[Accorigang]

I don't understand why my luck with DSPs is so dogshit

Today I was /going to/ do an official gain setting on my newly acquired Helix Mini DSP mk2

As I'm about to start I go to unplug the RCAs from the DSP into my amp and the ****in DSP starts smoking

I turn the car off and unplug everything, open the DSP and see this

I have no clue what's going on, I don't think any wiring I have is bad since I've had no other problems, but literally both times I do anything DSP related (EQing on my RF 360.3 then it explodes when Im cleaning everything up) something has to go wrong

I understand the DIY nature of this forum/car audio but God damn man it's just so disheartening dealing with this less than a month later

Is there anything I should do before I set up the next one? I just don't know what could be happening other than poor luck

 

[ckirocz28]

I don't understand why my luck with DSPs is so dogshit

Today I was /going to/ do an official gain setting on my newly acquired Helix Mini DSP mk2

As I'm about to start I go to unplug the RCAs from the DSP into my amp and the ****in DSP starts smoking

I turn the car off and unplug everything, open the DSP and see this

View attachment 337380

I have no clue what's going on, I don't think any wiring I have is bad since I've had no other problems, but literally both times I do anything DSP related (EQing on my RF 360.3 then it explodes when Im cleaning everything up) something has to go wrong

I understand the DIY nature of this forum/car audio but God damn man it's just so disheartening dealing with this less than a month later

Is there anything I should do before I set up the next one? I just don't know what could be happening other than poor luck

Make sure you don't have an rca cable plugged into the positive battery post? Seriously, I'd use a dmm on all of the rca cables getting hooked up to the dsp to see if there's some dc current running through one of them.

 

[Accorigang]

Make sure you don't have an rca cable plugged into the positive battery post? Seriously, I'd use a dmm on all of the rca cables getting hooked up to the dsp to see if there's some dc current running through one of them.

I don't have RCAs running "in" to the DSP, just high level speaker signal

I do have 6 rcas running out of the dsp into the amps, would it be possible for an amp to feed power thru the input rca plugs?

 

[Caustic]

Man that ****ing sucks. I can be pretty careless, have blown a speaker or 2, but have yet to smoke a DSP.

Both DSP's did the same thing? In the same car?

 

[Kaspers126]

You shouldnt hot plug rca cables

 

[Accorigang]

You shouldnt hot plug rca cables

Where were you 5hrs ago lol

Is that standard practice? I've had no issues doing that before in any of my other cars, granted I've only been in the diy audio stuff for a couple of years

 

[ckirocz28]

I don't have RCAs running "in" to the DSP, just high level speaker signal

I do have 6 rcas running out of the dsp into the amps, would it be possible for an amp to feed power thru the input rca plugs?

I'd check the high level inputs for sure, and I'm not sure about the amp shorting through the rca's but I'd check EVERYTHING before hooking up another dsp.

 

[Accorigang]

Man that ****ing sucks. I can be pretty careless, have blown a speaker or 2, but have yet to smoke a DSP.

Both DSP's did the same thing? In the same car?

Not the exact same, the 3sixty.3 blew a resistor, the Helix looks like it blew some IC,

The 3sixty had nothing going on when it blew, just sitting there

The Helix when unplugging RCA cables

 

[mdnky]

I don't have RCAs running "in" to the DSP, just high level speaker signal

What vehicle/setup is this used in?

First thing to do is use a DMM to check the voltage on those hi-level input signals, should be between 5V to 10V.

 

[bnae38]

Is dsp ground solid?

 

[Accorigang]

Is dsp ground solid?

It's grounded into ground distro into a 0ga to bare chassis, I think it's good

 

[Accorigang]

What vehicle/setup is this used in?

First thing to do is use a DMM to check the voltage on those hi-level input signals, should be between 5V to 10V.

2021 Accord, no factory amplification

I'll be checking that voltage in later, however now that I think about it when my Helix blew there was no signal going into the dsp since I hadn't connected my phone yet

 

[DaveG]

Was your laptop plugged into ac power and connected to the dsp at the same time? I’ve heard of this releasing the magic smoke before. The ignition was cycled during this. Where are you located?

 

[Accorigang]

Was your laptop plugged into ac power and connected to the dsp at the same time? I’ve heard of this releasing the magic smoke before. Where are you located?

Nope, only thing different than "normal operation" was me unplugging the rcas going from the dsp to the amps

And I'm in Rhode Island

 

[cman]

That is an op amp for the RCA outputs.. so whatever happened I am assuming it was directly related to you plugging and/or unplugging the RCA output from the DSP.

I had no idea it could damage it if you did this while in use.. i am assuming one part of the RCA disconnected faster than the other.. or the positive center touched the negative outside of the RCA.. something.. that something I am not sure but i do know thats an OP1678 its the same output op amps as my helix DSP ultra.. which is pretty cool im surprised the mini uses that nice of op amps.. they are from the same family as the burr brown ones from texas instruments and one of the nicest fet op amps you can get.

the one to the left im guessing thats a 4 channel (quad) op amp "OP1679" and then the one you blew is the two channel op amp "OP1678"..

so I am guessing only four out of six RCA output channels are working.. but i would not even operate it in its current state.. it could cause more damage if something is shorted.

