Hello all, I used this forum quite a bit years ago when purchasing my HT setup, and have a new issue I thought the experts could help me on. I did searches for similar problems, but haven’t found a solution yet. Hopefully you guys can help.

Here’s the situation. I bought (for practically nothing) two monoblock PA amps. They’re Bogen HTA-250A’s, rated at 250watts rms each. My thought was to use one to power a subwoofer, or maybe party speakers at some date. I wasn’t concerned about super clean power, but that they’d have some decent power. I had heard of a few people doing this online, and they were surprised at how clean they DID sound, so I thought I’d try it.

The issue was inputs, and it has RCA unbalanced Hi-Z (52k ohm), and low-z balanced (600ohm) inputs. I wanted to use the low-z preamp outputs from my receiver. I asked Bogen if they had some sort of module to add to connect these correctly and they said “plug the RCA from your receiver to the Hi-z inputs". That’s it.

Now here’s the problem; plugging into the hi-z only creates a loud ground loop hum, and very little “music”. Just to test to see if it was the input creating the noise, I disconnected the preamp and plugged an ipod directly into the RCA, figuring there’s no ground issue with a battery powered source, and the hum/buzz is completely gone, replaced by music. However, even at its max (the source output and the amps input knob. I was able to turn it up that loud, if that gives you any idea how NOT loud it was), it certainly wasn’t delivering full power.

What can I do? Convert the RCA unbalanced to a balanced input? I’ve read online that a low-z output to high-z input is common, and it’s usually on the magnitude of a 1/10 ratio of impedance. I’m not sure what a typical rca preout is rated at, but this imbalance in impedance seems to be too great and then there’s the issue of the ground loop. Any advice is appreciated

I am aware they are old
Kenwood KFC-W3009
# 12" 4-ohm subwoofer
# pearl mica injection-molded polypropylene woofer cone with urethane foam surround
# overlapping ribs on cone surface for improved rigidity and dampened resonance
# extended pole piece and bumped back plate for increased cone excursion
# power range: 35-400 watts RMS (800 watts peak power)
# frequency response: 25-800 Hz

So My amp went out, and well I’ve been thinking if there was a better way of hooking these things up
Audiobahn A8002t
# 200 watts RMS x 2 at 4 ohms
# 400 watts RMS x 2 at 2 ohms
# 800 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms
# stereo or bridged mono output
# Tri-way capable (Tri-Way crossover required)
# MOSFET power supply
# 4-gauge power and ground leads recommended — wiring and hardware not included with amplifier
# high gloss chrome plate finish with blue illumination
# variable crossovers (50-750 Hz, 18 dB/octave high-pass, and 50-120 Hz, 18 dB/octave low-pass)
# subsonic filter (20-50 Hz)
# 18 dB bass boost (switchable on/off)
# preamp outputs
# preamp- and speaker-level inputs
# cooling fan

I had the subs hooked up with each having their own channel.

I’ve been looking at wiring diagrams at Crutchfield.com
Since the subs work (hooked up an old amp to test), I didn’t really feel the need to replace them, they sounded great so, I figured no need to change anything. But, I always felt the subs should have hit much better, so I just always figured it was the amp, but after looking at a few wiring diagrams on crutchfield.com I found maybe it is better to use a single channel with a daisy chan setup at 2 ohms. (I was probably running them at 200 RMS, instead of the 400 RMS at 4 Ohms). I am a beginner with this kind of stuff, but I don’t mind reading, and I don’t see how my system can be that complicated to warrant a pro setting it up.

If anyone can give their input, that would be great before I buy a new amp.

I am also looking at the head unit (as I guess that went out too lol), Alpine iDA-X305 since I have the iPhone 3gs, but I’ve seen good and bad reviews will be checking it out in person before buying from store/off web.

Also hello, as this is my first post. Thanks for any comments one may add.

I perform/check for updates for denon 3803 twice or once a month. The last time i checked for updates was dec 2009. I decided to perform and check for updates yesterday. It was 2min sub-firmware update.

It was all fine until I performed the latest update.

