Stereo worked before I moved, now it doesn't.
Rayo217
Posts: 8
I have an older Sony receiver with a pair of 2-channel Yamaha towers with subs built in, and a pair of digital pro audio towers. All of which worked when I moved and were originally hooked up with 16g wire when I got them from a friend, and had 16g for several years after.
I recently moved, had the Yamahas hooked up and they worked perfectly. Went and bought new 16g wire (cause they'd always had that and worked fine) and a new monster cable 3.5mm to rca input cable, and now all 4 towers sound completely blown. Unplugged the receiver, blew out the dust, blew out the insides of the towers, checked the internal wiring, checked all the speaker cones, tested each speaker independently on all 7 speaker outputs with both straight and reverse polarity to make sure I wasn't wiring them wrong, and all 4 towers sound entirely blown on all 7 channels, leaving me with a little bass, a ton of static, and absolutely no vocals in my music.
I recently moved, had the Yamahas hooked up and they worked perfectly. Went and bought new 16g wire (cause they'd always had that and worked fine) and a new monster cable 3.5mm to rca input cable, and now all 4 towers sound completely blown. Unplugged the receiver, blew out the dust, blew out the insides of the towers, checked the internal wiring, checked all the speaker cones, tested each speaker independently on all 7 speaker outputs with both straight and reverse polarity to make sure I wasn't wiring them wrong, and all 4 towers sound entirely blown on all 7 channels, leaving me with a little bass, a ton of static, and absolutely no vocals in my music.
Comments
-
I doubt all your speakers would blow at the same time. Probably your receiver went bad._________________________________________________
***\\\\\........................... My Audio Journey ............................./////***
2008 & 2010 Football Pool WINNER
SOPAThank God for different opinions. Imagine the world if we all wanted the same woman -
Model of the Sony receiver?
If it has analog controls -- dirty controls are are always a possible suspect.
-
Not sure off top of my head what the model is, but it says "digital audio/video control center" on the front. I'd have to pull it out later and see what model it is. Like I said, had it working a week ago before I moved on just the Yamahas before buying new wire, haven't touched it, and I keep the top covered with grill mesh when I'm out working in the garage (this is my shop setup) and then all of a sudden when I go to permanently place my stacks in the garage they all sound like crap. -
-
Not sure off top of my head what the model is, but it says "digital audio/video control center" on the front. I'd have to pull it out later and see what model it is. Like I said, had it working a week ago before I moved on just the Yamahas before buying new wire, haven't touched it, and I keep the top covered with grill mesh when I'm out working in the garage (this is my shop setup) and then all of a sudden when I go to permanently place my stacks in the garage they all sound like crap.
As dirty as it is I am amazed it ever worked.
Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
Speaker switch is set to B, is that correct?Pio Elete Pro 520
Panamax 5400-EX
Sunfire TGP 5
Micro Seiki DD-40 - Lyra-Dorian and Denon DL-160
PS Audio GCPH phono pre
Sunfire CG 200 X 5
Sunfire CG Sig 405 X 5
OPPO BDP-83 SE
SDA SRS 1.2TL Sonicaps and Mills
Ctr CS1000p
Sur - FX1000 x 4
SUB - SVS PB2-Plus
Workkout room:
Sony Bravia XBR- 32-Inch 1080p
Onkyo TX-DS898
GFA 555
Yamaha DVD-S1800BL/SACD
Ft - SDA 1C
Not being used:
RTi 38's -4
RT55i's - 2
RT25i's -2, using other 2 in shop
LSI 15's
CSi40
PSW 404 -
STR-DE635 right on the front. And probably a good call, @vmaxer .
-
This has got to be a joke.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Well, the speaker switch looks like a normal 'analog' selector switch -- the contacts could be dirty/intermittent.
