Sony DA3ES Setup Help PLEASE!!! (1 Viewer)

[Marc Weppner]

Hi All,

After reading various posts, I purchased the Sony DA3ES receiver (couldn't afford the highly recommended 5ES). I am in the process of setting it up.

I know there were a lot of complaints on the missing "A/B" speaker selector, and that is where I am having my problem. I have my main room speakers, and as my 2nd room, I have deck speakers hooked in. But I can't get the deck speakers to produce sound.

I have checked the speaker wires - they are hooked in fine. I have my dvd/cd player hooked to the 3ES by optical connection. I have the 2nd room source selected as DVD/LD. And I have the switch on the front of the unit to main + 2nd room. Still nothing from the deck speakers.

I have tried hooking up the DVD player using a standard connection and still didn't have any luck with the deck.

What am I doing wrong? I need help - this is a major feature for me, and I can't put my room back together until I have it right.

ANY thoughts/comments/suggestions/instructions will be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks,
Marc

 

[flenn]

Marc,

You can't use a digital input source for 3rd Room. You said that you "tried using a standard connection", does that mean that you used composites to make the connection? Try a source that is not digital, and reply with the results.

 

[Larry Boyd]

Marc:

This may be a dumb question but are the 2nd room speakers turned on in the set up menu as shown on page 48. (They probably are as the initial setting is shown as "on".

 

[Earl Simpson]

Hey, give us a report!!! How is the output in watts. Does it kick you in the ### when you need it?

 

[Marc Weppner]

Thanks for the replies! I will play around some more today and will post again later on when I have a conclusion. (I'll check out page 48 as well and make sure I've done everything properly) I'll also give you my "non-professional" impression of the receiver.

Thanks!
Marc

 

[Marc Weppner]

I'm back...and I've got them working! So, here are my thoughts:

2nd room (deck speakers): the way Sony has this set up is quite mind boggling. It is NOT easy to use. I eventually figured out that I have to press some sort of combination of buttons to begin to control the 2nd room speakers and adjust the volume. The "use mode" button isn't even usable with a finger - you need to press it with a pen tip or something. Once in 2nd Room mode, I have to adjust the volume using the remote control - apparently this was my main problem as I am guessing the preset volume on the 2nd room must be zero - but I couldn't see a volume meter - it's all just by listening. This isn't easy either considering the speakers are outside and you have to keep going back and forth until you have the correct level. Anyway, I have it working and know how to do it now. I believe there are also pre-outs to a second room if I had a second power source. But I don't - I'm just using the 2nd Room speaker connections for the deck. THANK YOU ALL for your advice.

General impression: I doubt I'm even close to having this thing tweaked the way I need it, but so far, it's great! I upgraded from a Sony de835 due to a lightning strike. I haven't noticed much of a power difference, but I can certainly tell that the movies I watch now sound clearer at higher volumes. That is a definite plus. With all the settings etc, I would imagine that I'll eventually have it sounding better. I currently do not use the receiver to pass video through it, but when I get HDTV hooked up this summer, it is an option - there are PLENTY of inputs/outputs on the back of this thing in my opinion, including some component hook-ups. Overall, I like it. I've been a big Sony fan for a while, and this certainly doesn't disappoint. I would have loved to get the 5es, but it was just too expensive for me!

Someone had asked about the juice. It is impressive when you least expect. Sometimes, I'll be watching a movie thinking "it isn't loud enough"...then, the action kicks in, or a dinosaur appears, or whatever, and it lets me know that indeed this thing has a nice punch to it!

Thanks again for all the replies.

Marc

 

[Bryan G]

Marc,
I am experiencing the exact same problem as you. I just connected some outdoor patio speakers to my 2nd speaker outputs. I read your post that you could not get sound out of the speakers connected to the second room outputs. What exactly did you do to get it to work? I could not tell from your post.
I have put the remote into 2nd room mode by pressing/holding the use mode button then the 2nd room button. It asks for source when I do that. So I selected tuner to keep it simple as an analog input. I have my speaker setting switch set to main + 2nd room and set to "on" in the setup for 2nd room sp as per p48 of the manual. I wonder if we have the same remote? My remote is not the one in the manual. It has a RM-PP505L logo on the bottom right.
PLEASE HELP?

 

[Bryan G]

Thought this might help.
This is a picture of the remote that came in the box with the DA3ES. Not the one in the manual as you can see.
Link Removed
Bryan

 

[Bryan G]

After losing some sleep, I finally figured out how to make this work. Very confusing way of doing things. There is very slim chance you can get this correct from just reading the manual.
Settings were correct. Physical switch on front of Receiver set to "main + 2nd"
Setup per p 48 of instructions "2nd room sp" = on
What is not in the manual is that you have to set the remote to "3rd room" use mode to get sound out of the speaker connections labeled 2nd room. When the manual refers to "2nd room" they are referring to sound output to another receiver.
As Marc stated, you don't see the volume settings change on the AV display when changing the volume for speakers connected to 2nd room when the remote is in "3rd room mode". My wife will never be able to do this. You need to use the tip of a pen to press the use mode then press the 3rd or AV1 to change the mode of the remote. Horrible way to have to do things! I will have to buy another remote and have one for our family room and one in 3rd room mode just for our patio speakers.
I hope this helps anyone else in this predicament.
Now I can sleep.
Bryan