Audio Systems: Sony DE435 reciever, sony str de595, broken fuse

Question
I am looking at one of these on ebay. The seller claims that it powers up but no sound comes out of the speakers and the word "protector" flashes on the screen. What does this mean and is it a costly repair?

Answer
Dear Robert,

How much?

A brand spanking new Sony STR-DE595 *that actually works right out of the box* is only $199.99 MSRP, which means a street price of not more than $170-180. Loads better than a broken, used receiver.

BTW, to answer your question, when the protection circuits have been invoked, it means that the amplifier section of the receiver has been overloaded. Result: no sound comes out and the word "PROTECTION" flashes on the LED read-out. Why the overload? Played it too loud. Used too-high impedance speakers. Got it fried in a thunderstorm. Etc.

What's *really* wrong? Could be anything from a broken fuse (cheap) to blown capacitor soldering (very expensive). Unless the seller can tell you what the real problem is, steer clear. Well, okay, that's what I would do. Given what I think it would cost to repair the worst, I'd buy a new unit. It would cost less.

Good luck. And thanks for choosing allexperts.com!

Kindest regards,

Kevin