Here is my setup.
Denon 3803
PS3 [Hooked via HDMI]
HTPC [Hooked via DVI-HDMI Cable for Video, Optical For Audio ]
TV - Philips 42pf9966 [Hooked via HDMI to Denon 3808]

HTPC Details
Windows 7 64bit
Gigabyte - MA 78GPM DS2H with Intergrated ATI Radeon HD3200
All latest Drivers

My Philips Plasma TV 42PF9966 Supports the following Resolution via HDMI
1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
1024 x 768 @ 60 Hz [XGA]

Before the denon update
My HTPC is set to 1024 x 768 @ 60 Hz. The display could fill the entire screen of my plasma and since refresh rate is at 60Hz the display quality was vivid and clear as you would expect.

After the update
All appeared normal, until I tried to switch on my HTPC. The HTPC was powered on but i could not get any display. I could that my plasma TV is trying to get the signal [slightly flicker] but the display was still blank.

I tried to diagnose the problem.
1. PS3 working all perfectly [via denon HDMI to my TV]
2. TV is working fine.
3. I hooked normal pc monitor to my HTPC, it was fine.
4. I even connected my HTPC to my TV directly in both [HDMI and DVI-HDMI cables respectably ] worked fine perfectly. The resolution was 1024 x 768 @ 60 Hz

I hooked back my HTPC to Denon and Denon to TV. After numerous attempts I got a signal on my display. It was not 1024 x 768 @ 60 Hz. It was 1280 x 720. The image was not filling the entire area of my TV. I tried to change the resolution on the computer to 1024 x 768 @ 60 Hz . It even stated recommenced but when i tried to select and apply, after a few flicker it would not change.

I later change to 1920 x 1080. It filled almost the entire screen but not as good as 1024 x 768 @ 60 Hz. Since the refresh rate is 30 Hz there is some noise on the display. This would by temporary resolution until i found the fix.

I can conclude that in the update there could be some kind of bug that is preventing 1024 x 768 @ 60 Hz signal.

Please advise.

Thanks alot.

Right now I am running all my equipment off my Integra DRT 5.9 reciever. I have the fronts bi-wired (realizing its more than likely not worth it, but had the extra wire so why not).

I have been wondering as of late if purchasing the Emotiva XPA-3 amp will drive the front speakers better/cleaner than my reciever. I am aware that more than likely my reciever does deliver the full watts per channel it is listed at, hence this question. I thought about getting the 5 and 7 channel amp’s but I dont really need more wattage than my reciever for the surrounds (but correct me if I am wrong) I have listed all my current speakers spec’s below. Please note I am hoping to upgrade the sub to a SVS PC12+ in the next 3 months.

I currently have the following items connected to my reciever:

Wii - connected via RCA’s
Xbox - connected via component
Xbox 360 - connected via HDMI
Uverse - connected via HDMI
Samsung BP-1600 - connected via HDMI

This table shows the current speakers, spec’s and configuration.

Manufacture	Position	Wattage	Impedance	Efficiency	Lower -3db limit	Upper -3db limit	Frequency Response
Polk T90e	Fronts	20 - 200 w/channel	8 ohms	90 dB	48Hz	24kHz	38Hz - 25kHz
Polk CS2	Center	20 - 175 w/channel	8 ohms	90 dB	60Hz	24kHz	55Hz - 25kHz
Polk R50’s	Surrounds	20 - 150 w/channel	8 ohms	90 dB	50Hz	20kHz	40Hz - 24kHz
Polk PSW125	Sub	300 watts			34 Hz dB		32Hz-225Hz

Here is my current layout. I realize the speaker by the couch is pointing the wrong direction, but its the only way to get it to fit. I have run the room correction software with the reciever and applied it to my settings. I have 9 ft ceilings so living room dimension is about ~2400ft^3 not including the dining room. I have no real ability to modify the way the furniture is arranged and I am aware that my "sweet spot" is more than likely not the couch.

Any other suggestions are more than appreciated.

I am in the market for a new stand-alone surround sound receiver, but since I have been using a hand-me-down Kenwood unit (VR-507) since 2002 or so, I don’t seem to know much of anything about them.

