Setting up my Onkyo tx-sr700

Gringo

Hey guys,
I just upgraded from a lower end Kenwood 5.1 to a completely new surround system (except for the sub ). I purchased all Polk speakers including: rti70s for my mains, fxi50 for surrounds, and a csi40 for my center channel speaker. I also upgraded my receiver to an Onkyo tx-sr700. Ive always loved home audio but never knew quite how much went into it until i started reading these forums the past few days. I have my heart set on a svs 20-39 pci after reading so many great reviews for it....i can hardly wait .
Ok anyways, the reason i am posting is for any suggestions on the best way to bi-wire my receiver for the rti70s and the csi40. Right now I have a single 12 gauge wire running to each one of them. I have some extra 12 gauge lying around and I was wondering if it would be alright to run another length to the other set of terminals on each speaker. Would 2 runs of 12 gauge be too much wire? Can you ever have to much running to one speaker? Once I run my wire to the speakers, what would you guys suggest be the best way to hook them into the speaker? Right now they are all connected using decent spade connectors, but i was wondering if there were any advantages to buying banana's. Also, what is the best way to connect the wires at the receiver's end? They are just regular binding posts, and i dont believe they accept bananas, but im not overly familiar. How do I go about hooking up 2 sets of wires to each terminal? Is it better to twist the 2 copper ends together then put on a flat pin connector? Or would it be better to put flat pins on both sets of wires then connect it to the same terminal?
Oh and one more question if you guys dont mind me asking too many at once haha. I was reading some suggestions on the forum for speaker configurations for the tx-sr 700. I believe Dr. Spec. recommended to someone that they set all there speaker sizes to small. Im gonna try this but i was wondering, do i have to use the crossover on my subwoofer, or will it only receive frequencies below the 80hz that my receiver is set on.
Well any help would be greatly appreciated, seeing that I am fairly new to this all. Once again sorry for asking so many questions at once but i think im starting to get the hang of this.

Thank you, Mike

Ps The new setup sounds great, just used a radioshack Spl on them today, waiting for my avia setup disc to come in the mail. Got it off ebay for 28 bucks :cool:

dorokusai

Just a couple answers for you.

Two 12 gauge runs are fine. Just make sure that you remove the jumpers(plates) that connect the binding posts of the RTi70 and CSi40, prior to any signal application.

Yes, twist the pairs together on the amplifier end, and use an appropriate connector for them. Usually a manual screw down set of bananas works best for this (Radio Shack). No bananas aren't better than spades, just easier to connect. Make sure that your twisted ends are neat and fully secured, any loose wires will create a shorting condition at the AVR. The Onkyo has 5 way binding posts if I recall, bananas should be just fine.

The rest of the crew will drop some more information for you.

PolkThug

Welcome to the forum Gringo! I basically have the same setup as you, except I got two PSW505's. Setting my Rti70's to small and using the sub output was one of the best tweaks I have done, it takes the "muddiness" out of the midrange. Before that, I had it hooked up the "polk way" with all speaker wires, the bass was louder, but the midrange suffered.

As far as bi-wiring is concerned, I am just using 16gauge wires. It did help. I noticed a very slight difference, however my girlfriend who apparently has better hearing then me, noticed a big difference under completely blind conditions, she had no idea I had changed the wiring. My wires are not "terminated", they are just twisted together on the back of the Onkyo, but you will definitely need some connectors for those big 12 gauge wires.

I recommend doing what I did, bi-wire just one speaker, then listen to them, then find someone else to listen, but don't tell them that you messed with the wiring, and see if they notice any differences from the left and right sides.

Regards,
PolkThug

Gringo

Thanks for the quick replies Thug and Doro,

I'll definately try the blind test after I by-wire one of my rti70's. That sounds like a great idea to tell whether or not it's even worth the trouble of hooking up those thick 12 gauges. Also i checked to see if my receiver has 5-way binding posts, or just regular posts, and my booklet says that they are just posts, so im still guessing that bananas will not work. Thug, you recommended just twisting the wires together at the back of the receiver, but i read somewhere that eventually the bare copper corrodes. I dont know how much truth there is to that or how much it would matter if they corroded a bit anyways. Does not having terminated ends effect sound quality at all?

Also another question, I was looking into those Monster Video power conditioners. What exactly is the purpose of them besides surge protection. Do they add to the overall sound quality as well since the power is cleaner? Also are there any other brands that do the same thing in the same price range...not looking to spend a ton of money in this category of my ht. Also ive heard of people using after market powercords for their components. Any advantage to this?

Thanks again guys,
Mike

Gringo

Nevermind my last question about the aftermarket powercords....I just read the thread subject, powercables...and it somewhat answered my questions on aftermarket cords....although it seems to be a much disputed topic.

