Yamaha Receiver Compatibility

[RWDesperado]

Hello,

I need some expert advice through the members collective intelligence and experience.

I recently purchased a Yamaha RX-V465 Yamaha Reciever and a Klipsch 500 home theater speaker system. Is this receiver powerful enough to power the Klipsch speakers? The reason I ask is that everytime I turn up the volume... not even that loud.., the receiver shuts off. Even the YAP test / setting shuts off the receiver. If I keep it on low volume it stays on indefinetly

.
I have the Reciever hooked up via HDMI cables (HDMI1) for the Blue Ray player and an optical cable for the TV (AV1). My sattelite signal is coaxial from the Direct TV Set up Box. I am receiving a new HD DVR Set top box from Direct TV next week in hopes it will help.

I returned the first receiver thinking it was a dud but the second receiver has the same problems.
I purchased a Yamaha RX-V565 as a proposed solution but have not hooked it up yet. I wanted to find out a bit more about the situation first.

The Klipsch speakers were "open stock" as they had been returned by a prevous customer. They all seem to work fine but thought I would throw that in as a variable if it applies.
I bought all of these items from Best Buy with extended warranties.

I am just tired of double checking the connections and replacing the receiver with the same result.

Is the receiver too small... are the speakers demanding more.... are my connections correct.... are there settings I have over looked?
Even before I turn up this receiver to the point of it shutting off the audio output is not all that loud.

Help and advice needed.
RW

[Islander]

It definitely sounds like a setup issue. That receiver should be plenty powerful enough to drive your speakers. Have you tried driving the speakers with another receiver? Have you read through the manual to avoid any obvious mixups?

[RichardP]

I have an older Yamaha receiver, and the only time it has ever shut off like that is because I accidentally allowed the + and - parts of the speaker wires to touch each other. This may also happen when other RCA connectors are touching somehow. The speaker connections on the back of the receiver may be where the problem is, if it is a + - grounding issue, because any loose individual strand of wire may have separated from the main wire and be touching the opposite pole connection next to it.

[RWDesperado]

Thanks for the replies.

First, I have read the owners manual over and over, section by section to try to fix my situation.
I have called and visited Best Buys Geek Squad 3 times for help and advice.
I have replaced the receiver once to rule out that I simply had a defective receiver the first time.
I have another new receiver ready on hand to replace the second replacement.

The speaker wire issue has been mentioned to me as a possible cause.
I have reconnected them with OCD intensity making certain that there are no exposed wires.
The wires are twisted on the ends, completely inserted right up to the insulation and the polarities are correct.
All of the wires are relaxed in that there is no pull on them to stress the connections.
All of the speakers have clear sound.

The speaker wires do touch at points during their routing from the receiver to the speakers but only the insulated parts.
I am using Monster Cable XP 30.48m speaker wire.
The HDMI cables and Optical cables also touch behind the scenes but once again only the insulated outsides.
Could these wires touching at any insulated point be causing my problem?

The receiver only shuts off when higher volume is attempted.
The TV imput, optical cable, allows a volume of -15.5 before the receiver shuts off but is not very loud even at that volume level.
The Tuner input allows the same.
The Sony Blue Ray, BDP-S360, input through HDMI 1 allows a volume level of -45.5 before the receiver shuts off.
This occurs wether playing DVD or CD and all program presets.
The sound output (sound in the room) is much higher at -45.5 from the HDMI Blue Ray input than the -15.5 output of the TV.
The reciever will stay on all day, regadless of input source, if the volume is left low.

I feel the receiver is not the problem as well because the same problem has occured with two new receivers of the same model.
I also feel it may be a connection problem and have worked very hard before soliciting the charitable advice from experienced members here.

I remain a bit sceptical of the Klipsch HD Theater 500.
It was purchased "open stock" because someone else had returned it.
I do not know why they returned it but because the box contained cut speaker wires I know they attempted to install it and were not happy
with it for some reason. Maybe they had a similiar problem.
Could one of the speakers have contacts touching on the inside or reversed polarities due to a manufacturing error and how would I check?

I feel that if I install this 3rd receiver I will have the same problem so it boils down to the connections or the speakers.
The HDMI and Optical connections seem obvious and sound with all new cables.
The Blue Ray and TV all perform when their imput is selected on the receiver.
Maybe there is another way to connect all of these components with these cables that would correct the problem?

The speaker connections have been gone over more than once even using magnifying goggles to make absolutely certain there is not even one fine strand of copper exposed.

