i'm trying to wire my Orion CS200.4 amplifier to a Kenwood KDC-9015 head unit, but for some reason the amp is displaying "protect" mode (red) rather than "power" (green led). i know it's getting power but it won't turn on because of this. what does this mean and how can i fix it?

 

Sounds like bad transistors. Send it to Orion or an amp repair shop.

 

you dont' think it's just a kind of failsafe or something like that?

 

Try turning the amp off, wait a minute, then turn it back on. If it's still in protection mode, the amp needs to be repaired.

 

Try what SpeedKing said with the speakers disconnected. It could be an output shorting condition it's complaining about.

 

well it could be a few different things. Check your ground connection, that could easly put the amp into protect mode. Also check the impedance of your speakers with a DMM. If the impedance is to low then the amp will go into protect also. And if you pass all of those tests then most likely the amp has now become a new boat anchor.

 

well it's not the speakers, i've run this exact setup before without any problems, so i'm betting it's the ground. i'll check that tomorrow if i get time. thanks for the help guys, i'll let you know how it goes.

 

well I would test the speakers for correct impedence just to be safe. Good luck and let us know