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Absurdly novice question about speaker channels (1 Viewer)

branni

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My dad picked up a secondhand Harman Kardon AVR 525 recently. We're attempting to set it up, but being complete A/V neophytes, are running into some issues.


My main concern right now is that, although all four speakers play, they only play the left channel. As in, when I go to a site that allows you to test each channel independently, the "left" plays on all four, and the "right" doesn't play through any of them.


I don't even know where to begin diagnosing this problem.


Any help in the matter is greatly appreciated.
 

Peter Apruzzese

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First thing I would do is hook up only two speakers, Front Right and Front Left. Then, make sure no sound processing is going on by selecting Direct or Stereo mode and making sure jo Surround modes are engaged. Then, switch to the radio tuner and tune in station. Do you get sound from both speakers? If so, then the amplifier is OK.

What are you connecting to give you this test tone?
 

branni

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Okay, he did that*, and yes, sound out of both speakers. I'm totally confused, though. Channels are independent from balance, right? All speakers should theoretically play both channels simultaneously; not the left speakers only playing the left channel, right only playing right.. Correct?


Is there some setting on the receiver that would cause it to only play the left channel? Other than that, the only other points of failure I think of would be the mini-to-RCA cable, or a hardware issue with the receiver.


*Actually, I don't know if he was able to figure out how to run it 'direct' or 'stereo'. There are like eight thousand settings on this thing.
 

Peter Apruzzese

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No, the left speaker is only supposed to play the left channel, the right is supposed to play the right, etc.

Press the Surround Mode button on the front until the display says Surround Off. Then, try your test tone test again into every RCA audio input on the back while selecting the correct input from the front. In every case, you should get left on left and right on right.

Edit - download and read the manual if you didn't get it: http://www.manualslib.com/manual/278986/Harman-Kardon-Avr-525.html
 

Peter Apruzzese

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Also, I'm assuming you did the full setup procedure as specified in the manual. If not, start there.
 

branni

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Appears it was his RCA-to-mini cable. Still sounds like both channels are coming out of both speakers, though. Will do the full setup procedure and report back.


Thanks again for your help.
 

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