Audio Systems: stereo volume overload?, garrard turntable, output transistors

Question
I have a very nice Kenwood system about 15 years old. It has been terrific when hooked up to any entertainment system, including my current outfit with DVD recorder & HDTV. It has Kenwwod receiver, CD player, tame player/recorder, and a Garrard turntable. But just a couple days ago after playing a CD, I put it on the TV system. Suddenly it cut off audio output & flashed "protect" on the receiver display. Now the volume can only be turned up to where we can hear it, but not at the needed volume (we both are a bit hard of hearing). This occurs no matter what unit is playing. I find no loose connections or foreign objects in back. I hope you can help. Thanks.

Answer
Protect mode is a sign the receiver has gone into cardiac arrest - so to speak.  It is an indication of shorts in the system that are causing an overload on the power supply.  This condition can be caused by something internal such as a failure of the power supply or overheated audio output transistors.  It can also be caused by a shorted speaker wire or a shorted voice coil in one of the speaker systems.

A common cause in older receivers is when the silicon heat transfer grease on the output transistors dries out and results in prematurely overheating of the transistors.

The cost of repair involving the replacement and re-greasing if the outputs will be in the $100 area.  With a receiver this old you may find it more worthwhile to purchase a new receiver.  They are quite cheap now days compared with 15 years ago.

Hoping this will help you get restored to full operation soon,
Cleggsan