I'll stop short of recommending this action -- but I will mention that cleaning switch contacts is reasonably straightforward for a moderately competent human being. I will further note that there's an extensive primer on the topic at
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/the-idiots-guide-to-using-deoxit-revisited.207005/
Another troubleshooting "opportunity". If you have a pair of headphones @Rayo217, give them a try.This has got to be a joke.
Dunno -- maybe... but maybe not? Doesn't seem to be spam, so I'm givin' the OP the benefit of the doubt for now.
-
The speaker selection switch was set to B when I got it because only the B outputs were hooked up. Aside from testing the A channels it has never been touched as long as Ive owned it, and said testing occurred after Discovering the sound issues I'm having. So, if the switch had never been moved in the years I'd had it, why would it suddenly not work over the course of a week or two?
The shell and face plate have ash and dust caked on it from the friend I got it from YEARS ago from having their ash tray on it in their garage, but since I've had it I've blown it out with a can of duster every couple months and this is the first time it's ever been set up and not covered with speaker grill mesh. (The piece I had got damaged in the move. In the process of ordering some)
Like I said, it worked perfectly a couple weeks ago, and now it doesn't. The only thing that changed is I got new wire because my new garage is bigger than my old one. -
^^^Did you try a pair of headphones as per above suggestion ?George / NJ
Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
Onkyo A-8017 integrated
Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
iFi nano iDSD DAC
iPurifier3
iDefender w/ iPower PS
Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform -
Sounds like a power supply problem in the receiver, starving the outputs and driving it to clipping at low levels. If headphone output is undistorted, that would pretty much confirm.
With the abuse it’s sustained, id say you’ve more than gotten your money out of it."Conservative Libertarians love the country, progressive leftists love the government." - Andrew Wilkow
“Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn -
I unfortunately do not have any wired headphones. This is literally the only thing I own that's not wireless. Might have to go buy a pair to see. I did try with my old rca/3.5mm cable just to see that it wasn't the cable, but no change in audio quality.
-
Dude, your beat to crap AVR has bit the dust, literally. Throw at away and buy a new one.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Dude, your beat to crap AVR has bit the dust, literally. Throw at away and buy a new one.
Yea, I was gonna say basically that. You can buy another old avr or receiver in much better shape from a yard sale/flea market/thrift store for like $20.Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es
Game Room 5.1.4: Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra
Bedroom 2.1 Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer -
Will definitely be looking for a new one. Thanks for the help guys!
-
You reset all the buttons and stuff? There's no boost mode enabled?
What's your source?
Can you try another input?
You're not using the phono input are you? I did that once years ago and it sounded like you described.I disabled signatures. -
You reset all the buttons and stuff? There's no boost mode enabled?
What's your source?
Can you try another input?
You're not using the phono input are you? I did that once years ago and it sounded like you described.
Tried all 3 inputs, phono, cd, and tape, all sounded the same. As for source, I am using an iPhone with a 3.5mm/rca cable and a lightning/3.5mm adaptor. Also tried using an old MP3 player I'd had laying around for years. Still didn't effect sound quality.
I do not have an FM antenna of any sort, either, and have had a hard time finding one locally, so no am/fm radio. Without the antenna it's complete silence. Not even background fuzz. -
If another common denominator is your source, does your ios have the volume down when the adapter is connected?
Did you try speaker A?
Is the STEREO or DIRECT mode enabled and not any other surround mode that uses the center as dialogue? -
If another common denominator is your source, does your ios have the volume down when the adapter is connected?
Did you try speaker A?
Is the STEREO or DIRECT mode enabled and not any other surround mode that uses the center as dialogue?
Really good point, there! Did you try "turning down" the output of the phone? The phone could be overloading the receiver's input.
As to FM -- all you need is a little piece of wire. The only problem is that some "modern" Sony components use a proprietary connector for the FM antenna. I cannot tell from the manual (shout out to @Hermitism for supplying the link so I didn't have to find the manual!) but it looks like this receiver might use a standard coax connector(??).
