Denon amp goes to standby when using SDA-2's

jpayne

I am having a strange problem that just started with my garage find SDA-2's. Bass peaks pop the Denon into protection mode. This was not happening when I first set them up a few weeks ago. I checked all wires and there are no shorts.

I brought the Boston Acoustic AR-150's back in and connected them and ran the sound up even beyond the point where the shutdown was occuring with the SDA-2's. No problems. Went back to the Polk and the amp shut down when there was a peak.
That would seem to indicate a problem within the SDA-2's. Any ideas or similar experiences.

Many thanks,

Jim

F1nut

It's not the speakers, your Denon receiver doesn't have the balls to drive them and now it's letting you know that.

thehaens@cox.net

I had this happen to me before, and I found that the a couple strands of speaker wire were touching the case of the amp. Causing a short. So I put banana plugs and there went the problem. Try reconnecting your speaker cable to the amp, ensuring that none of the wires are touching the receiver/amps chasis........could be this simple......

jpayne

So, it looks like I go shopping for a new AVR with some more huevos! The Denon AVR-1602 has 70w per channel. I would appreciate some ideas of what to look for power, brandwise, WITH phono input and brass balls!

(the Denon does sound nice until its nuts fall off!)

Thanks,

Jim

F1nut

It's not a amp, it's a freaking receiver!!! You guys need to get the terminology correct. The problem is the Denon isn't rated to drive a 4 ohm load. The fact that it ran them for a week or so and now shuts down probably means it's in a weakened condition from trying to drive a difficult load.

jpayne

Thanks for the reply on the shutdown issue. Yes, that was the first thing I did. My wife and I both 100% checked for even a single strand. The Polks have the banana connectors already and I am getting more. With two surround systems it those things add up! Anyone know a place to buy them by the bag??

Thanks,

Jim

F1nut

Jim, does the receiver have pre outs? If so, you can add a power amp rated to drive 4 ohm speakers and you'll be a happy camper. Other than that, buy separates.

thehaens@cox.net

Jim

There really isn't a substitution for putting some separate amps on that receiver you have, hook up a couple to the pre/outs. At the very least to the main L/R Channel. Then when money permits go with the center. I don't have a separate amp on my rear surrounds, yet.....but you could get a good stereo amp to run the mains and a mono amp to run the center....JMO, do a quick search on ebay for 2 channel amplifiers, I have seen some good onkyo's and parsounds go for 4-500.....a humble investment.

chuck13

I just bought the Denon AVR 5803. I arrives tommorrow. Are you telling me it won't run my SRS SDA's. ? I Planned to "Biamp" using the zone 2 amps.

jpayne

I am at work so have been checking the manual online at Denon. I do not see any preouts so it sounds like a shopping trip is in order. Ok, so I need an amplifier with big brass cojones (how big?) rated for 4 ohm speakers, and a AV receiver (notice attempt at terminological improvement!) with preouts. I have not gone the component route in years so forgive my lack of current technology..reading everything I can find!! Since I have 1500 LP's I need a phono input. Would that be available in the kind of amp I need to do this.

Many thanks for all the helpful replies.

Jim

F1nut

Jim,

The recommended minimum is a 200wpc, HIGH current amp.





Chuck, "I Planned to "Biamp" using the zone 2 amps." That's about as ghetto as it gets. However, if the AVR is rated to drive 4 ohm loads on both "zones" it'll work, but nowhere near as good as separates. The big SDA's love lots and lots of power and current.

danger boy

the SDA's are pretty efficient.. can run on as little as 10wpc. BUT that low power isn't going to do them any justice. to really make them sing.. i'd start at around 150wpc amp.. not a 150wpc receiver. seperate amp rated at 150wpc @ 8ohms, = approx 180+ wpc @4ohms. like F1 said.. 200wpc @ 4ohms is even better.

F1nut

A good amp should double from 150wpc @ 8ohms to 300wpc @ 4 ohms.

thehaens@cox.net

Jim

Most receivers also have a phono input, you don't really want to run the turntable directly into the amp, you could buy a seperate phono pre/amp though. But basically buy yourself a receiver with pre/outs......and ensure it has a phono input, as you want. And go from there.

Scott

heiney9

You have 2 choices here. Go with dedicated seperates (pre-amp and power amp) or go with an AVR receiver with pre-outs and a power amp. My choice is dedicated seperates (no contest). But there are those of you out there who need the processing the AVR can provide for home theater and this is cost effective, but not as good as a dedicated pre/power combo.

You haven't mentioned a budget so it's pretty hard to recommend something. Are you wiling to go used? If so, there are many great brands out there and you don't nec have to buy the same brand of pre/power amp.

There is Adcom, Parasound, Rotel, B & K, Outlaw, just to name a few I can think of right now. This is going to take some time and effort to figure out what you're end goal is and how to acheive it.

Good luck

H9

jpayne

Budget, is, of course an issue. I have been doing a lot of research on the web and can see many $$$$ looming if I want to use these SDA-2's as they deserve to be used.

