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Having troubles with my active speakers - receiver

Apoch8000

Apoch8000

New Member
Today I bought a revised Technics SA202 stereo receiver. I connected my turntable to it (with no pre amp) and have two Mackie active speakers connected to the receiver. Everything sounds good except I cannot use the volume knob of the receiver to adjust the volume. My speakers keep giving the same volume and the only way to adjust it, is on the speakers self. I am sure the volume knob works, as I tested it when I bought the receiver. I think it is because I have two amps (the receiver, and the active speakers) and maybe this is the reason I cannot control the volume?

Could someone point me out what I am doing wrong here?

PS: my turntable is a Technics SL-D202 if this matters...
 
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How are you feeding signal to the Mackies? If you're using the Tape Out, there is no volume control on that. If you're using Pre Out (if it has that), it should be controlled by the receiver's volume control.
 
The SA202 doesn't have a pre-amp output. The easiest way to get the receiver's volume/tone controls to work with powered speakers would be to run them off the headphone output on the front.
 
zzzzz said:
The SA202 doesn't have a pre-amp output. The easiest way to get the receiver's volume/tone controls to work with powered speakers would be to run them off the headphone output on the front.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the answer, but how do I connect both my speakers when I only have one output on the front?

Could I eventually put a seperate pre amp somewhere?
 
Apoch8000 said:
Thanks for the answer, but how do I connect both my speakers when I only have one output on the front?

Could I eventually put a seperate pre amp somewhere?
Click to expand...

The headphone output is stereo. You could use a 1/4" to stereo RCA adapter similar to this one: https://www.amazon.com/Parts-Express-Stereo-Female-Adapter/dp/B000TTHVYK

Or you could just use a pre-amp - but if you do that, you wouldn't be using the receiver at all. Just phono -> preamp -> speakers (via the preamp's line-out).
 
I have a preamp but the min and max volume are too close so that's why I bought the receiver. I'll think I buy the 1/4" to stereo, but It's too bad I'll have to plug it in the front then.. thanks for the help!
 
Ok thanks, though I connected one active speaker with my 1/4" jack and the sounds is crackling and way too loud when connecting so I'm afraid it won't work...
 
When you were using the preamp, did you turn down the level controls on the Mackies? Typically doing that gives you a wider range of volume control range on the preamp.

1. Set the level controls on the Mackies all the way down.

2. Connect the preamp and play your normal source, with the preamp volume control about 2/3 of maximum.

3. Now go back to the Mackies and adjust the level controls on the speakers to as loud as you'd normally listen.

Once that's done the preamp should have a good range of adjustment on the volume knob from zero up to the level set on the Mackies in step 3.
 
Yes, I tried this too but it seems to have no affect. Now I have it this way: TT -> pre amp (DJ ART PRE II) -> Receiver -> Speakers. Is this the good set up?
 
I don't like the receiver in the setup. The speakers are not designed for high level input. While using the headphone jack is somewhat of a workaround, it's still a kludge and I don't like kludges.

If performing the level adjustment I previously suggested has no effect, I suspect the connections/hook-up may not have been correct as that's a pretty much universal procedure for making a gain structure adjustment.

I guess I should ask for exact clarification on what preamp you were using/had tried?
 
Well, there is the problem.

The level control on the DJ pre is not a volume control, per se. It's a net gain adjustment that isn't really intended to go to zero output like a volume control.

The Technics SA 202 has a phono input so you don't really need to use the DJ pre.

If you want to use the DJ pre, you can, but do NOT plug the DJ pre into the Technics phono input. That will cause overload and could be why you hear the crackling.

The connections have to be one or the other of these:

1. Turntable > Technics Phono input
2. Turntable > Art DJ pre > Technics Aux input

Then, once you have the TT connected one of those two ways, go back to setting the gain structure as described in step 12 (except that the connections to the speakers will be from the headphone jack adapter).
 
I ordered those 1/4" to 2 RCA cable and will receiver it tomorrow. I'll let you guys know how it works out! Thank you already for all the great help!
 
That adapter you showed before should be OK. So, if you want a different adapter because of the cable arrangement that's cool, but a different 1/4" TRS to stereo RCA is of itself not the solution.
 
If there was a lot of crackling only when using the headphone jack, the jack could be dirty/corroded, especially if it's sat unused. A cleaning with Deoxit may be in order if it doesn't clear up with a few plug/unplug cycles.
 
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