Can Speakers be used from an integrated Panasonic Home Theatre system???

Mauler · 03-14-05, 12:59 AM

Hi. I have a Panasonic SC-HT800V DVD Home Theatre Sound System. This is similar also to their SC-HT700, SC-HT790V, SC-HT810V, and SC-MT1 systems.
http://www.prodcat.panasonic.com/sho...?ModelId=18024
http://www.prodcat.panasonic.com/sho...?ModelId=18025
Owner Manual - http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/SCHT790V.PDF
http://support.panasonic.co.nz/docst...MT1%20book.pdf

Unfortunately the main unit (DVD/Tuner/VCR unit SA-HT800V) is toast. This is similar to their SA-HT790V, SA-HT810V, and SA-MT1 units. Specs for this unit follows:

RMS output power, 10 % total harmonic distortion
1 kHz FL/FR 45 W per channel 6 ohm
1 kHz Center 60 W per channel 6 ohm
1 kHz SL/SR 45 W per channel 6 ohm
100 Hz Subwoofer 160 W per channel 4 ohm
Total RMS Dolby Digital mode power 400 W
FTC output power, 1 % total harmonic distortion
120 Hz–20 kHz FL/FR 25 W per channel 6 ohm
120 Hz–20 kHz Center 30 W per channel 6 ohm
120 Hz–20 kHz SL/SR 25 W per channel 6 ohm
45 Hz–120 Hz Subwoofer 90 W per channel 4 ohm
Total FTC power in Dolby Digital mode (Band 1 % THD) 220 W

Could I use the SB-WA310 active subwoofer (and connected surround speakers) that came with this Panasonic system with another amplifier? I'm not sure how to work this in with the special system cable (K1HA25HA0001) connection to the subwoofer. You can slightly see on the diagram schematic of this system with system cable attached below (more fully seen in the owner manual linked above) that all the other front/rear/center speakers also attach to the back of the subwoofer. The system cable inlet on the subwoofer, the sole audio signal inlet, consists of a 3 cm x 0.5 cm, 25 pin (female) receptacle, with twelve holes in line next to 13 holes in line. The subwoofer is amped by a 120 V chord. Specs on the subwoofer follow:

1 way, 1 speaker, Bass-ref.
Woofer 17 cm, cone type, 4 ohm
Input power 200 W (Music)
Output sound pressure level 80 dB/W (1.0 m)
Frequency range 40 Hz–220 Hz (-16 dB)
45 Hz–180 Hz (-10 dB)

In the first set of italicised specifications above for the main unit, it appears that all the front/rear speakers are amped up to 45 W (back of these say they can handle 60), center to 60 W, and subwoofer to 160 W from the main unit.

Looking at their backs, the subwoofer's resistance is 4 ohm and all of the other speakers are at 6 ohm. Is this normal for speakers? I thought that your normal home speaker is 8 ohm. Any problems here? Should I solder in a 2 ohm resistor within the smaller speakers?

I have a good quality Onkyo home theater amp, with Dolby surround sound. In the back of this amp are RCA and regular speaker wire connection locations, including center, both front, both rear, and subwoofer.

Please let me know what I can do here. Thanks.

BTW, what's (or Watts

) the difference between RMS and FTC Dolby Digital output power? What I can see from the specifications, RMS not only offers greater power than FTC, but greater THD. Trade off a good for a bad I guess.

rdclark · 03-14-05, 10:16 AM

Probably not, but maybe.

It's possible that the system cable is the equivalent of 6 standard patch cables, and that the connection between the processor's output and the sub's input is electronically just a 6-channel preamp out connected to a 6-channel line-in, using a custom cable.

In that case, especially if you knew the pin-outs of the custom connector, you could splice one of those connectors to 6 RCA patch cables and connect them to the preamp outs on a standard receiver.

What you probably *can't* do is drive the speakers directly from another amplifier's speaker terminals. The amplifier for your speakers appears to be in the subwoofer, not in the "receiver," making them essentially a set of 5.1 powered speakers.

This is why we tell people to buy standard audio components rather than proprietary integrated designs.

Re: Watts -- those are different ways of measuring the output of an amplifier. There are several others, and they all produce different numbers. Crappy equipment tends to come with ratings using the system that produces the highest numbers.

A rating made at 10% THD is meaningless. The "FTC" ratings show this to be a decidedly low-end system with nothing much in the way of reserve power. It probably can't produce much volume without sounding strained. And a bass unit that can only go down to 45Hz is not a subwoofer, it's just a "detached woofer."

If I were you, I would consider this a sign from God that it's time to upgrade to something better.

