AVA250 Problem (1 Viewer)

[Dustin B]

Well I've had my Tempest sub over a week now. Still smiling except for one thing. The AVA250 when set on auto doesn't want to kick in when I'm watching DSS (hooked up by an optical cable to my receiver) at a normal just sitting to watch TV level. If I turn the sub channel on my receiver up and go about 10 numbers higher than I want to on my Onkyo amp then it cuts in.
I did only have the single sub preout plugged into one of the L/R line level inputs on the plate amp. So today I went and bought a RCA female to 2 RCA male Y splitter and hooked up both the L/R line level inputs on the plate amp. Now I don't have to turn the receiver up as much to get it to kick in, but at my normal DSS levels it still just doesn't want to kick in.
The strangest part to me, is when I go put the amp power switch to the on position (instead of auto). The sub is making quite a bit noise. Switch it back to the auto, and eventually the sub cuts out again. So there is a signal to be produced, it just doesn't seem to want to trip the auto detect circuit.
Anyone else have this problem or a solution? Or is my AVA250 defective?

 

[MattE]

I have dish and use a PE amp with a Titanic. I find it too annoying to use when watching TV so I just turn it off. I have the same problems, switching on and off and constant tweaking required. I only switch it on for videos or DVD's. BTW, just got my Tempest today and that thing is huge.

 

[Brian Bunge]

Dustin,
Try this. Turn the sub amp's volume only about 1/4 of the way up. Then adjust the receiver's internal sub out volume to calibrate your sub. This way you're always feeding the sub a strong enough signal to keep it on most of the time.
I know this is the exact opposite of what everyone suggests around here. But when I tried turning up the sub amp's volume and decreasing the sub out volume I had the same trouble. After 30 minutes it nearly drove me nuts so I changed it back! Also, unless you're using a good quality external sub amp I just don't think it's wise to run a plate amp wide open. I think most will distort badly. But this is just my opinion.
Brian
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[Han]

What would be the negatives to doing this method of turning down the sub amp and turning up the receiver's sub level? I had to do this for a non-DIY sub too, because some TV stations didn't seem to turn on the sub, but now they practically all do.

 

[Dustin B]

I'll post here as well as HTT since I posted this quesiton on both. From the responses I recieved on HTT I've decided to just leave it on all the time.
According to Dan Wiggins of Adire audio the AVA250 draws 18 watts when in the auto position and 30 watts when in the on position with no signal. So the difference to my electrical bill would be so small, why not just leave it on all the time. Someone else posted that it would amount to about an extra dollar a month.

 

[Ed Payne]

But if you live in California, wouldn't that be an extra $30 a month?

Sorry guys... I couldn't resist.
Ed Payne
(who's thankful to have power... but the cost of natural gas is another story)

 

[Dustin B]

Well I'm in the middle of Saskatchewan and I just looked up the exact cost. 7.36 cents a kilowatt hour. That's Canadian currency so 12 watts an hour for a year works out to just under $8 CDN. So about $5 USD

 

[Philip_G]

I leave my ava250 on all the time for the same reason, plus it's probably all in my head, but I think it sounds better warm, after it's been on awhile.