I would like to know why all receivers seem to have video inputs and outputs. I have almost always just routed the TV audio output into the receiver audio input, and for devices that support something better than an RCA style output (i.e. fiber optic or digital RCA) I have just plugged the audio directly into the receiver and the video directly into my TV. So I don’t see why I need any video processing at all in my receiver. The only hiccup with this theory is HDMI which carries both video and audio, but my only devices with HDMI also have a fiber optic audio output.

So, I am looking for a relatively cheap receiver that can process audio well for current and future devices.

I never turn the volume up too loud, and I am not using good speakers right now, so I do not care too much about total wattage, but quality at a comfortable level is important. The Kenwood claimed to provide around 100 watts or so per speaker, and I never desired anything louder. I also do not care about the Sirius or XM receivers that some units have, nor any ridiculous bluetooth or ethernet or iPod connectivity. Even an excessive number of inputs is somewhat unnecessary because I already have switchboxes, if needed.

I do want to somewhat future-proof it in terms of what audio formats it can decode, such as all the Pro Logic, DTS, Dolby Digital etc. I apologize for not doing all my homework on these beforehand. I imagine I would probably want at least a 7.1 unit, although I only have 5 speakers for now. I can’t think of anything else right now.

Currently I would like to run the following through the receiver.
-TV output (fiber optic).
-Xbox 360 (fiber optic) for games and HD-DVD movies
-PS3 (fiber optic or HDMI) for games and blu-ray movies
-original Xbox running Xbox Media Center (fiber optic)
-Wii (RCA output, perhaps with Pro Logic encoding?)
-some other old devices that claim to support Pro Logic.

I was considering the Sony STR-DH700, but have read bad things about it. Can anybody make any recommendations?
Sorry for the long post.

You’d think choosing a multi-zone receiver would be easy, but when you add in some requirements it becomes a little tougher.

Here’s my requirements:

General Requirements
—————————–
1 .The AVR needs to be rock solid! I don’t want to have to FLASH firmware every time I change underwear nor do I want to put up with bugs & glitches. After all, if you’re going to drop $1000 to $2000 on the unit it ought to work flawlessly.

2. The AVR stated features to work as advertised.

3. Able to support the following three audio Zones, 2 Video Zones:
Main Theater = 5.1
Sources = (Aquos LCD w/ HDMI, VHS w/ S-video, HiDef DVD=HDMI or Comp or S-video, 8300HD Cable=HDMI or S-video, Wii, Ipod)
Speakers = Fronts Klipsch WF-35 etc..
Zone 2 = 2 speakers (in wall)
Zone 3 = 2 speakers (in wall)

Specfic Requirements
1. Need to support 3 audio Zones – will allow the 3rd zone to be a pre-out only
- 2 zones of Video is sufficient (HDMI + HDMI or Comp Video)
- Audio multi-zone should exhibit flexible use of various audio sources to various
zones. Easy/flexiblevolume control of each zone.
2. Needs to be Network Ready (Internet Radio, support various music media, Firmware update )
3. Needs to be DLNA certified
4. Price < $2000

I’m not going to specify number of inputs of various sorts & other items of connectivity, as Hi-End receivers will have enough for me. Don’t recommend audio multi-zone systems like Niles or Russound as these systems emphasize audio zones with minimal video support or wireless systems like Sonus as these systems are for sources which are scattered & requires one hub per source.

Here’s a list of multi-zone systems I’ve looked at:

9 channels or more
————————-
Integra 80.1, Integra 70.1, Onkyo 5007, 3007 & 1007 = These receivers are not ready for prime time IMHO. The 00X series has a host of issues that have yet to be solved.

Denon 4810

Yamaha Z11 – Zone 3 & 4 at 50 watts = a bit out of my price range

7 channels (will require a 2 channel amp for Zone 3 - no biggie)
——————————————————————
Pioneer SC-27, SC-25 – No HDMI processing (no biggie)
Yamaha V3900
Yamaha V2065 – No HDMI processing (no biggie)
Integra 50.1
Denon 4310, 3310
Onkyo 807

I have a preference and it’s not a 9+ channel receiver since the 7 channel can be had for a good price and adding 2 channel amp is insignificant.