PolkThug

Yes, the bare copper does corrode very quickly, in less than a month actually it will appear "dirty". In theory, it would be best to avoid this scenario. In reality, could a person tell a difference sonically, I doubt it.

I have a Monster power conditioner. I think if anything, it keeps electrical components from interfering with each other. For instance, if I'm watching a movie and my girlfriend turns the vacuum on, I don't see any static or notice anything except for the level meter going down on the Monster.

Regards,
PolkThug

Gringo

Wow, that power conditioner could come in very handy then. So when im bi-wiring my speakers should i use 2 seperate terminators and run them both into the same post on my receiver. Or, should i twist the wires together then connect one terminator before connecting to my receiver. If i should use the 2nd technique...do they make terminators big enough to connect 2 sets of 12 gauge wire together? oh well, maybe a dumb question who knows.

Thanks again Thug,
Mike

dorokusai

Gringo - PolkThug is kicking some good information. The exposed copper will eventually oxidize. The contact point of the wire, in a terminal, will be less likely to be affected in the short term.

You have an option in the cheap category, solder your ends. Tin(HD) or a hardcore Quad Eutectic solder(Cardas) will really help things for your homemade connections. If you know how to basic solder, in this case, know how to hold your crotch....you can "Tin" your ends.

If you are thinking power conditioners, do yourself a favor and talk to EZC, hes a member here, email me if you can't get hold of him. I also use a power conditioner/surge arrestor, like PolkThug, and love it....simply for the peace of mind. I also have had zero interference from line noise since installed. The vaccuum analogy is dead-on, IMO.

Gringo

Thanks doco for all your help...
One more question, and i hope that it isnt my receiver at fault, because i just bought it.....but i was doing the frequency test on the avia disc where the frequency drops from 200hz the whole way down to 20 hz. I have my receiver settings for my speakers set on small for fronts, rears, and center with a crossover at 80hz and subwoofer to "yes". Does that mean that no frequency below 80hz should sound from the main speakers? Or is it a gradual dropoff once it hits 80hz. The reason i ask is because the Avia disc marks what frequency is playing at the time of the frequency drop. Im kinda worried my receivers internal crossover isnt working properly because my rti70s were producing sound down to 50hz. I thought it was my imagination at first because its kinda hard to tell where the sound is coming from at such low frequencies, but i felt vibration on the actual speaker cone. The reason im a tad suspicious of my receiver, is because i bought it recently and it was refurbished. But the refurbishing was done by Onkyo and still has a 1 year waranty i believe. I just hate the hastle of sending it back if it is indeed the receiver at fault, oh well anyone who can help please write back.

Thanks~

PolkThug

Interesting find. Do the Avia test with your subwoofer unplugged, and see if you get the same results, maybe the Rti70 is picking up vibrations from the sub.

I have a Manheim Steamroller HT demo DVD and it has a visual representation of the frequencies, but it doesn't look very accurate to me, or I'm not interpreting it right.

Maybe there are some Onkyo peeps here with the Avia disc that could see if they get the same results. Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Bump the x-over up to 100hz and see if you get the same thing.

Regards,
PolkThug

dorokusai

Even if your crossover/filter is set at a given value(80hz), you will still hear the lower frequencies(<80hz). This is because the crossover point is not a hard cut, it is, most likely, -12db rolloff. That means that the frequencies below 80hz, are rolled off at -12db per octave.

Gringo

Ok thanks guys, ill try some tests to see which setting is the best for me....Doro, i wasnt too sure about the crossover point being a hardcut or whether it was a gradual roll-off like you said, Thanks for all your help once again.

Mike

polizonte

On a period of 4 years (starting in 1989) I pieced together a 5 channel configuration with Polk speakers: a pair of T11's, a pair of 75 w monitors (rear), & a CS150 (center) - My Onkyo is an old R1 av amp with no provision for a subwoofer. I just bought a Pioneer DV563As and plan to buy a new Onkyo or Yamaha receiver in the $300 range. Would adding a Polk PSW202 enhance movie surround sound? Any suggestions would be greatly apppreciated - I hate to part with my old speakers for a less expensive 6 small speakers plus subwoofer setup that might not sound as good.

PolkThug

polizonte

Don't ditch your stuff just because of a free subwoofer promo. Keep in mind that the 202 is Polk's bottom subwoofer. I recommend going for a 404 or 505. And yes, movies will be much more enjoyable.

polizonte

Buying a better woofer rather than dumping a setup that cost me over $1,000 will also allow me to buy a slightly better receiver. We have only watched one DVD with the audio connected to the CD input of our old Onkyo and the soundtrack was much easier to understand than the VHS version of the same movie played with the same equipment.