experienced and brave man tackling today's constructional abominations of DSP receivers. Quite rare that those come up with an audio amplifier failure in my experience, they usually arrive in my surgery either completely or half brain dead. Way back in the past such equipment was constructed with removeable chassis plates allowing access for diagnosis and repair. All major manufacturers started that criminal way of construction in the mid 1990ties as if intended to be thrown on the waste pile if it malfunctioned. In a recent case of mine, a Yamaha HTR 3065 produced not the slightest sound despite all functions displaying correctly and all speaker protection relays clicking in. After finally getting to the bottom of the main amplifier board carefully suspended in the mess, it turned on as I expected but to my surprise it turned off again after a few seconds. After the third attempt it was brain dead and unrecoverable! The service manual did require three temporary earth connections for such a situation but no warning that total brain damage could occur without all of those. Engineering intention or incompetence? My suggestion is to stay away as a consumer or technician from all that garbage until they produce a DSP controller in a small box and a separate multy channel audio amplifier if you want that sort of thing. I am quite happy with a simple old style 2 channel amp connected to my TV for good sound, novelties of 5+ channels wear off quickly!

[@arindamdas936]

So many faults on these Pioneer AVRs. I have a VSX 534. Just after 2 yrs it went into protection mode. Repair guys is saying, output transistors are ok, some DAC IC got faulty. These units are just not meant to last.

[@peterferguson2344]

I used to consider them a quality manufacturer many many moons ago.. was it more component quality or assembly quality that was the downfall 🤔

[@bretthibbs6083]

@@peterferguson2344 same here I have a pioneer stereo receiver from like 93 or 94 and it's still works knock on wood no problems

[@DaXande135]

@@bretthibbs6083 Yesterday I was at some relatives house to borrow some tapes and records. Used his full 1989/1990 Pioneer stereo that works as new (except for tape fast forward due to old belts). Well and his 1990 Pioneer CD changer broke down after 4 or 5 years, therefore the mid 1990’s CD-Player works fine still.

[@zulumax1]

1:38 Zap! Hate it when that happens, always makes a person jump. Well, you are awake now!

[@12voltvids]

It went pop. Wait for it. The trolls will say I staged it.

[@zulumax1]

@@12voltvids So the second fizzzt at 1:56 , was that the same component, or a different part? 100 ohm resistor? I would need the schematic to understand what is happening here. Staged? Not likely, this direct coupled transistor stuff is old and doesn't need any help. Not sure a dim bulb would help, kinda tricky with protection circuits to get the relay to click on with a small enough bulb to limit the current. Even if you use a dim bulb there is all that stored energy in the rail caps waiting to unleash itself if you slip with a meter probe and short the collector to the emitter rail foil. Ask me how I know.....

[@12voltvids]

Direct coupled is great. Sounds fantastic but when something goes wrong look out.

[@ulverop]

I have a Pioneer VSX-832 with sort of a similar issue. I can turn it on, but it shows "Thermal Error" in the display and then shuts off. I have disconnected everything from it and it still happens. This started after a power outage and a suspected high voltage peak on the grid. Any idea what's going on and where to start looking?

[@tigerelectronics5966]

I found a VSX-422 in the trash, brought it home and applied power and it was in lockout mode too. so I took a look at the power transistors and they are all fine, infact the whole amp module is fine and working after I pressed the button combinations to get out of lockout mode. however the protect circuit never lets go, it thinks there is DC on the speaker outputs. So I measured it, less than 10mv offset on all 5 channels before the relays. Nothign wrong with the amp. so I connected a test speaker directly to the output cables coming from the amp module, and I have sound on all 5 channels, nothing wrong with it. So I started looking into the protect cirvuit, and found that it is tied together with some micro-sized integrated circuit, which I do not have the equipment or anything to work on replacing. So my course of action will be to just bypass the protection circuit all together, I do not plan on bringing it into my home or anything, I will use it for my outdoor speakers. The thing that will take longest to do with that modification is to get the freaking mainboard out of the thing, they really don't want you servicing these things. I plan to juse bridge the relay contacts underneath the board, so the protection circuit is just completely bypassed at all times. It's just impossible to properly repair these modern units, I hate it. But I am not complaining about a free 5x130W power amp!