What rock-solid, with few problems, network ready, DLNA capable AVR would you choose for supporting 3 zones seamlessly?

First let me say this………….I don’t know a ton about this stuff…..and to be honest I doubt I could tell the difference between any of them…..but for my money I would like to get the best I can……

My budget is in the $300-500 range…..so after doing some research I figure these are my best three bets (I could be wrong and feel free to throw some more in there).

I find after reading some reviews that opinions are fairly mixed….but alot of the pros/cons, I don’t fully think I understand as I don’t know a ton about this. So I figured I would ask the pros.

The biggest thing for me is sound/picture quality. Its going to be used probably about 50% tv, 30% bluray, 15% games, 5% music. So its mostly movie/tv sound that I am worried about.

What is hooked up…
Sony 52in XBR6 LCD
Sony S350 Blu Ray player via HDMI
HD Cable Box via HDMI
XBox 360 via HDMI
Wii via red/yellow/green cable (sorry don’t even know what its called)
VCR/DVD (only use the VCR……and yes, I still use a VCR)
Old speakers - this will be the next project but going to get the receiver first - I know this makes a big difference, but one step at a time.

I am set up for 5 channel right now, but I want the 7 channel option for the future. I have only one room set up now, but in the future would like the 2-zone option.

The room this will be going in is fairly small also.

So…………basically its down to the Denon 790, Onkyo 607 and Pioneer 1019. Best prices I have found are about $400 shipped for the Denon and Onkyo and about $450 shipped for the Pioneer.

I have read that the Denon 790 and the 1910 are virtually the same unit (790 being the consumer store model and 1910 stereo store model)…….if thats the case why is the price so much different? I can find the 790 for about $370 (plus shipping) while the 1910 is $450 (plus shipping). If they are the same unit….why the difference in price?

Also note that I don’t know a ton about different settings and what they do/mean….so something that wouldn’t be too hard to set up, would help.

In my situation……where movie/tv sound (and picture) for that matter is the most important thing for me…..and I am not a audiophile………what would you recommend in my price range?

Hey all -

The short of this is that I am ready to make a jump. I thought about going with separates (buddy has a Rotel setup circa 2005), but I read about some issues with them & also figured I probably won’t spend that money.

Figuring on a $1000-$2000 price range.

Current System (Five speaker setup):
Panasonic SR-70 Receiver. Digital Amp. 100 watts x 6. SR-70 Specs
Fronts: Klipsch RF-83. 250 watts RMS. RF-83 Specs
Center: Klipsch RC-7 200 watts RMS RC-7 Specs
Surrounds: Klipsch RS3 RS3 Specs

Wants:
1: More power to drive the fronts. Mostly the front L/R. Currently biwired/biamped (stereo mode only, obviously) into XR-70. 200 watts x 2 if I am lucky with the XR70, I am sure. Sounds better with more power…but needs more oomph to really get those RF83’s to sing. Would like to wire/amp the same way with new receiver, however I am concerned about dumping too much (say 300 watts per channel) in the fronts. Is this concern legit? Can I limit output?
2: Uses: Movies, Music, Gaming. It’s all-purpose.
3: Possible lineouts to run to external amp one day…
4: Don’t plan on going past 5.1 in the immediate future, but I won’t rule out the possibility. Mostly want extra power for RF-83s for now.

Thoughts on models:
1: I currently have my eye on the Onkyo TX-NR3007. Thoughts?
2: I think I have ruled out Marantz, but I will listen to arguments.
3: Friend has a Denon AVR-4310CI. Didn’t put it through the motions, myself. Was not quite impressed with remote and interface. Kinda high cost…Denon users? Thoughts?
4: Don’t know much about Pioneer Elite. Ran a good budget Pioneer back in the day (VSX-D608 in 1999), and would like to hear thoughts on their Elite line.

I am especially interested in hearing from you guys that switched from one brand and/or unit to a different brand/unit for one reason or another.

Sorry about the small novel. I am doing research, reading threads, and mostly have a concern about running too much power to speakers. I have always had a receiver that pushes less than the RMS of the speakers. I don’t crank up volume all that often. I do know this - these speakers can sound a LOT better than they do right now if I upgrade.

