Yamaha will not provide music throughout. Time for a switcherooo? (1 Viewer)

[WilliamRP]

Greetings Forum members:

Time for more silly questions. . . Yamaha HTR 5450 in living room, running through a Russound 6 channel speaker selector (the Russound piece is probably a better piece of equipment than the Yamaha) is struggling to power 3 zones (2 older Polk bookshelf speakers in the living room, 2 NHT bookshelf speakers in the kitchen and 2 Proficient AW650 outdoor speakers on the deck, since taken in for winter, wire nuts covering exposed wires). The Yamaha shuts off after about an hour with a message "check spkr. wires" upon powering the unit back on. Receiver occasionally used for radio, more often just running iPod through receiver. The intention is to be able to run all speakers at different volumes (with Russound unit which has separate volume controls for each zone).

For HT viewing I have a 6 year old Yamaha RX-V1400 (non-HDMI although TV is HDMI compatible along with cable; older DVD player not HDMI and a separate issue). My family is frustrated with the inability to keep music playing throughout the house because the 5450 just doesn't seem to be up to the task. I don't really know how or why it keeps clipping off.

I am supposing that the solution is to either bring the RX-V1400 upstairs and hope that it solves the "check speaker wire problem" and replace the RX-V1400 with the same but newer unit that is HDMI compatible. Or, the alternative purchase a separate 12 channel amplifier and tuner for the music speakers throughout the house if that is more likely to resolve the problem. I would prefer to go with the newer A/V unit with HDMI for the HT but if the RX-V1400 also shuts off after I move it upstairs to play music, the wife will likely have my head.

I imagine several of you forum folks with far more knowledge about A/V than I can simplify this for me in a heartbeat.

Thanks,

- Bill

 

[JohnRice]

There are two most likely problems. First is to, well, check all the speaker wires, just like the receiver tells you to. Make certain no frays are crossing. The second is to be sure the Russound is configured correctly so that the receiver is "seeing" a reasonable impedance of roughly 8 ohm regardless of how many speakers are running. I find it unlikely another receiver will solve the problem. A 12 channel amp most certainly should though. It would eliminate the impedance tricks needed to power multiple sets of speakers.