Yamaha HTR-5940 sounds 'weak'

ShaneC

Super Member
I've been playing with routing my mp3 player through any of my Pioneer amps (and even the Sansui reciever) out to my HPM-1100s and have it sound great.

Using the same setup and source material, switching only the Yamaha HTR-5940 in as the amp, it sounds like crap.

Here's the info on it: http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200504

It seems no matter how I have it configured, its just very lacking in everything for the midrange and lower. In the configurations, I have it set for Front (and rear) Speakers = Large; Bass Out = Both (or fronts, or sub only-tried all 3)...not sure what else it could be

Perhaps the best I can describe the sound output is "It still sounds like a HTIB". Clearly at no fault of the speakers themselves.

Any ideas?
 
It's set for pure 2-ch stereo confguration with no added DSP - in other words the receiver is not trying to apply DPLII, et al, on top of the 2-ch stereo source signal?
 
I played with the DSP options as well as the "Direct Stereo" (and "Stereo" w/ the DSP, and other sound fields as well). I really don't like the effect that most of those add.

One thing I realized last night, ...I had it set for 6 ohm speakers instead of 8 ohm. Not sure how much difference that will make in this situation though.
 
The receiver is configured for just two speakers though?

When I had a Sony with the 4/8 ohm switch, I could only tell a difference when I was playing it rather loud. The tonality didn't really seem to change, just the dynamics seemed limited e.g. the bass didn't hit as hard, etc.
 
is it a class h amp? i have a Technics class h and unless you really crank it, up towards 50% volume it sounds a little lacking in the low/mid. from what i gather its the class h circuitry that modulates the power supply output depending on volumes levels, it just does not seem to really sing till its cranked. i guess being geared more for home theater then music may be the reason.
 
The class H thing may be the issue (I'm not sure if it is or not)...hell, I'm not even sure the 'volume range'...I know its from -80ish up, but it goes from like -80db to +??db. At around -19db is the max volume I can play it at without it being painfully loud.
 
I bought a Yamaha receiver a few years ago before I found out that Yamaha routinely inflates it's specs...and they never actually deliver the kind of power they claim. I know my "110 per channel" always sounded pretty lame. That may well be your problem.
 
few years ago before I found out that Yamaha routinely inflates it's specs
Do you have any documented proof of this rather broad claim?Please enlighten me.:scratch2:
 
Class H has nothing to do with it, nor does inflated specs, nor does inherently being a HT receiver have anything to do with it, IMO.

I'm still of the opinion it's an incorrect setting somewhere in the configuration.
 
I bought a Yamaha receiver a few years ago before I found out that Yamaha routinely inflates it's specs...and they never actually deliver the kind of power they claim. I know my "110 per channel" always sounded pretty lame. That may well be your problem.

Yeah, some do inflate their specs. However, almost always, when operating in 2-ch mode, the HT receivers exceed their rated specs.

Case in point.

Pioneer VSX-918

Rated power: 95wpc

2-ch power: 149.7wpc
5-ch power: 34.1wpc


OTOH...

Yamaha RX-Z11

Rated power: 140wpc

2-ch power: 214.8wpc
5-ch power: 153.2wpc
7-ch power: 139.4wpc

The Pioneer model is entry level, the Yamaha is TOTL. So, as avionic pointed out, you can't paint with a broad brush that all HT receivers exaggerate their ratings. Some do, some don't, and it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to buy TOTL to get one with fairly honest ratings. The Onkyo 606 is (IMO) an entry level receiver and it comes very close to it's rated power with all channels driven and costs ~$350.
 
Do you have any documented proof of this rather broad claim?Please enlighten me.:scratch2:

I don't have time to peruse the reviews. However here is a link to a forum discussing it (including a link within to the review). Anyway, it's not like this isn't common knowledge. I just wish I had known it before I chose the Yammie. But live and learn and I've moved to bigger and better.
 
Class H has nothing to do with it, nor does inflated specs, nor does inherently being a HT receiver have anything to do with it, IMO.

I'm still of the opinion it's an incorrect setting somewhere in the configuration.



do you have much experience with class h? I have read quite a bit about them trying to figure out why mine sounds crappy at low volumes, and a few forums and web sites have mentioned the modulating power supply as the culprit for less then stellar sound at low volumes, I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers just gain some understanding, as I am not an electrical engineer and only have one class H amp to go by.
 
If you mean do I design them, no. But I do have at least one Class H amp, possibly three.

A class H amp (typically) is merely a class AB amp that can switch/modulate rail voltages. The switching/modulating does nothing until the transition point is reached.

At low to medium levels it's very doubtful the amp is switching/modulating rail voltage so it's acting as a plain old class AB amp. That's why I say class H isn't inherently the issue of poor sound.
 
thanks for the response,
when do they normally come to the switching point? or would that change allot from amp to amp?
 
Don't know what the switching point would be, it would depend on the design of the amp.

If one could find the schematic that would give you a pretty good idea.
 
huh....that was weird.....

switched it to "Small" for all the speakers and it sounds a bit better; more sound is coming through on all the speakers now.

Still not quite good enough to make me really happy, but its still better than it was.
 
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