Help With Power Problems! (1 Viewer)

[BlakeBr]

Hey guys, I need some help and I know some of you very knowledgeble ppl can help me!
First, I am in an apartment and here is my setup (that is pertinent):
Toshiba 52HM84 DLP RPTV
Denon AVR 3200 A/V Reciever
Energy Take 5 speakers w/ Energy self powered sub

I just got the hdtv (love it!) and am experiencing something I have not had a problem with in some time (have been living at this apartment complex for a little over a year)...when I am watching a dvd, my denon reciever will shut itself off into standby-mode with the lower led blinking, causing me to have to manually power off the reciever and then power it back on. Wait a while and it will repeat itlself. I am thinking its either a problem with my reciever or just with the power, and I am thinking its a problem with power as I live in a relatively old and cheap apartment complex with bad wiring....I tend to notice that it occurs more frequently with higher volume and with the sub on...should I spring a lot of money into something like a monster AVS 2000 or monster HTS5100? Beyond making DVDs unwatchable at close to reference levels, I do not want to ruin my investments.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[Bill Kane]

There's nothing "wrong" with your electrical power out of the wall outlet (tho Monster Corp. wud have you think otherwise, thus their monster black box solutions in search of a "problem."

At the elemental level, your Denon rcvr is sensing some sort of overload, heat or elec'l short and is trying to protect itself. Tracking this down cud be easy or baffling; one just has to try this 'n that by reconnecting interconnects and speaker wires.

Receivers have NO TOLERANCE for messy speaker wire connections at the rear binding posts. If you are using the bare-wire method, remove each, cut a quarter-inch or half-inch off, remove the insulation by another half-inch and twist the wiring tightly to reinsert in the binding post. Best to not have any strands at all sticking out the post.

If you have spades or banana plugs, inspect for extra strands sticking out and reattach the spade/plug.

Inspect the speakers' terminals too for clean wire connections.

Ensure the Denon rcvr isnt suffering heat in a closed cabinet; above all, do not place any other component on top the rcvr. Operate the rcvr for a few days with as much air exposure as possible (cabinet doors open).

Perhaps you've recently began to play the Denon volume A LOT LOUDER than before and are really challenging the amplifier, I dont know. While you're at it, see if youcan recalibrate the spkr levels, (and keep the Sub no more than +3-5 dB over ref lvl) preferably with a DVD-based disc like Avia and the RadioShack sound meter.

Maybe these little tweaks will persuade the Denon to mind its shut-off manners

 

[BlakeBr]

Thanks Bill, I just redid most of my speaker connections in the back...that might have been it.. I have bare connectiosn back there but I'm thinking I should convert to banana plugs...can't play the system at any loud level right now for the neighbors sake, but i will test tomorrow... as far as temp, the denon is on its own shelf in my open air A/V rack so that isn't a concern.

I have not been playing movies at reference level for awhile, however when I was in a house I played movies at consistanty high levels and never had a problem. And I never turn my sub up more than half way, usually set the dial about 1/4 way since I am in the apartment.

Thanks for the help... do you or anyone else think i need a power conditioner or just stick with a decent surge protector?

 

[Bill Kane]

Obviously, you’ll want a surge protector, and, living in no-lightning-storm SoCal, just about any under-$100 unit is sufficient, say Panamax MAX 8 DBS Plus 3, even the RadShk $49 hometheater model.

Nearly all surge suppressors contain filters for RF and EMI noise; some even configure separate outlets to minimize crosstalk between analog and digital units.

I am of the school that thinks a power conditioner is useful to address a specific lack or perceived problem; unfortunately, these are marketed as generic improvements for all systems, which seems backwards, that is, thinking of them as a magic bullet without quantifying a problem.

A voltage regulator (120VAC constant) runs $350-$1200 but is only needed when your power utility is third-world and after using a multimeter at the wall outlet to verify undervoltage or overvoltage variance more than 6 volts plus/minus on a regular basis.

In the big scheme, isolation transformers and balanced power transformers currently are the most effective power massagers used in a generic fashion. High-clarity audio systems benefit best, tho video improvement isn’t necessarily assured.

There’s a lot of stuff in our archives; many will suggest finding a way to acquire a power conditioner that can be returned without penalty after one checks it out at home for worthwhileness.