Adding an amp to H/K 520 and Need HELP assigning amps?!? (1 Viewer)

[Matt LB]

I have a Harman Kardon AVR 520 that I will be adding a 2-channel amp onto it (Yamaha M-80) to power my front speakers and to allow me to play certain 6.1 or 7.1 stuff on my stereo. What I wanted to know is how to reassign the amps so that the amps that were pushing the front L + R speakers are now pushing both side surround channels.
I realize that in order to operate the front L + R via an external amp, I have to pull out the jumpers going from both the main-in to the FL & FR. But what do I have to do to assign those amps to do the SBL & SBR? Can someone explain this to me in simple terms for a newbie? I'd appreciate it?

 

[Baldemar Garcia]

The preouts for SBL and SBR are presently unconnected. When you remove the jumpers for the front mains and connect the main l/r preouts to your new amp, guess what you'll connect to the now vacant main l/r pre-ins? Obviously, your front speakers will now be connected to your new amp, and your sbl and sbr speakers will now connect to the front left/right speaker outputs.

 

[Matt LB]

ok, so let me get this straigt...
1) I take the jumpers out of the main in L & R
2) Connect those L & R pre outs to the amp (which is where the speaker wire to the L & R will go too.
3) Then the speaker wire for the SBL & SBR goes into the L & R speaker terminals on the back of the receiver?

** Does anything go into the open main-ins for the L & R inputs or do they stay open?

Did I get that part right? I'm not quite sure about it. If it is setup this way, does the receiver know that the the two channels I am plugging into the L & R speaker terminals are actually the SBL & SBR and that the proper processing for those channels will take place? Can someone shed some light on this...i'm still a little confused:frowning:

 

[RobWil]

** Does anything go into the open main-ins for the L & R inputs or do they stay open?

Whatever the case, nothing goes in these.

 

[JohnSer]

Matt, you need to connect the SBL preout to the L main in, and the SBR preout to the right main in. You should be all set. You do have to reconfigure for 7 speakers, but you are not assigning amps.

JohnS

 

[Matt LB]

Hey John S...thanks for your help. I do have a quick question though....how should I connect the SBL & SBR preouts to the main ins for L & R? The jumper isn't long enough...so do I have to use a really short RCA cable? Does it need to be high quality?

When you said I had to reconfigure, what other configuring do I have to do for 7 speakers. Changing settings in the on screen menus?

 

[Baldemar Garcia]

Think of those jumpers as really short RCA cables. Think of the preouts just like any other set of preouts, and think of the preins just like any other prein on an amp. See how versatile this receiver is in this regard? You can plug any one of its preouts to any one of its preins, and it'll get amplified. The only thing 'assigned' (actually connected internally) is the speaker outputs and their corresponding prein. Hope this makes a little more sense.

The quality of the RCA cable should not be a factor, and the only configuration you'll need to change is setting it up for 7 channels instead of 5.

 

[RobWil]

Like I said....WTF do I know! :frowning:
Do they actually cover that in the manual or are you guys just really smart?

 

[Matt LB]

It is not even touched at all in the manual....called up h/k and the two guys I talked to to knew jack squat...'jumpers', pre-outs, what's that? That is what one of the guys said. He was useless. I got the picture of it so hopefully tonight I will be able to configure. I have to find out where to get really short rca cables though! ha

 

[JohnSer]

When you said I had to reconfigure, what other configuring do I have to do for 7 speakers. Changing settings in the on screen menus?

Each input is configurable. Such as the CD input can be set-up for stereo only, while the DVD can be set-up for 6.1/7.1. I'm no expert at the set-up menus, and it usually takes me a couple of times bouncing back and forth, to get it right. Essentially this is to enable the SBR and SBL preouts, and processing within receiver.

Short patch cords, should work fine, as others have said.

I will be receiving an Adcom 545II amp next week, and will be powering my mains with it. I also plan to do some 6.1/7.1 testing, at that time. It will be a day when the wife is out of the house, and can set-up speakers in front of french doors and run speakers wires across the floor. And play at HIGHer levels! I won't be leaving it that mode, because the room can't take any more speakers. :frowning:

JohnS