[@allenboy114]

You’re awesome you got me back working

[@dionm.basssr.133]

I have the exact same receiver and wondering would you recommend shipping it to you so you can dianose and repair mine ....may be darlington outputs ....I have no sound and it clicks on, good display..nothing more i always try headphone outputs first and nothing.seeking repairs or placements

[@pauldionne2884]

Inside looks just like a Denon AVR I worked on. Is Pioneer and Denon in kahoots?

[@abraber]

Can I ask a Question? Have you every fixed a Sony PS-FL7 turntable? I am trying to fix arm transport issues. I've replaced the beld but for some reason I have the impression it's simply too hard to move the arm over the slider.

[@12voltvids]

I have worked on them.

[@behnaz59]

My 522k pioneer amp doesn't output signal from subwoofer pre out. What's wrong with it?

[@Luke-12V]

hi, please, do you have a good website for downloading schematics? Somewhere where almost everything is? Thank you very much 😇😊

[@alanruine5946]

Lucky to have a parts store relatively near you.. we used to have Tandy I think u have Radio Shack ? Had a great wee store here called Rock Electronics, sadly no more..

[@12voltvids]

Well we have two stores one is RP electronics and the other is Lee's electronics however they mostly cater to industrial or hobbyist in other words they don't carry a lot of repair parts. Basic stuff yes. We did have a shop called main electronics but what's the owner died his son decided it was time to close the store and get out of the business so we lost the go to place

[@demogaming8895]

I want to ask you something. So I have a Sony CDP-670 Cd player, and it has a problem. halfway into the CD, it randomly stops and restarts from the first track. It's different every time, but it always happens around the 4th or 5th track, or after that any time. This only happens when I let it play continously, if I skip around it doesn't happen. Do you have any idea what the problem could be?

[@RobsonWilliam82]

He made a video about something very similar. It turned out to be old grease in the shaft and a tiny grain of dirty in between the teeth of the laser driving gear. I will try to locate the video and reply here with the link.

[@RobsonWilliam82]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4CYd3yLnqednqs

[@alexanderpaul76pm]

Hey bud, I have a Sony stride 405 has power but no sound. It used to cut out on one channel. Any suggestions.

[@12voltvids]

Check for cold solder connections on voltage amp ic.

[@c4shd34d30]

i use to have 2 521-k one was blown on the center channel and the standby board was trashed by a technician that tried to fix it a friend of mine gave it to me ,took the center channel transistors out and everything was working once it got reset and modified it to be use as a pre-amp instead with my home made power amp it whent to the trash once i got a old onkyo tx-nr906 and sold the one the other one i had

[@rogerknapman1260]

I have one of these and it's a basi yet decent unit. Picked it up cheap because it had no sound. Turns out there's a button on the remote (that's easy to accidentally press) that will change the audio audio source, so it's video was HDMI and audio RCA. At any rate, I was amused a 2014 unit it could handle 4K video. It's just a switcher and does no video processing, if you need the "On Screen Setup" you must change to an RCA input on your TV. LOL. But it was only like $300 CDN MSRP. Since the unit is so spartan, that big empty box looks easy to work on. Regulators and rectifier are heatsinked to the bottom case and as demonstrated the amp board is easily removed. Still better to have this and some cheap speakers than a soundbar.

[@moviecritic1971]

A little over a couple years ago mine was working fine but the next day no audio when using the amp (video is fine) when I bypass the amp video is still fine but audio is passed to the TV speakers. What is the button on the remote you're speaking of? I've tried everything I can think of to get it back to working.

[@rogerknapman1260]

@@moviecritic1971 I believe the "SIGNAL SEL" button will do this. I don't have mine connected to try. But yeah you could use this to change audio from auto to hdmi to optical to component.

