Hello all -

I just became the proud owner of (new to me) Triton 3, and I'm so thrilled with them. I have had them for about a week, and a few days ago ran into an issue where the amp kept going into Protective Mode (Bad Tube Indicator light).

After a couple days of back and forth and a ton of help from Saturday Audio Exchange in Chicago (the best of the best) I finally figured out it was a speaker issue. I took some banana plugs off the speaker end, which I suspected were the culprits. Got it to turn on - woo hoo.

Then it went into Protective Mode again. Hmmm .. so then I thought, is the sub-woofer powering up throwing off the amp? It would go into lockdown when the sub-woofer "popped" turning on.

I then discovered that the speakers needed to be powered on BEFORE the PrimaLuna so it doesn't go into lockdown. This means that I can't let the speakers go into sleep mode and need to somehow get them to turn on before the amp.

From there I did a little research and found this link on PrimaLuna's site: www.primaluna-usa.com/using-speakers-with-builtin-subwoofers - it gives instruction to wire an 82ohm resistor across the speaker taps.

Has anyone else experienced this before? Have you found resolve in adding the resistor?

Abruptmodulation:
I've had an Primaluna Premium Preamp mated with an Decware Zen Torii mk4 for a couple of years now. I've paired them with the T2'S and now the T Refs and never once have I experienced a problem. I was instructed that the Primaluna always is turned on first, followed by the amp, and source last. Reverse the order upon shutdown -- Source 1st, amp 2cd, preamp last. Personally I've never heard of the problem of which you speak, but the solution on the Primaluna site may well be what you are looking for.

Best of Luck

Thank you for the note back!

I have the Classic Integrated amp, and what's happening - I think - is that when the sub-woofer "pops" on, then the tube signal senses danger and just turns off.

It works 100% of the time if the speakers are already powered; hoping to hear from others on this. It sounds so fabulous that I hope others don't turn away from this combination if they experience the same issue.

abruptmodulation wrote: Thank you for the note back!

I have the Classic Integrated amp, and what's happening - I think - is that when the sub-woofer "pops" on, then the tube signal senses danger and just turns off.

It works 100% of the time if the speakers are already powered; hoping to hear from others on this. It sounds so fabulous that I hope others don't turn away from this combination if they experience the same issue.

If your problem is indeed the sub-woofer, here is perhaps a simple fix. You can buy audio line-level switches or selector boxes for a very nominal price. These devices are passive and have standard RCA-type connectors. You can insert the device between the LFE or line-level output of your amp and the LFE or line-level input to your sub. You can then switch the line off prior to turning on your amp. Once the amp is alive, then you can switch the line back on. This approach should not degrade your signal path and should resolve your problem.

Best,

Art

Clever idea!! Unfortunately, there's no line level output on my amp.

I'm thinking I should try adding the 82ohm resistor as PrimaLuna suggests in the link I shared in original post. I'm hoping to hear from someone at GoldenEar on this to see if they've heard of it. My shop suggested I give them a ring to let them know; they had never heard of it before and are a certified PrimaLuna + GoldenEar dealer.

Yes, known problem with this specific amp. Follow their instructions to solve the problem.