 

[Accorigang]

That is an op amp for the RCA outputs.. so whatever happened I am assuming it was directly related to you plugging and/or unplugging the RCA output from the DSP.

I had no idea it could damage it if you did this while in use.. i am assuming one part of the RCA disconnected faster than the other.. or the positive center touched the negative outside of the RCA.. something.. that something I am not sure but i do know thats an OP1678 its the same output op amps as my helix DSP ultra.. which is pretty cool im surprised the mini uses that nice of op amps.. they are from the same family as the burr brown ones from texas instruments and one of the nicest fet op amps you can get.

the one to the left im guessing thats a 4 channel (quad) op amp "OP1679" and then the one you blew is the two channel op amp "OP1678"..

so I am guessing only four out of six RCA output channels are working.. but i would not even operate it in its current state.. it could cause more damage if something is shorted.

The rcas plug touching the barrel is entirely possible as I'm thinking about how it happened, I wasn't very careful in unplugging and just kinds yanked them out

I'm glad for the info you provided, assuming if that's the only thing damaged it could be repaired? I looked around the board and that's the only thing I saw burnt, no other caps and such looked bad

 

[cman]

The rcas plug touching the barrel is entirely possible as I'm thinking about how it happened, I wasn't very careful in unplugging and just kinds yanked them out

I'm glad for the info you provided, assuming if that's the only thing damaged it could be repaired? I looked around the board and that's the only thing I saw burnt, no other caps and such looked bad

It can probably be repaired... you need experience and a good hot air rework station to desolder and solder surface mount components like that.. so definitely do not try doing it yourself..

there are some guys who upgrade the op amps on the helix DSPs (i cant remember who) you might be able to get one of them to swap it out but i don't know if it took out any of the components around it too...

i think the best idea would be to send it back to audiotech fischer or msc the american distributor for helix. they will send it to Germany.. although international shipping is not super cheap.. it could be cheaper to reach out to some people in the US that do repairs and see what they say.. I don't know any off the top of my head but i know I've heard of people on facebook and here talking about a few different people that do repairs on amps, or op amp upgrades on dsp's.. so one of those people might be able to swap it for you (granted the surrounding components are not also damaged... i think that is a resistor below it and it looks a little toasty.. if that is a resistor the numbers on it look to be the same as the ones to the left of it.. you can test its value and compare it against the one to the left.. to see if its still goood..

i circled the two i am talking about.. you can test them with a basic multimeter on the ohms setting

 

[Accorigang]

It can probably be repaired... you need experience and a good hot air rework station to desolder and solder surface mount components like that.. so definitely do not try doing it yourself..

there are some guys who upgrade the op amps on the helix DSPs (i cant remember who) you might be able to get one of them to swap it out but i don't know if it took out any of the components around it too...

i think the best idea would be to send it back to audiotech fischer or msc the american distributor for helix. they will send it to Germany.. although international shipping is not super cheap.. it could be cheaper to reach out to some people in the US that do repairs and see what they say.. I don't know any off the top of my head but i know I've heard of people on facebook and here talking about a few different people that do repairs on amps, or op amp upgrades on dsp's.. so one of those people might be able to swap it for you (granted the surrounding components are not also damaged... i think that is a resistor below it and it looks a little toasty.. if that is a resistor the numbers on it look to be the same as the ones to the left of it.. you can test its value and compare it against the one to the left.. to see if its still goood..

i circled the two i am talking about.. you can test them with a basic multimeter on the ohms setting

View attachment 337417

Yeah I also noticed that resistor pair below, good eyes with the similar pair to the side, couldn't find a schematic but those being identical would make some sense...
I tried contacting audiotech but looks like they're closed on weekends

I'll look into anything in the US as far as repairs go, really appreciate that info with people who work on them

Worst come to worst the item came with a squaretrade warranty so I can hopefully fall on that, just sad not having music for the time being

 

[haakono]

DSP mini mk2 with squaretrade warranty rings a bell... it isn't this one by any chance?

FS: BNIB Helix Mini DSP MK2 w/2yr Warranty

I had originally picked up these units before I completely thought out my build. The seller I got the Helix from is looking to give me a bit of a run around returning it. I purchased it from a recommended eBay seller I got from a few posts here (audio_for_fun ) but even though I just received...

www.diymobileaudio.com

Then I would push for that warranty by any means possible.

 

[Accorigang]

DSP mini mk2 with squaretrade warranty rings a bell... it isn't this one by any chance?

FS: BNIB Helix Mini DSP MK2 w/2yr Warranty

I had originally picked up these units before I completely thought out my build. The seller I got the Helix from is looking to give me a bit of a run around returning it. I purchased it from a recommended eBay seller I got from a few posts here (audio_for_fun ) but even though I just received...

www.diymobileaudio.com

Then I would push for that warranty by any means possible.

Thats the one, literally less than a couple weeks with it