New Pioneer Elite 52TX, but 2 problems?

EdAngell · 08-23-2005, 03:03 PM

I tried setting up my 52TX last night and had two issues that are driving me crazy:

(1) I tried using the MCACC to auto-calibrate everything, but the receiver is in another room, so I had to buy an extension cable to make the supplied microphone reach out to the seating position, but I keep getting "mic error" when trying to run the MCACC. The tones start, I get the ambient noise ok, then it starts to analyze and I get the error. I even tried using the microphone without the cable (obviously it was nowhere near the correct listening position) and I still got an error. Any suggestions?

(2) I tried to just play some scenes from LOTR and the speakers sound pretty good, but there's no bass coming from the sub. I've tried going into manual speaker set up and speakers are set to "small" and sub is set to "yes" but no luck. It's a Klipsch reference series 10" sub and I have the phase set to 0 and the other nob (forget the label) to 40 (lowest setting) and nothing. I tried moving both nobs to varying degrees and still nothing. Everything is brand new and I just took it out of the box last night and it's got me baffled.

Any help on these issues is GREATLY appreciated please!!!

Thanks in advance.

John S · 08-23-2005, 03:41 PM

I'm not so suyre auto calibration will work when the AVR is in another room. But I would say it has to be your new cord for sure.

One the sub, does it have an auto on feature and if so, does the sub come on?

If not, disconnect the RCA at the AVR end, and touch the conductor and see if the sub makes any noise at all, to get started trouble shooting.

I'd set the sub cross over higher as well, I mean all the way up if the AVR has an actual sub out.

EdAngell · 08-23-2005, 03:47 PM

John,

I tried the mic without the extension cord and got the same error.

As for the sub, it has a master power switch and a silver toggle switch for "Auto" or "On". I had it with the swtich to "On". I will try the cable tap and see if I get a noise. Assuming I do, what then? (the AVR does have a sub out)

Wayne A. Pflughaupt · 08-23-2005, 04:30 PM

(1) Move the receiver to the room where the speakers are for the calibration.

(2) I suggest getting a sub worthy of the rest of your system when funds allow. Not many ten-inch subs cut it for home theater, unless you’re in a really tiny room.

As far as the sub problem goes, Johns suggestions are a good start. You have the crossover set too low – turn it wall the way to the highest setting and let the receiver do the crossover duties. You can verify that the sub and cable are functional by plugging it directly into the output of a CD player or other device (analog, not digital output). If you still get nothing, try changing the cable. If that doesn’t help, then the sub is bad.

Once you verify the sub is working, plug it back in and re-check your menu settings. If all else fails, consult the manual.

[quote] Assuming I do, what then? (the AVR does have a sub out)[quote]If you weren’t using the sub output before, then that’s probably your problem right there.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

EdAngell · 08-23-2005, 05:19 PM

Wayne, thank you for the insight, but I have been using the "sub out" from the start. I may be guilty of vague and ambiguous reference in the grammar of my post, but I am certainly not an idiot when it comes to hooking up my components.

I can't move the receiver to the room where the speakers (all in-walls) are because the cables are all run behind the walls to a mechanical room where the equipment is and they won't reach to the listening position.

I would love to have a better/bigger sub, but the budget (and other circumstances) dictated the Klipsch purchase and it was the best I could get at the time.

I will try the cable with other components to see if it is working (it too is brand new).

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Wayne A. Pflughaupt · 08-23-2005, 06:34 PM

Quote:

I can't move the receiver to the room where the speakers (all in-walls) are because the cables are all run behind the walls to a mechanical room where the equipment is and they won't reach to the listening position.

They don’t have to be able to reach – with a temporary splice you can extend them.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

EdAngell · 08-23-2005, 07:33 PM

Um, I stand corrected, I guess I am an idiot! :b

Ok, well, since I am already exposed, let me ask another stupid question. Will the calibration settings stay in memory if I unplug the receiver to move it back into the audio cabinet in the mechanical room after I run the MCACC from the rec room?

Wayne A. Pflughaupt · 08-24-2005, 12:53 PM

Good question – didn’t think about that! (Now who's the idiot!) :b

I guess you won’t know until you try – and you don’t have to move the receiver for that.

Still, I can’t help but wonder why you’re getting the mic error flag. It should take the extension cable with no problem, assuming it isn’t faulty. Even if you can’t get the mic to reach to the main room without the cable, I would still expect the auto function would run but deliver really bad settings.

Do you have a few speakers you could set up in the room where the receiver is and see if the auto function will run? Anything will do, even some computer speakers fed from the receiver’s line outputs. This way you could eliminate all the questionable factors and make sure the mic’s good, the extension cable’s good, the receiver’s working properly, etc.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

EdAngell · 08-25-2005, 01:44 PM

I got the subwoofer to work just fine, but I still can't get the MCACC to work. I verified that the extension cable works fine, and tried it without it, but I am going to just do it manually.

I think that the room is too big, and oddly shaped for the processor to be able to handle the processing necessary to set things up correctly. It's a shame, because I bought a Pioneer specifically because of this feature, but oh well. At least I still have my Radio Shack SPL meter!

Thanks for the help and suggestions!

Scott Merryfield · 08-26-2005, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Will the calibration settings stay in memory if I unplug the receiver to move it back into the audio cabinet in the mechanical room after I run the MCACC from the rec room?

The settings should remain -- at least they have with my 47TX receiver when I've lost power or unplugged the receiver in the past.