I know it’s an older thread but I just did the exact same thing with a brand new Arcam SA30 amp. 100% volume for 2-3 seconds. Can this damage the amp?
My old speakers were hooked up at this time and I hear some distortion, however that might be old distortion or my old ears.
Coincidentally, during this same time period I have been to my family doctor regarding ear pain when listening to music of any type. It looks like the years of noise exposure has taken its toll on my hearing, I am due to see a specialist soon. So I can’t rule out my ears being the root of the distortion.
I’ve since received my new speakers and they also do not sound right. Some more aggressive rock album can sound fizzy in the higher frequencies but jazz sounds fine.
So…long story short-ish, could the amp be damaged from those few seconds of 100% volume?