RichC

03-14-05, 12:59 AM	#1
Mauler New Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1	Can Speakers be used from an integrated Panasonic Home Theatre system??? Hi. I have a Panasonic SC-HT800V DVD Home Theatre Sound System. This is similar also to their SC-HT700, SC-HT790V, SC-HT810V, and SC-MT1 systems. http://www.prodcat.panasonic.com/sho...?ModelId=18024 http://www.prodcat.panasonic.com/sho...?ModelId=18025 Owner Manual - http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/SCHT790V.PDF http://support.panasonic.co.nz/docst...MT1%20book.pdf Unfortunately the main unit (DVD/Tuner/VCR unit SA-HT800V) is toast. This is similar to their SA-HT790V, SA-HT810V, and SA-MT1 units. Specs for this unit follows: RMS output power, 10 % total harmonic distortion 1 kHz FL/FR 45 W per channel 6 ohm 1 kHz Center 60 W per channel 6 ohm 1 kHz SL/SR 45 W per channel 6 ohm 100 Hz Subwoofer 160 W per channel 4 ohm Total RMS Dolby Digital mode power 400 W FTC output power, 1 % total harmonic distortion 120 Hz–20 kHz FL/FR 25 W per channel 6 ohm 120 Hz–20 kHz Center 30 W per channel 6 ohm 120 Hz–20 kHz SL/SR 25 W per channel 6 ohm 45 Hz–120 Hz Subwoofer 90 W per channel 4 ohm Total FTC power in Dolby Digital mode (Band 1 % THD) 220 W Could I use the SB-WA310 active subwoofer (and connected surround speakers) that came with this Panasonic system with another amplifier? I'm not sure how to work this in with the special system cable (K1HA25HA0001) connection to the subwoofer. You can slightly see on the diagram schematic of this system with system cable attached below (more fully seen in the owner manual linked above) that all the other front/rear/center speakers also attach to the back of the subwoofer. The system cable inlet on the subwoofer, the sole audio signal inlet, consists of a 3 cm x 0.5 cm, 25 pin (female) receptacle, with twelve holes in line next to 13 holes in line. The subwoofer is amped by a 120 V chord. Specs on the subwoofer follow: 1 way, 1 speaker, Bass-ref. Woofer 17 cm, cone type, 4 ohm Input power 200 W (Music) Output sound pressure level 80 dB/W (1.0 m) Frequency range 40 Hz–220 Hz (-16 dB) 45 Hz–180 Hz (-10 dB) In the first set of italicised specifications above for the main unit, it appears that all the front/rear speakers are amped up to 45 W (back of these say they can handle 60), center to 60 W, and subwoofer to 160 W from the main unit. Looking at their backs, the subwoofer's resistance is 4 ohm and all of the other speakers are at 6 ohm. Is this normal for speakers? I thought that your normal home speaker is 8 ohm. Any problems here? Should I solder in a 2 ohm resistor within the smaller speakers? I have a good quality Onkyo home theater amp, with Dolby surround sound. In the back of this amp are RCA and regular speaker wire connection locations, including center, both front, both rear, and subwoofer. Please let me know what I can do here. Thanks. BTW, what's (or Watts ) the difference between RMS and FTC Dolby Digital output power? What I can see from the specifications, RMS not only offers greater power than FTC, but greater THD. Trade off a good for a bad I guess.

03-14-05, 10:16 AM	#2
rdclark Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 603	Probably not, but maybe. It's possible that the system cable is the equivalent of 6 standard patch cables, and that the connection between the processor's output and the sub's input is electronically just a 6-channel preamp out connected to a 6-channel line-in, using a custom cable. In that case, especially if you knew the pin-outs of the custom connector, you could splice one of those connectors to 6 RCA patch cables and connect them to the preamp outs on a standard receiver. What you probably can't do is drive the speakers directly from another amplifier's speaker terminals. The amplifier for your speakers appears to be in the subwoofer, not in the "receiver," making them essentially a set of 5.1 powered speakers. This is why we tell people to buy standard audio components rather than proprietary integrated designs. Re: Watts -- those are different ways of measuring the output of an amplifier. There are several others, and they all produce different numbers. Crappy equipment tends to come with ratings using the system that produces the highest numbers. A rating made at 10% THD is meaningless. The "FTC" ratings show this to be a decidedly low-end system with nothing much in the way of reserve power. It probably can't produce much volume without sounding strained. And a bass unit that can only go down to 45Hz is not a subwoofer, it's just a "detached woofer." If I were you, I would consider this a sign from God that it's time to upgrade to something better. RichC