[@thomasschafer7268]

I have my A6 from 1984. No Problems. Thats the Problem with the new Shit.

[@mrnmrn1]

Might be underrated speakers. One driver, most likely the tweeter got cooked and shorted, putting the crossover capacitor across the amplifier output. Amplifiers really hate this situation...

[@paulnichols6753]

Fascinating

[@Shadepariah]

Did the customer put those weight markings on them? What for?

[@12voltvids]

Well i certainly didn't.

[@ralphj4012]

Perhaps for health and safety (handling in the store it was in at some point) or in preparation for shipping (calculate costs).

[@rogerbartlet5720]

Looks so much like a Denon I had

[@jeffadams5510]

I'm in the same boat right now with a kenwood.......

[@Gummi300]

Thought you dont work on AV receivers

[@12voltvids]

I don't and this is why. 😂😅😊

[@DhakaMusicOmar]

hi bro, what are you pushing to force it powerup

[@ernestmccollum2397]

Great still salvageable. I got in a Sony receiver once. Complaint was no power after playing loudly. After testing, the power transformer thermal overload opened. Non reset-able. Its buried very deeply within transformer. Thanks Sony! Sucks.

[@kikopasinecki5110]

There is some work, but it can be repaired.The thermal fuse is not always deep inside, even when it is you can still repair it.

[@JaypiTechPHOfficial]

1:57 you got me hahahaahahaha

[@12voltvids]

😁😋

[@JaypiTechPHOfficial]

@@12voltvids hahahahahah 🤣🤣 i always scared of popping parts

[@eddys.3524]

"It's dead, Jim... but not as we know it..."

[@Watcher3223]

Your post reminds me of the song "Star Trekkin'."

[@mertuckan]

part 2?

[@12voltvids]

Waiting for parts.

[@SDsailor7]

Is that receiver part of the BPC family?

[@12voltvids]

Well it's black but it's not made out of plastic and it is crap

[@SDsailor7]

@@12voltvids So we will have to change the initials then.😂

[@stphinkle]

Amazon sells the transistors for $6.99 for a PNP/NPN pair. I looked this one up.

[@Willhfxep]

No reputable tech who warranties their work will source any sort of semi conductor from amazon…

[@12voltvids]

Can you say counterfeit

[@mrnmrn1]

@@12voltvids Yes, they surely are fake. Well, you can get them sometimes from Malaysia or Singapore (where most of these ampiliers being manufactured) from ebay, those are often original. I managed to get 10 pairs of the stronger variant (150V 15A 150W instead of 150V 10A 100W) of these transistors from ebay, China, those are genuine, because they are salvaged from e-waste. To proof this, they even left the broken, cut-away edges of the original board on them. They weren't very cheap, I payed 16GBP + 7GBP shipping + 6GBP VAT for them in Aug 2021, but for 10 pairs, it's not a lot of money. Two lots are currently available from the same seller, still for the same price (same price for brits anyway, but our currency is currently trashed, it has almost 15% inflation vs GBP over this one year...). Sllr name "wudongpo2011", itm name " 10PC B1647 D2560 2SB1647 2SD2560 disassemble audio power on the tube to pair wi". Worth replacing the transistors in the two front channels to this stronger variant. (Also worth warning the owner to check the speaker that was hooked up to the blown channel, it might have a fried, shorted tweeter, and the capacitive load from the crossover capacitor what might have killed the amp). But only get used, provenly salvaged transistors from this type, almost all the new ones are fake. I don't know if the NTE variant is any good.

[@messageobliquespe100]

@@12voltvidscounterfeit

[@emeteriozamora3235]

for the best receiver pioneer vsx-9800s but the time it bring to my back home I GIVE TO MY SON.but now I looking the samething.

[@jasonthewiczman5442]

This type of Receiver the design

[@EastAngliaUK]

the easiest one to see where the problem was lol hope you can get the part to get the dead channels going again.