I do need the AVR for my home theater, one with pre-outs AND phono in (it is getting really hard to find a good AVR with these features in my budget). I have a Sony STR DE-685 in my office which I have been trying to interface with my computer (its home built with the hots to do HTPC), a VCR, and turntable (the Sony has no phono in) with an inexpensive pre-amp (likely part of the problem). Getting that up and running has been a nightmare. So I spit on Sony (terribly hard to set up your surround sound with their glitchy controls). All I need there is a solid, user friendly 5.1 AVR with phono in...hard to find. The Sony goes as soon as I can find something more appropriate.

And several of you have helped with your suggestions on the power range and resistance rating needed for the Polks. I see now how my brother-in-law spent $150,000 on his home theater (including theater seating!!). Quality amps in that range are not cheap. I am having to look at whether I should keep the Polks in the spare bedroom in hopes that I can someday have a system that will do them justice or sell them to someone who can use and enjoy these beauties now.

Las Cruces, New Mexico is NOT a great place to find someone who knows much about audio, let alone doing the interfacing for an HTPC. I appreciate all the information and good advice from everyone. I may end up posting these Polks on the for sale forum when I can figure out what a fair price is. Then shipping...Holy Moses! Buy Fed Ex stock now!

So, I have some thinking to do and some decisions to make.

Thanks again,

Jim

heiney9

Our comments (mine especially) weren't said to "scare" you into getting rid of your SDA's. Don't do it, you'll regret it later .
Just spend some more time on the board and see if you can search for old threads to help give you a little more knowledge & perspective.

If you are willing to go used and keep a faithful eye out for good bargains you won't have to spend as much as you think. Putting together a nice system just takes patience and can't be done effectively overnight.

You'll get there.....but don't hastily sell off your SDA's...that's one decision to sleep on for awhile.

H9

jpayne

Thanks, H9, for your kind and wise reply. No, I am going to keep them in the spare bedroom, keep them clean and covered until I can use them.

Let me share with you some sage advice I got from the head of our university AV department: "Just put some 4 ohm dropping resistors in line and they'll do fine." I called the head of our electronics department who was agast saying that it might give me 4 ohms but was going to screw the sound at the very least.
I am going up to Albuquerque on Saturday to take my wonderful old Pioneer PL-400 turntable in for repair and I am going to talk to them about used gear. They deal with all sorts of high end home theater and audio gear and know something.

Another example of the sophistication here: In trying to get my turntable feeding into my Sony (gag) SRT-DE-685 with no phono inputs I decided a QUALITY pre-amp might be the answer. I am currently using a 25w RCA thing I got at Radio Shack. I called Best Buy and talked to their Home Audio guy and asked if they had any pre-amps. His reply. " Uhhh, what's that?" I just hung up. BTW, anyone who also has been doing HTPC and burning Lp's who has some advice on the subject, please BC me at jpayne@nmsu.edu. Off topic so I'll leave it at that.

Many thanks again to everyone. I am going to go back over the posts so I can take a list of suggestions when I go to Hudson's in Albuquerque.

Jim

heiney9

Unfortunately Jim, you aren’t going to get too much advice/knowledge from your typical mass-market stereo store, there are exceptions. Again not sure what you’re willing to spend but, FWIW, Parasound makes an excellent phono pre-amp try the PPH-100. You will not find this type of pre-amp at your local mass-market stereo store. Only problem I see is if you plan to upgrade the Sony anytime soon the phono pre-amp may not get further use.

Here is a link to one that SOLD recently

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preaphon&1124161659

Brock

reeltrouble1

You do not have to spend thousands to run your speakers, so get rid of those thoughts, it just that you can spend that if you want.

There are literally tens upon tens:) of components that can run your polk speaks, now the lower cost high current gear are things like Outlaw, NAD, Parasound, etc. There are others but those are a quick few, there are levels in audio, your bro who spent 150,000 maybe he went to a high level or maybe he got ripped, cant say cuz dont know his gear and set up etc.

Go look on Audiogon.com for some used gear, or go look in Russmans (our member) audio store. Just bring up one of his thousands of posts he has a link.

You might put a WTB in our Flea Market to see what gear our members have to help you which they can part with.

We are a club, hang out, get to know folks, if you love audio and Polks this can be a very fun and addicting place.

RT1

jpayne

I'm a hangin in there. I am siting back and reducating myself about some aspects of audio that I was sadly unware of. I wonder if the folks how gave these things to me knew what they had and how to run them.

The high end audio store in Albuquerque is Hudson's Audio. Walk in and start drooling. I went to them for real expert knowledge about fixing my turntable: Pioneer PL-400 with the strobe, anti-stake, and adjustable tracking force. You can find new gear that will do that but it costs plenty. They sent me to the one guy in New Mexico who still knows was a turntable is and how to fix one. He figured it just needed a teardown, cleaning, and re-lubrication...about $80-100. Well worth it for a piece of gear I have been using since 1976. I told him about the Polks and he has the used gear I need to run them. Prices sound decent, so I just need to save up a bit. He says he has been doin this for 40 years and I believe it. Understood w/o me saying a word that I need 4 ohms to and about 200w to really do justice to those speakers. It was nice to go into a store where I knew I could get what I needed as soon a budget allows. So I am going to keep hanging out here, saving my schekels, and plan on a goody buying trip to Albuquerque ASAP. Thank God this guy is training a couple of techs to take over when he retires. 99% of you average audio salesman doesn't have a clue when we start talking about the things needed to do these SDA-2's justice.

Thanks again for knowledge, experience, and sharing.

Jim