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Vintage Sony STR-5800SD - General Help

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interpol130

New Member
Recently inherited this Sony STR5800, pairing it with some JBL LX-22’s and hopefully an old passive Mirage sub I have. It sounds awesome but I had some questions.
It has a front knob for speakers A,B,C,A+B,A+C, with three sets of input terminals in the back.
All the terminals work (A,C,B) but when trying to use the combination, A+B or A+C it quits playing sound, even if I just have speakers hooked up to “A” and select “A+B” it will drop all sound for the speakers connected to “A” - I have some cheap 8 ohm onkyo bookshelves hooked up to it, and was trying to hook up an old Mirage Powered sub with high level speaker wire inputs to speaker b option
 
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Does it happens with both sets pf speakers connected?

If you are using just one set of speakers, the A+B probably connects both in series, so it doesn't work with 1 set of speakers. It needs both connected.
 
elnaldo said:
Does it happens with both sets pf speakers connected?

If you are using just one set of speakers, the A+B probably connects both in series, so it doesn't work with 1 set of speakers. It needs both connected.
Click to expand...

I’ve tried with the Subwoofer connected to Speaker B terminals (it uses all 4) and the onkyo’s connected to the Speaker A terminals, the sub connects and plays, and the onkyos do not
 
I'd try 2 regular speakers first, we don't know what kind of connections the sub woofer has.

I have here an old sony with similar connections (str 7065) but it could be wired different inside.

Try to download the service manual and-or user manual, it will explain how the speakers are connected.
 
It will not play on A, B, and C at the same time. It is designed this way to prevent the amp from seeing anything under 4 ohms load.
 
Connect just A speakers, set to A. Play some music and change to A+B. If the sound goes off, the connectors are in series.
 
interpol130 said:
will it play A+B or A+C, it gives an option to select that on the front dial
Click to expand...

Yes, this is the way it was designed. My Pioneer SX-1010 also has A, B, and C speaker selectors and works the same way. A lot of other equipment with ABC speakers also work the same way.

As long as you are getting stereo sound through two speakers, your Sony is working properly.
 
interpol130 said:
How would you recommend connecting an active sub with Speaker terminal inputs? Mirage SERx-S10
Click to expand...
Most powered subs with speaker level inputs also have direct speaker outputs to the actual speakers being used. If yours has this option, I would run wires from "A" from the receiver to the speaker inputs on the sub, then to your left and right speakers.

Since you say your sub is passive, use your speakers on "A" and your sub on "B" but being a non-powered passive sub, I would think that this would put more of a load on your receiver as if you were using 4 speakers or the same as using both "A" and "B" at the same time.

Got a pic of your subs inputs?
 
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cademan said:
Most powered subs with speaker level inputs also have direct speaker outputs to the actual speakers being used. If yours has this option, I would run wires from "A" from the receiver to the speaker inputs on the sub, then to your left and right speakers.

Since you say your sub is passive, use your speakers on "A" and your sub on "B" but being a non-powered passive sub, I would think that this would put more of a load on your receiver as if you were using 4 speakers or the same as using both "A" and "B" at the same time.

Got a pic of your subs inputs?
Click to expand...

yes, it is an active sub, it’s powered!

https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/det...subwoofer__excellent_condition/images/199101/

It does not have speaker outputs from the sub unfortunately
 
interpol130 said:
It does not have speaker outputs from the sub unfortunately
Click to expand...

What a crock! :( :D

So if you have a pair of speakers on "A" only, then press "B" and the "A" speakers keep working, then just connect the sub to "B" and you should be good to go. :thumbsup:

Since the sub is powered, there will be no extra load on the receiever except the "A" speakers only.

It would only work if the subs inputs act like another pair of speakers on your receiver. Won't hurt anything to try. If not then you would just have to run 2 pairs of wires from "A" to both the speakers and the sub.
 
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I'd think the powered sub woofer will be "powered" if using the line level RCA inputs. See the controls are "linked" with lines to the RCA connector.

I'd expect it to be a passive sub if you use the speaker level input. Try it by yourself.

We have limited information to give an accurate advice from a web forum. We don't know if your amp connects the A +B in series or in parallel. We don't know the subwoofer impedance when using the speaker inputs.

Can you use some line level output from your amp?
 
Not a General.. Will a Sergeant due ?:D

Welcome aboard interpol
 
cademan said:
What a crock! :( :D

So if you have a pair of speakers on "A" only, then press "B" and the "A" speakers keep working, then just connect the sub to "B" and you should be good to go. :thumbsup:

Since the sub is powered, there will be no extra load on the receiever except the "A" speakers only.

It would only work if the subs inputs act like another pair of speakers on your receiver. Won't hurt anything to try. If not then you would just have to run 2 pairs of wires from "A" to both the speakers and the sub.
Click to expand...


Yes I tried hooking the sub to option B, and selecting A+B (with the speakers connected to A) - it did not work no signal to sub.

If I the wire the sub and speakers to the speaker A input on the receiver it will work, but I have heard this can give you a worse quality from your speakers.
 
elnaldo said:
I'd think the powered sub woofer will be "powered" if using the line level RCA inputs. See the controls are "linked" with lines to the RCA connector.

I'd expect it to be a passive sub if you use the speaker level input. Try it by yourself.

We have limited information to give an accurate advice from a web forum. We don't know if your amp connects the A +B in series or in parallel. We don't know the subwoofer impedance when using the speaker inputs.

Can you use some line level output from your amp?
Click to expand...

With these older receivers using the RCA output will not send a dedicated low level frequency to the sub…so it sends all audio frequency through it giving you that really muddy base that is always playing even in non-bass situations
 
interpol130 said:
Yes I tried hooking the sub to option B, and selecting A+B (with the speakers connected to A) - it did not work no signal to sub.

If I the wire the sub and speakers to the speaker A input on the receiver it will work, but I have heard this can give you a worse quality from your speakers.
Click to expand...

It won't give you worse quality. Since the sub is powered, there is no extra load on the receiver. You won't hear no difference through the speakers with or without the sub. Unfortunately, because the sub has no speaker out options, this is the way you have to use it.
 
interpol130 said:
With these older receivers using the RCA output will not send a dedicated low level frequency to the sub…so it sends all audio frequency through it giving you that really muddy base that is always playing even in non-bass situations
Click to expand...

Not really. The sub has a built in electronic crossover and only uses the low end of the signal when using the subs RCA inputs. Although it is true that when using this connection that the sub is always at a preset level, it will not put out any bass if there is no bass in the music you are listening to.
 
cademan said:
Not really. The sub has a built in electronic crossover and only uses the low end of the signal when using the subs RCA inputs. Although it is true that when using this connection that the sub is always at a preset level, it will not put out any bass if there is no bass in the music you are listening to.
Click to expand...

really….I will feel really dumb if it is that simple, I tried this with an Audio & Video RCA cable and then just did not use the yellow cables…it sounded as I stated in the previous message very muddy and like it was trying to be utilized as a normal speaker..Sorry if I am explaining poorly. It has an EXT and a Phono output I used the EXt and flipped the switch up front and it did get signal…could it be maybe I need just normal Audio RCA cable or something else?
 
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