Just stickin' a piece of wire into the center (or a partly-unfolded paper clip, to which a wire can be connected -- if the hole is small) should get FM reception as long as there are some strong stations in the 'hood.
Channel your inner MacGyver, @Rayo217!
-
I messed around with a few different antennae trying to find best for a modest price. I found this omni-directional one on Amazon. I don't have it mounted outside or on a pole. Instead, it's sitting vertically on top of some shelving, isolated on a pad of Sorbothane, and strapped down. Works pretty well. I think it could be better in front of a window or just outside.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DHHOZBI
Also the C. Crane FM Reflect Dipole, but the particular one I bought is no longer made, apparently. The one they sell now looks more like a regular dipole, but they say it's still better. The former version was thicker, and seemed to offer a bit better reception than the cheapie dipole antennas that come with receivers. I'd give this new one a shot for 10 bucks.
https://www.ccrane.com/item/ant_fm_fmr2/101/fm_reflect-2_dipole_antenna
I disabled signatures. -
oh, and speaking of speaker connections -- there is some good advice in the manual; something worth carefully checking!
Kudos again to @Hermitism for finding the manual
EDIT: Apparently the STR-DE635 uses a normal (North American) "F" connector for the FM antenna connection!
A paper clip and a piece of wire should net some FM reception to use as an alternative source for testing/troubleshooting!
N.B. So... @F1nut's counsel above was apt, correct, and appropriate but there is some thrill in the hunt. I'm like a fricking border collie when it comes to my genes/instincts -- born to troubleshoot! Troubleshooting is a valuable and transferable skill (approach to life), IMO. 
Y'all carry on, now, hear?
-
If the OP gets really bored, the service manual's available here:
http://sportsbil.com/sony/STR/STR-D/STR-DE635_v1.1.pdf
-
I know of a phone cord being the culprit that made the cutting in and out of the sound.
Try a new cord.
Good luck.Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
Have you tried re-capping it yet?
That'd be my next step.I disabled signatures. -
or...did you save all the dust you blew from the receiver/speakers? Maybe they liked it and miss it. Just throwing out options._________________________________________________
***\\\\\........................... My Audio Journey ............................./////***
2008 & 2010 Football Pool WINNER
SOPAThank God for different opinions. Imagine the world if we all wanted the same woman -
Try borrowing a CD player and hook it up, or even an old cassette deck. That way you could eliminate your iPhone and it's connection as the problem.George / NJ
Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
Onkyo A-8017 integrated
Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
iFi nano iDSD DAC
iPurifier3
iDefender w/ iPower PS
Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform -
I know of a phone cord being the culprit that made the cutting in and out of the sound.
Try a new cord.
Good luck.
I literally just bought a brand new monster cable. It has 3 minutes of play time.
Also, I have tried my old MP3 player that still works, as well as my laptop headphone output, and have tried adjusting volume on all 3 devices, sound quality is not effected by output volume from said portable devices.
As for the FM antenna, I'm not sure I want to buy one until I know if the receiver is the problem.
Also, when connecting new speaker wires, I used a piece of solid wire, 1/16" diameter with the receiver unplugged from power source, to measure the depth of the speaker terminals, and stripped my wires to just short of that. When installing I made sure all wires were connected correctly with barely enough sticking out to see the copper, striped to red and plain to black on all channels, nothing bridging or shorting out, and I also didn't plug anything in to power until all speakers were connected, so as not to risk shorting anything if by some chance I were to accidentally touch a wire to either the wrong terminal, different terminal, or possibly even the back plate of the receiver. I am a little over-cautions when setting up electronics for this reason. -
@Rayo217 Did you confirm you were in STEREO mode and not a surround mode? Your receiver may default to Dolby when unplugged for a period of time.
-
Re: FM antenna. Just to reiterate. You don't need to buy anything if you have a paperclip and a piece of wire.
MacGyver, dude -- look him up.
