Question-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I seem to have lost sound from surround ("middle," not back) speakers connected to my Denon AVR-2105. Two possibly relevant facts: 1) I took out the middle speakers to use them for my wedding. I failed to unplug the speaker wire from back of receiver so I wonder if I shorted something? 2) I live in a 125 year old house with knob and tube wiring. I think we get spikes and, in fact, this receiver got spiked about a year ago and we lost the front left channel.
Any ideas? Many thanks!
Answer -
Dear Brett,
First, if you haven't already, invest in a very, very good surge protector. Spikes will absolutely murder equipment--as you're finding out.
Unless you left the exposed ends of the wires touching (+ to -), leaving the wires in place shouldn't have had any effect. However, running the Denon with the wires touching would have compromised the circuit. You need to have the unit checked out by a qualified repair technician.
I also live in an old house (1875), and I've upgraded the wiring. I know replacing knob and tube wiring is a hassle, but it's not designed to carry the juice that modern appliances require, especially those that need to be grounded: microwave ovens, refrigerators, PCs, *surge protectors* and the like. Yes, you can defeat the grounds, but remember that manufacturers ground their products for a reason.
Good luck. And thanks for choosing allexperts.com!
Kindest regards,
Kevin
HI Kevin,
Many thanks for your answer. I've wondered if there were surge protectors that would actually stand up to the kind of problem a house such as mine poses. Two, if I may, follow ups? 1. Do you recommend a surge protector? 2) Might there be a way to reset my denon to see if there is a setting I've got wrong?
Thanks again.
b
AnswerDear Brett,
No, I don't recommend a brand or model of surge protector. However, I do recommend one calibrated to protect computers, appliances which have--albeit arguably--more delicate hardware requirements than audio equipment. For instance, my new Dell PC came with a Belkin SurgeMaster with a rating of 2,300+ joules. The rule with surge protectors is the higher the joule rating the better. I suggest you research different makers and prices on line. Belkin sells the SurgeMaster for $60, but other vendors sell it for as little as $35. However, beware that the lower prices sometimes mean "refurbished" (read: used) equipment that does not have a manufacturer's warranty. Check what they're selling very carefully.
Yes, there is one thing you can try with the Denon. Turn it completely off, including "standby" mode, and unplug it from the wall outlet. Sometimes A/V receivers get their programming screwed up when there's been a power interruption, and a spike certainly qualifies, and the only way to get them back to normal is powering them off completely and restarting. This is akin to rebooting a computer.
My Onkyo A/V receiver, as an example, had the DVD player's audio output directed to a discreet output with concomitant settings for Dobly EX playback. Well, after a power outage, somehow the DVD player would only play back through the CD output. Huh? Not the first time. It was a simple matter to double check the outputs on the rear panel and reprogram the settings through the Onkyo's on-screen menu. A hassle, yes, but until these things become bullet proof, it's gonna happen.
Kindest regards,
Kevin