P.S.

Extra Odd & Fun Info:
1: Currently running PS3 as game system blu-ray player. Serves as primary media unit of theater.
2: Have a turntable hooked up with external phono amp
3: Currently have gaming systems: Atari 2600, Atari XEGS, Turbo Duo, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Gamecube, SNES, NES, Sega Genesis/CD, Wii, and 3DO hooked up to system. Some have been modified for S-Video output. Would be nice if receiver has upscaling as well as the ability to switch OFF video processing. Some of these signals will be out of spec. I can always do video switching externally if I have to.

Looked around and didn’t see an answer for this, thought I would bring it here and hope someone has had experience with this.

I just bought a pretty nice HT setup for my budget, which includes the Pioneer 819H Rec, Polk PSW10 Sub, and the Take 5 Classic Speaker set.

I installed myself, and everything works accordingly.

I have ran the Auto MCACC setup, and from the correct listening position.

The issue is mainly an echoing effects coming from the front 3 speakers during alot of settings, including Sports and some others. We tested it watching some HD Television shows last night, and when it would cut to commercial, the echoing would come in very badly on most channels, regardless of the Surround setting.

Is this an issue of the Rec not changing format for the commercials (ie a commercial isnt in Dobly like the show, so it sounds distored), or could I have something set up wrong?

Also, am I better off using all Comp cables, as opposed to the HDMIs I am currently using?

Also, when watching dialogue heavy shows (Like House last night) we find that the rear speakers are giving off a constant whispering static noise while the dialogue is going on up front, distracting from the experience. It isnt that noticable at the center prime listening position, but if you are sitting to one of the sides closer to those rear speakers, you can hear it. Is this due to the MCACC setup?

Im going to get an extra set of Component cables today and use the OSD to set it up manually I think, and see if that helps. I was just wondering if anyone else here found a nice fix or setting that works well.

I will primarily use this setup for HD Programming, Gaming, and some DVD and Blu-ray mixed in.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. I have been so excited since Xmas to finally get a nice system to go with our HD capabilities we have had, and this has been a bit of a letdown so far.

My first post on this site. Just found the site and love it!!

My current set up:

My Denon 4800 drives my 2 rear speakers and my ATI1506 Amp drives my front 3 channels. I have a HSU VTF-3 MK3 sub.

My front speakers are Dynaudio 1.3MKIIs and my center is the Dynaudio Contour. My rears are Dynaudio Audience 52s. All are 4 ohm except the center is 6 ohm.

I have a Pioneer Elite 50" plasma. Model is 1150 I believe. Last of the 720P models I think.

I currently have a Panasonic DVR (model DMR- EH55) that I use for playing CDs and for playing DVDs. I plan on keeping this just for recording and soon purchasing the Oppo 83 BluRay and use it as my DVD/CD/BluRay player.

Also have an Apple TV that I use to send my music and pics to my receiver or TV.

My room is 13 x 19. I sit about 11.5 feet from the screen and front speakers and the surrounds sit behind me about 7 feet away. Sub is in the front corner of the room. This room is our family room, so WAF is important.

I want to upgrade my receiver and desire the following items:

- want the receiver to drive the 2 rear surrounds and use my ATI amp to drive the front 3 channels.

- would like the flexibility of setting the crossover at different levels if I so desire for my front and center and rears.

- Audessey Multi EQ or something similar for room correction and auto setup

- Dolby Volume or something similar to equalize volume from various sources as well as from TV to commercials

- Audessey Dynamic Volume - to still get some dynamics at lower volumes for when the children are sleeping

- Latest and greatest sound processing for 5.1 set up.

I’m open to a receiver that will fit those needs or to a Pre-pro and adding an amp to drive 2 channels. I’m looking for the best value. I’m not going to spend more than $2000 for a new receiver and/or pre/pro plus amp. And I will consider used. I bought my amp used and all of my speakers used and they have served me very well.

What equipment do you suggest for my needs?

And one other question….currently I run all audio thru my receiver and all video directly to the inputs of my Pioneeer Elite plasma. Is this what I should do when I get a new receiver?

Thanks for your input!!