[design1stcode2nd]

I'm having an issue with the system in my family room, just an old 3.1 setup. My center channel sometimes will cut out or not come on when I turn on the AVR. If I crank up the volume to very high levels it will come back.

I have checked the speaker cable and it is connected properly (hasn't been moved in years) to the AVR and speaker.

Next I plan on just disconnecting my L or R speaker and running the cable from the center to one of these (I don't have any extra speakers to swap out the center).

Since it's intermittent this isn't ideal but I assume its the speaker or its the center channel output on the AVR. What is odd is that its not dead but comes back when I crank it up and then stays for a while if I lower the volume back down.

Anyone ever encountered the same issue? While I wouldn't mind replacing the center channel or all of the speakers I don't want to replace them OR the AVR and have the one I change not be the issue.

 

[jautor]

Sounds like the AVR is the problem. Check all the speaker connections to make sure there's not a short, though...

The fact that it works by increasing the volume smells like a bad solder / connection within the AVR, turning up the volume is heating up the unit and probably shifting the pin back into electrical contact. That it stops working again some time after lowering the volume would be consistent with this, too.

Jeff

 

[design1stcode2nd]

The center output on the AVR is my gut feeling. So I should check all the connections including L/R and sub? Also I have two rear surrounds wired but not connected to anything any more anything I should do with those?

It's consistently the center channel only, L/R are 25-30 year old speakers and running fine.

 

[jautor]

The center output on the AVR is my gut feeling. So I should check all the connections including L/R and sub? Also I have two rear surrounds wired but not connected to anything any more anything I should do with those?

It's consistently the center channel only, L/R are 25-30 year old speakers and running fine.

Very unlikely it's anything but the center channel (amp section) or a poor connection to the center channel. No other speaker connections would affect this (unless there's a short, but that's unlikely to produce those symptoms).

 

[brianl-cdn]

The center output on the AVR is my gut feeling. So I should check all the connections including L/R and sub? Also I have two rear surrounds wired but not connected to anything any more anything I should do with those?

It's consistently the center channel only, L/R are 25-30 year old speakers and running fine.

you can confirm the location by switching the wire from the center with one main at the AVR speaker posts, which eliminates everything outside the AVR.

I had a similar issue - my Right main was not coming on when the AVR was powered on, but if I turned it up it would come on, so I soldered the main components on the main board and it's working 99% of the time now. I may still have a bad relay, but your problem is not at power-on, so maybe a power transistor?

 

[Knucklehead90]

Try removing and cleaning the wires since as you said - they haven't been moved in years. If you use bare wires and bind them cut the wire back at the insulation - strip the wire with a wire stripper if you have one - and reinstall. I had a similar problem where a pair of speakers had been set up and not disturbed in 5-6 years - I installed an amp between the AVR and speakers and when I first turned it on the new amp went into protect mode. After several hours of trying-retrying everything I could I finally found the problem - the wires at the speakers were very dark. I removed the wires at the main speakers - cut off the bare wire and stripped the wires so new copper was showing - connected everything up and had no more problems with the amp or speakers. Now I use banana plugs and haven't had any problems with them.

I also had a similar problem in my bedroom 2 channel. The problem would occur after half an hour or so of playing. Strange thing! Turned out the shorting straps between the high/low terminals were not making good contact and caused fuzzy distortion. Maybe from oils on the skin or chemicals used to clean them at the factory (china). I thought my DVD player was going bad. Using some deoxit on them put them in brand new condition.

Check the wires - and of course the shorting straps if your speakers have them.