Could the Klipsch 500 simply be damaged or defective?
Has anyone ever heard of that?
All advice and information is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
RW

[RichardP]

I feel for you, as this is a vexing problem. Having it continue, with more than one receiver, and with your close examination of connections, does suggest that it is not in the receiver. Is returning the speakers to BB an option? They should honor any return or warranty policy. Do I understand you to say that whoever bought and returned them previously cut some wires? If so, the speakers should not have been sold in that condition.

I would hope that BB should take the info you have presented above, along with documentation that you attempted to solve the problem with their geek squad, and give you a refund. I don't know anything about that model, but it sure sounds like it is in the speakers themselves.

Could you find or borrow some other speakers to test, and therefore confirm that the problem lies with the 500s?

I wish I had more to offer you. Good luck.

[WMcD]

I suspect that the speakers are of relatively low impedance. That being less than 8 ohms, maybe going down to 4 ohms.

This may be causing the AV receiver to shut down.

I've looked at the manual which is on line at the Yamaha site. Look at page 45. It has instructions to set speaker impedance. The default is 8 ohms (omega) min. You should reset to 6 ohms min.

I don't see (without looking very far) how you back out of the menu. Look at the manual.

[WMcD]

If changing the menu setting doesn't help, I think you need a different model AV receiver. I'm sorry I don't have any suggestions. I'd buy something which will definitely handle 4 ohms. But I can't say with certainty this is the issue, of course.

I'm not disagreeing with the advice that wire strands are touching. But you've checked this. Also the manual shows there is a specific flag about that situation.

OTOH,the trouble shooting section of the manual is not exactly clear with the "etc". However, it does refer to page 45 as possible cure for the impedance issue.

The (Der?) Wunderkinder at BB should have pointed this out issue.

Naturally, it is probably not a sleep timer issue. Smile.

Wm McD

[Islander]

I've looked at the manual which is on line at the Yamaha site. Look at page 45. It has instructions to set speaker impedance. The default is 8 ohms (omega) min. You should reset to 6 ohms min.

There has been a lot of discussion, on this forum and many other sites, about the Yamaha receiver impedance switch. The general consensus is that the 8 ohm setting is the best for good sound, no matter what impedance speakers are being driven.

Google "Yamaha impedance switch" and you'll see lots of info about it.

[RWDesperado]

Never before in my entire life have I had such a educated and thorough response when posting in help forums of any kind.
I want to sincerely thank all who have responded and the research and time spent to help me solve my home theater issue.
I am simply in awe of all of you.

I want you all to know that I am currently enjoying ""Roger Waters In The Flesh" at -13! A volume level unprecedented with my experience with this system... and it is not shutting off. I dare not tempt fate and turn it up louder but time will probably decrease my anxiety of system failure.

Here is how this happened.
Last night I disconnected the entire HD 500 speaker system and took it in to a reputable electronics shop this morning.
They tested the speakers and found that one of them was drawing 1ohm due to a "nick in the speaker coil."
They assured me that this definetly was the problem.
I returned the system to BB and received a replacement system which I installed tonight.

Now I am in the listening nirvana that I had so anticipated within my 3K budget.

It is set at 8oms as the speakers suggest and 6oms is the only other choice with this receiver. I dare not mess with it now....
Maybe in time I will become brave enough to experiment... for now I am pleased just to have it working.

I truly can not thank you all enough for your time and attention to my issue.
I really can't.
Such charitable advice, concern and research is uncommon in todays world.

Comfortably Numb is coming on... which contairs the number one gutiar riffs, as voted by guitar magazine readers, and I am going to be able to enjoy it for the first time in HD with sic speakers... thanks in great part to members of this forum.
You are appreciated.

Sincerely,
RW

[TxEvo8]

Ahh, glad that you got the problem rectified. BTW "In the Flesh" is an incredible DVD for HT, absolutely rocks! The musicians in his band are top notch!

[RWDesperado]

Yes the DVD is incredible. Unlike many music DVDs this one is done with absolute professionality and the band members are top notch as you state.
I was told that the Dark Side of the Moon has some of the lowest and highest sound frequencies of any musical compilation not specifically designed to do so. There are many Dark Side of the Moon tracks on this DVD so this is one of the reasons I use it to test out the range of sound with a new system.
I use the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan to test out the deeper bass and sub woofer functionalities.

In summary of this thread for me...
I will never again buy "open stock" electronic items.
That bad Klipsch speaker cost me 3 weeks of aggravation and up front money in excess of a thousand dollars for replacement receivers.

Admittedly if I were more technically educated I would have been able to solve the problem faster and spent less money.
On the other hand there is no valid excuse why that Klipsch speaker made it out of quality control and into the system I purchased.
The original purchaser probably returned this HD 500 system for the same reason.
BB should not have allowed its resell either. They say they inspect and "test" returned items they offer for resale but in this case they clearly did not.