Wiring and 4 ohm TSI500's with 8 ohm receiver

blindAdrenaline

Hey all,
I posted to this forum a couple weeks ago due to a blown driver in my brand new TSI 500's, turned out to be the voice coil.
I was hoping to find that thread actually, so I could re post my receiver model number, as I'm blind and like a total dummy forgot to take note of it earlier.
I know its a Sony 5.1 receiver, 100W per and 8 ohm output.
I got to looking around the internet trying to figure out if I might have possibly blown the driver in the TSI 500 myself, even though I didn't turn the volume up to even halfway, and now I'm more confused than ever on the subject.
Could anyone offer some advice on this, or point me somewhere that I might read up on it preferrably by someone that really knows what they are talking about on a web site I mean. Finding good info from a reliable source seems to be a bit sketchy.
I'm concerned I might be damaging my new speakers, and thus I haven't operated them even at a modest volume level since getting a replacement driver for the blown one. The speakers sound great, but I'd be sick if I screwed them up due to my ignorance.
Also, right now I'm running different gauge wire from my receiver to a Polk 8 inch sub versus the wire going from the sub to the TSI500's. is that an issue, and if so, any reccomendations there?
If this post is more appropriate in another forum, please let me know, be glad to scoot it over.
Thanks much,
Eric

ben62670

You are posting in an appropriate thread. Polk CS reads these directely. They should be able to help you.
Take care
Ben

cnh

+1, What did you blow? A tweeter...most likely! That's a pretty well-documented problem for underpowered AVRs. The average older Sony probably puts out about 35 watts a channel even if it says 90 or 100/channel.

Are you telling us that you have the TSI-500s wired to an 8" sub and that the sub is wired to the AVR, because I wouldn't do that. And I don't understand why you wired that way.

Doesn't the Sony have a sub-out or LFE channel out and Left/Right speaker terminals?

Wire the 500s directly to the sub. And the sub to the LFE on the receiver. IF the receiver has no LFE or sub out, wire it to the B speakers out if the AVR has A/B terminals. Then run in A & B. But watch your volume settings.

It's possible I haven't understood what you have configured, if so. Polk CS can help you out or you can elaborate further.

Good Luck.

cnh

blindAdrenaline

Actually, it was one of the 6.5" drivers that the voice coil was blown in, which has now been replaced. I turned the receiver up somewhat not long after connecting the speakers , but nothing near what should have been capable of **** anything up, as I know speakers have to be broken in, and I didn't want to damage them.
I got the sub along with the TSI500's directly from Polk, and thought I was supposed to wire it that way to take advantage of the crossover built into the sub, but I am a hard core novice at this stuff at best. But yes, I am going from receiver left and right out, to the sub, from there to the TSI500's.
Regarding the AB thing, the receiver does have A + B, your saying to possibly wire the sub to B, the 500's to A? Wouldn't that be sending all frequencies to all speakers?
This receiver was purchased in 1997, so I dunno, it might be time to get it replaced...
But you don't think powering 4 ohm speakers with 8 ohm output is a problem then?
thanks for the info.

cnh

Hi again,

First the TSI-500s are NOT a 4 ohm speaker. They are an 8 ohm load as rated by Polk, check out their product page above. So no problem there.

The second thing we have to clear up is what kind of Sony Receiver you have; a 2 channel stereo or an AVR of 5.1 channels or more. If you have the latter...there should be a sub-out that you would feed directly into the POWERED sub and Bypass the subs internal crossover and use the Receiver to set the low pass crossover.

It is not a good idea to wire huge towers to a tiny powered sub because the sub is wired to the receiver through High Level Ins and you're powering the TOWERS indirectly, not directly from the Sony. That may have fried something right there.

Usually one only wires satellite speakers in that configuration, not power hungry towers.

Polk CS or other members can chime in and correct me if I am mistaken here!

So. Tell us, Stereo or AVR multi-channel Receiver. And if AVR look for the sub-out and connect your towers to the A Left/Right channels of the receiver. Run a single sub cable from the sub out to the LFE BYPASS input on the sub. Then adjust the sub crossover from the receiver--refer to your manual.

If you have a Stereo receiver. Then wire your speakers the SAME way--to the A speaker terminals, and wire your sub to the B Left/right. Then you can run A + B speakers together and use the sub's crossover. You are right, this will run the towers as full range in most cases.

Even some NEWER stereo receivers have a sub-out jack. So look for that if your receiver is not that old.

Hope I am being clear.

cnh

blindAdrenaline

Oh wow, I did not realize that about the sub wiring setup, crap now I'm paranoid I might have really screwed something up in what is for me some very expensive speakers.
It is an AV receiver, 5.1 with Dolby surround and all that, I just haven't screwed with any of the settings since losing my sight ten years ago, I've just turned it on and let it go, before the TSI's, I had two Cerwin Vega's with 12" woofers, so never had cause to hook up the sub output.
Man I feel like a moron, I really should have researched all this before we hooked it all up.
What is it about that config that causes things to get fried? I assumed the crossover pulled power from the powered sub to give it juice, then passed the rest on to the floor speakers, talk about knowing just enough to be dangerous...
I'll get my son to hook up seperately tomorrow as you suggest here. I assume the sub out would be a pair of outs labeled for that purpose in most cases? Seems I remember seeing an RCA co-ax for a sub out on a receiver way back, but that could be the drugs talking.
Thanks much for the help, its seriously appreciated.

tonyb

Correct, on the back of the receiver is a preout labeled SUB that you run a coaxle cable from the receiver to the sub. Wire the speakers directly to the receiver. In the receivers menu, their is a crossover setting, start about 70-80,and adjust from there to your likeing. Now there also is a crossover on the back of the sub too, you do not want to use this also so turn it up to the highest value. Hopefully this helps,feel free to ask if you have any problems.

dorokusai

One, don't feel like a moron for not knowing every in or out of the subject, it happens.

If you have a subwoofer output on the AVR, use it instead of wiring the speakers via the "old" way, which is AVR to subwoofer to speakers as mentioned by CNH. His suggestion is absolutely fine but if you have a subwoofer output use it. It's easy and eliminates a lot of extra wires.

The subwoofer output will be a single RCA output based on your basic description and year of the AVR.

What blew the driver? Who knows. It doesn't sound like it was volume related and unless you grossly mis-wired something, it's highly unlikely it is a setting issue.

It would be helpful if you could provide the model number of the AVR so we can read the same manual and not just offer generic, yet pretty close, suggestions. I'd suggest wiring the TSi500's simply as left and right loudspeakers and use the subwoofer output. On the AVR set the subwoofer to YES and the default xover setting should probably be 80 anyways, so just check it. After that crank it up.

Tony covered the subwoofer but I'll add make sure your phase is 0 not 180. The volume of the subwoofer will be up to you.

I have the feeling that the Sony may not have the subwoofer output which makes CNH's suggestion of an A + B speaker setup a pretty cool idea.

tonyb

Thanks Mark, I should have mentioned Phase also. The volume dial maybe start out at 10 or 11 o'clock position and adjust from there. 1997 on the Sony should still be Dolby digital with a sub preout, unless it's just a stereo receiver, then all bets are off.

dorokusai

Tony - The phase thing isn't huge but figured I'd mention it. As far as the sub output, it's a crap shoot I think without knowing the model number really. Hopefully we're all in luck to keep it all simple. I promise not to sleep until we all know for sure