small red lights flash on my Nakamichi PA-7

These lights indicate clipping

but sometimes the small red lights on the front of the amp blink or stay on for a second

As Docdan50 stated, clipping, or the amp has reached maximum power output. An extremely quick blink that rarely happens is probably OK, however, the longer it stays on, the greater the chance for damage to happen, especially to the speaker. Sorry, but you will just need to turn the volume down slightly.

What speakers are you using?

I had one of those 'Naks years ago...and getting the clipping light to come on (300 watts pre side) meant things had become VERY loud, so if that's not the case then I'd get it checked out if possible.

I had one of those 'Naks years ago...and getting the clipping light to come on (300 watts pre side) meant things had become VERY loud

That may or may not be true, as it will depend on the sensitivity of the speaker and size of the room. Using a very low sensitivity speaker in a large room, it would be very easy for the clipping lights to come on, and not be very loud.

So again, what speakers are you using?

Out of gas?

Those lights should be mandatory on ALL amps !
30 years ago they hipped me into just how much power Maggies
REALLY need, as in 500 watts a side into 4 ohms on up.

If you need more than 300 high current watts for ANY speaker, that is one friggin' inefficient speaker. So...the witness has not answered the question...what speaker are you using? Well? Your honor...this witness is to be held in contempt!

Need to do their best your Wolfness.LOL Are you related to Hugo Wolf, the one whose buried about 20 ft from Schubert ?

Schubert said:

Are you related to Hugo Wolf, the one whose buried about 20 ft from Schubert?

Why don't you just borrow over and ask good ol' Hugo yourself? ;-)

Don't take offense, Schubert, I couldn't help myself. It's been a tough week and I'm getting a little punchy!

Wolf, I'm not disagreeing with your experience, as I too, have had experience with the Nak amp, and 200 watt Adcom amps with this type of LED indicator. It will be very easy for these LED's to blink when using speakers with an 85-86db sensitivity in a larger room, playing music with a wide dynamic range moderately loud. I'm sure you realize the amp/speaker relationship is logarithmic, and not linear. A very slight increase in a dynamic peak will require quite a bit more amplifier power.

Here is an article about this amp using different speakers. Check out the next to last paragraph.

http://www.tonepublications.com/old-school/nakamichi-pa-7-amplifier/

Joe, download the manual for GFA-5500 here, and read the section "Instantaneous Distortion Alert LED's". This is basically what a manual for the PA-7 would say.

http://www.adcom.com/manual/cat_view/68-manual/44-stereo-amplifier.html

No sweat Swamp , if you dish it out need to take it too. Life is hard.Wolf really is buried in Vienna right next to Brahms who is
buried right next to Schubert

Just a comment Wolf, didn't think you were.

THANKS TO EVERYONE, some very interesting info for me to use. The speakers are Vienna Acoustics' Baby Grands, my brother-in-law didn't use and sold them to me.
Any ideas on where/how to find operating manuals for the Nakamichi PA-7 and CA-5.
I was playing very loud Highlands Cathedral, a combination of brass, bagpipes and organ.
Again thanks to everyone.
Joe

What's that sound? We're all decomposing.