[@marcogenovesi8570]

I actively despise the people that leave the marketing stickers on the stuff they bought as seen in 0:33

[@blackterminal]

I leave the stickers on most things. Each to their own

[@chuckmaddison2924]

From what I've seen, there seems to be a lot of surround recievers that fail. Unlike the old plain stereo.

[@12voltvids]

People also abuse them. Stuck in hot cabinets cooking all night.

[@chuckmaddison2924]

@12voltvids Good point. I bought a pre loved Denon 1713 from2nd dealer, and occasionally, the front right would not work, then slowly come on with crackling, then good. Took to hifi store they said 10 year old unrepairable. Nephew bought new Yamaha, lasted 2 weeks.

[@12voltvids]

@@chuckmaddison2924 nobody wants to work on av receivers. Can't blame them.

[@JESUSCHRYSLER5512]

**WELL, NO ZHID, THIS 2020 CHEVY EQUINOX IS DEAD!!**

[@markmarkofkane8167]

Elevators are great. Unless they break down.

[@RGD-Repairs]

no way are those solder joints factory!! :O That looks terrible!

[@12voltvids]

They certainly are a factory that's the type of crap that's been coming out of manufacture for years. Doesn't matter where it's made they all look like crap these days

[@RGD-Repairs]

@@12voltvids oh wow! :O id be ashamed to release a product, with solder joints looking like that!!

[@12voltvids]

@@RGD-Repairs lots look like that.

[@richardsmith2721]

They do that unless you have some kind of ordinance. They'll buy the old house for the land, raze the house and build the biggest monstrosity on it they can get away with.

[@12voltvids]

Yup

[@zx8401ztv]

But jim, i'm a doctor not a crap fixer :-D

[@switch96551]

9.4kgs and 140w x 5 doesnt seem right to me.

[@alanarmstrong2323]

Nice kitty !!!

[@christophero1969]

Nice cat... LOL!

[@johnnytacokleinschmidt515]

Video ended like it started with a snap and a hiss. Kitty is just letting you know....

[@mohare134]

No thumbs-up because you brought it out of protection mode before you diagnosed the issue and as a result created more damage. You are usually very careful with safety being very aware many use your vids as training lessons on electronics repair.

[@12voltvids]

Protection mode can be easily tripped due to a shorted speaker wire with no damaged components. 9 times out of 10 if there is a shorted or leaky output or any voltage on the outputs it will just lock out again. In fact this is the first time I have witnessed a resistor go pop when unit powered up. They would have generally popped the first time it shut down and no further damage caused as it has already happened.

[@mohare134]

@@12voltvids Thanks for the clarification...thumbs up!

[@emilstola4572]

They should have made one more of them and then quit

[@NotSure723]

All cats go to Hell.

[@12voltvids]

Cat people have the same view of dogs.

[@mrnmrn1]

@@12voltvids I don't really get this cat people vs. dog people thing. I both like cats and dogs!

[@12voltvids]

@@mrnmrn1 i used to be more open to dogs but after being bit a few times on the job by fido that was "just saying hello" I have gotten to distrust many. Never had a cat come over and try to take my fingers off yet.

[@mrnmrn1]

@@12voltvids Yes, one should definitely be careful with unknown dogs. But only crazy dogs attack their own owner, (or normal dogs, but than the owner must be a real asshole, abusing the dog, etc). I have been bitten and scratched many times by some of our own, former cats, usually when they did not wanted to be petted, but we had a beautiful tabby male that sometimes straight attacked me from a distance, running up on me with his claws or jumped up in my neck from meters away and biting. He was just playing, but c'mon... I was constantly full of scratches. 🙂

[@12voltvids]

@@mrnmrn1 i once had a psycho Siamese that was named Rambo for good reason. None of the ones i have now even know what their claws are for other then wrecking furniture.

[@HF-7DXM-6DXW-12]

junk

[@426hemicuda1090]

Wow that's a cheap a$$ amplifier...

[@KingMierda]

Both of my high end Pioneer receivers act very stupid, I’m not buying again