steak

2 quick questions:

1) I just bought a Denon 3801 that offers S-Video switching but my VCR does not have S-Video. How can I hook this up through my receiver and maintain the S-Video connections that I am using for my DVD player and DSS system?

2) This receiver lists a range of 6-16ohms on the speakers. If I hook up 4 ohm speakers, what are the consquences of that action?

Thanks

palebluedot

You will not be able to use the s-video to your TV from the receiver if you want to use your vcr through the receiver. The receiver will not convert composite(rca) to s-video.

Do not use your 4ohm speakers on this reciever. You can permanatly damage the amps in your receiver as well as your speakers. You would need an external high current amp capable of driving a 4ohm load.

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I am the one who calls himself I AM!

steak

Thanks for the info on the speakers. I was afraid of that.

Also, the receiver has both composite and S-video out. Can I use both or is it one or the other?

Thanks

rmount

"S" vidio switching can be done with an external "S" to composite converter. The only problem with these is their cost

steak

Also, What is the worst possible thing that could happen if I use speakers with a lower wattage rating than my receiver? I.E. If I put 50 watt speakers on a receiver amp that will drive 105 watts?

Will I loose anything in the process quality wise?
Thanks

stevevt

quote:<HR>Originally posted by steak:
Also, What is the worst possible thing that could happen if I use speakers with a lower wattage rating than my receiver? I.E. If I put 50 watt speakers on a receiver amp that will drive 105 watts?
<HR>

It's possible, but very highly unlikely, that your receiver will blow one or more drivers on your speakers.

Speakers are much more likely to be damaged if they're underpowered to the point where the amplifier feeding them sends a clipped signal.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by steak:
Will I loose anything in the process quality wise?
Thanks<HR>

Impossible to answer this. Some receivers sound better than some other receivers. It's possible that there's a less powerful receiver out there that sounds better than yours. But nothing about "mismatching" the power between what your receiver puts out and your speakers can handle should inherently cause you to lose sound quality.

[This message has been edited by stevevt (edited January 30, 2001).]

stevevt

By the way, what are the speakers you are using?

Are they really rated at 50 Watts and 4 Ohms?

steak

Stevevt,

Well, here is the deal. I have some cheapy Technics 100w 4ohm speakers. The reason I asked about the lower wattage was because I have some 50-75w (can't remember right now) speakers that I could use that fit into the correct ohm range but the watt rating is lower. I am trying to avoid buying new speakers since I just dropped $800 on this receiver. That is it in a nutshell.

I have been using a Pioneer VSX-606s for years with these 4 ohm speakers (even though the Pioneer was not rated for anything but 6-8ohm) and have yet to have an issue. But the Pioneer was only a $200 receiver. This one is a keeper for me and I don't want to ruin it.

stevevt

quote:<HR>Originally posted by steak:
Stevevt,

Well, here is the deal. I have some cheapy Technics 100w 4ohm speakers. The reason I asked about the lower wattage was because I have some 50-75w (can't remember right now) speakers that I could use that fit into the correct ohm range but the watt rating is lower. I am trying to avoid buying new speakers since I just dropped $800 on this receiver. That is it in a nutshell.

I have been using a Pioneer VSX-606s for years with these 4 ohm speakers (even though the Pioneer was not rated for anything but 6-8ohm) and have yet to have an issue. But the Pioneer was only a $200 receiver. This one is a keeper for me and I don't want to ruin it.<HR>

The following is what I'd do.

* Hook up the 4 ohm speakers to your new receiver.
* Turn on the receiver.
* Play a cd (or the radio or whatever) at a very low volume.
* Feel the heat sink of the receiver (or as close to the heat sink as you can get). Is significantly hotter than it was when you had 6 or 8 ohm speakers hooked up? If yes, that'd be a bad sign.
* If not, raise the volume slowly, and keep checking the temperature of the receiver.
* If you get the volume all the way to the level at which you normally listen, you're probably all set (but keep checking the temp peridodically).
* If you play anything at a very high volume, you need to watch the temperature even more carefully and more frequently.
* If you play normal volume all the time, and very high volume a bit for a few months and never experience any overheating, you should be fine.

Of course, in a few months you're going to have new speakers, or so I'd hope.

steak

Thanks for the advice, Stevevt. I will watch it closely. My Pioneer used to get fairly warm, but that may have just been the norm for that unit. So far, the Denon has seemed very cool in comparison. It was something I noticed early on.

Anyhoo, thanks again and I will monitor it. Maybe in May (for my b-day) I will spring for some new speakers that will handle the ohm load. The wife just loves it when I get new speakers.

stevevt

quote:<HR>Originally posted by steak:
Thanks for the advice, Stevevt. I will watch it closely.<HR>

No problem.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by steak:
Anyhoo, thanks again and I will monitor it. Maybe in May (for my b-day) I will spring for some new speakers that will handle the ohm load. The wife just loves it when I get new speakers. <HR>

You've put $800 into a receiver, so you might as well get speakers that match it, quality-wise.

And remember, speakers present a load to amplifiers, measurable in Ohms. The amp is the thing that handles this load.