Receiver down? What's the best approach?

[newzealand]

Hmmm. Plot thickens. I did some removing, reseating, wiggling of speaker wires and went back and forth between speaker selector. It works now. I’m thinking of getting some speaker wire pin connectors and deoxit d5 to help avoid problems going forward.

BUT:
1.
The speakers are wired into channel A. When I select channel B as well, A cuts out. When I unselect B, A comes back but sometimes one of the speakers doesn’t work or only partially works. Makes me think these selectors are tweaked or need cleaning. Do I squirt some deoxit in there? Leave it be?
2. You have me worried I’m going to blow a fuse or worse by running these 3 sets of speakers through the speaker selector. Normally I only run 2. Rarely I run 3. The selector has an impedance protection switch on it.

it is an Onkyo tx 25. music power output is rated at

• 2x75 watts @ 4 ohms
• 2x50 watts@8ohms
• 2x45 watts@4 ohms
• 2x38 watts @ 8 ohms

Can the receiver handle 2 sets without the impedance protection? With it?

thanks again all! This is getting fun.

i get 33watts per channel for that model,mid 80s model,is that right?

 

[Old Guy8]

I've bought a few different pin connectors. Not had good luck with the ones you use a crimping tool. Wires came loose, and connector is junk. Type with one or two set screws, I preferred. Because the spring connectors on receivers/amps are generally close together, and pin connectors can shift around. I do this to lessen amp killing shorts. I use clear shrink tubing around body of metal pin connectors. Hairdryer to shrink tubing ends.
Your choice of course. But once you have pin or banana connectors at receiver and speakers, do you need the speaker selector? Easy to change speaker wires at speakers. Personally, I don't think three sets of speakers are likely to sound good. Or, your receiver would like the load. Just my opinion.

 

[PPstereo]

I've bought a few different pin connectors. Not had good luck with the ones you use a crimping tool. Wires came loose, and connector is junk. Type with one or two set screws, I preferred. Because the spring connectors on receivers/amps are generally close together, and pin connectors can shift around. I do this to lessen amp killing shorts. I use clear shrink tubing around body of metal pin connectors.
Your choice of course. But once you have pin or banana connectors at receiver and speakers, do you need the speaker selector? Easy to change speaker wires at speakers. Personally, I don't think three sets of speakers are likely to sound good. Or, your receiver would like the load. Just my opinion.

Another thing folks do and reccomend, tin the end of the bare wire to keep the end solid and prevent wire strands breaking under the stress of the crimp or set screw. Then I even go one further and add some dielectric grease to the tinned end to prevent film or other debris from limiting conductivity over time. I'm anal tho

Nice to see another user/fan of shrink tubing. When I have to build up make shift power cords or whatever for stuff I much prefer that over the classic electrical tape we've all grown up around and seen.

 

[sKiZo]

Beat me to it. Best way around the spring connector problems IMHO. I tin my wires and leave a bit of bare copper, then trim them so there's just a bit of tinned wire left. Keeps the wires from spreading (and shorting) when you slide them in, and the spring clips can spread the bare wire and grip it tight as you release the connector.

** If I end up with some wire that's too big for the connector, just solder the max gauge to that, and use the same process. Works great.

 

[swechsler]

1.
The speakers are wired into channel A. When I select channel B as well, A cuts out. When I unselect B, A comes back but sometimes one of the speakers doesn’t work or only partially works. Makes me think these selectors are tweaked or need cleaning. Do I squirt some deoxit in there? Leave it be?
2. You have me worried I’m going to blow a fuse or worse by running these 3 sets of speakers through the speaker selector. Normally I only run 2. Rarely I run 3. The selector has an impedance protection switch on it.

it is an Onkyo tx 25.

Some vintage Onkyo receivers connect the speakers in series when you select both pairs, this is why they shut off when you select speaker A+B with nothing connected to B. Clean your speaker switches with Deoxit, and use a speaker selector box with impedance protection, and you should be fine.

 

[coonmanx]

Some vintage Onkyo receivers connect the speakers in series when you select both pairs, this is why they shut off when you select speaker A+B with nothing connected to B. Clean your speaker switches with Deoxit, and use a speaker selector box with impedance protection, and you should be fine.

Yup. A lot of cheaper units did that so that they didn't have to even worry about a less than 8 ohm load. I would go with a speaker selector box with impedance protection in this case.

 

[Parsnip77]

Hey all! So cool how much knowledge there is out there.

I cleaned the speaker spring connectors and selector switch, then put pins on w set screws. Works like a champ now. Running through the speaker selector w impedance when 3 sets are running. So far, no problems. Thanks for all the advice and saving me the trouble and expense of a new receiver. Much appreciated.