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What Causes "Speaker B" to be Super Quiet?

gangen02342

gangen02342

New Member
As the title says, what are the most obvious points to troubleshoot in the event that the Speaker B terminals still output sound but super quiet (so there's still output but not something you'd ever be able use).

I bought a Luxman LV-111 that the owner indicated this issue to me. I read it can be caused by something as trivial as buttons not pressing fully but is there some other common cause to note?

This picture was taken before I really started clearing out dust lol.

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The B speaker terminals are just wired through a switch. Connecting two sets of 8 ohm speakers in parallel for 4 ohms. My guess would be the switch as well.
 
Are all 4 speakers the same brand and model? If not, if one pair is more efficient than the other one pair will be louder, in theory at least. Differences in drivers might also play a part.
 
Lavane said:
The B speaker terminals are just wired through a switch. Connecting two sets of 8 ohm speakers in parallel for 4 ohms. My guess would be the switch as well.
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Okay, that's very good to know, I'll pursue that path when I get the chance. I only have one pair of speakers, was also curious not for the sake of speaker B but the whole amp if such a failure indicated a broader problem to come but seems from what I've found and your suggestion that likely not.
 
goodolpg said:
Are all 4 speakers the same brand and model? If not, if one pair is more efficient than the other one pair will be louder, in theory at least. Differences in drivers might also play a part.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply. Actually the nature of it is Speaker A and Speaker B terminals were all tested with a single pair of speakers. I'll do some further testing once I close it up after getting all that dust out. I appreciate the suggestion though, forgot to mention that it was all tested with a single pair of speakers. Also you avatar has significance to me as a Canadian lol.
 
Is it possible to get some contact cleaner into the switch? Some have a small opening you can squirt some contact cleaner into. Then work the switch back and forth 10 or more times. In some cases though, it takes disassembling the switch to clean the carbon off of the contacts. I wouldn't do that if your not comfortable trying it and haven't done it before. Sometimes the internal parts can fail as well. I usually only run two speakers at a time anyway with a two channel system.
 
Lavane said:
Is it possible to get some contact cleaner into the switch? Some have a small opening you can squirt some contact cleaner into. Then work the switch back and forth 10 or more times. In some cases though, it takes disassembling the switch to clean the carbon off of the contacts. I wouldn't do that if your not comfortable trying it and haven't done it before. Sometimes the internal parts can fail as well. I usually only run two speakers at a time anyway with a two channel system.
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I'm a bit familiar withe the process, I won't rush to do it right away as I'm still a newb and need to research more but have added your suggestion to my notes. Yeah I'm only running two speakers but it's good to get reassurance that 1. it's likely an addressable issue and 2. nothing too grave for the whole amp itself. Thanks again!
 
gangen02342 said:
I'm a bit familiar withe the process, I won't rush to do it right away as I'm still a newb and need to research more but have added your suggestion to my notes. Yeah I'm only running two speakers but it's good to get reassurance that 1. it's likely an addressable issue and 2. nothing too grave for the whole amp itself. Thanks again!
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when you clean the switch, check for cold/cracked solder joints on that little pcb too.
 
painttoad said:
when you clean the switch, check for cold/cracked solder joints on that little pcb too.
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I've got a document going for when I end up addressing this so have added your recommendation. Thanks! I need to watch some amp anatomy vids or something, I'm a total newb but want to own vintage gear so will have to catch on to these things sooner than later.
 
What happens to the output of the B speakers when you have another set of speakers connected to A? The 'B' speaker switches on some receivers are wired in series with the A speakers, which is done to prevent the impedance from getting too low.

If you only have a single set of speakers, you can connect both to the same channel (left or right) to find out if that's the case.
 
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It's not difficult to disassemble some of these switches, you just need to have the right tools, take your time and take pictures as you go. Like the wiring before you unsolder them, etc. You have to be mindful of any small springs and bits inside don't go flying away and you remember how it all goes back together.
I use a pick set, small flat head screw drivers and small needle nose pliers for this sort of thing. Sometimes the contacts may need a bit of polishing also to remove stubborn carbon. Im sure there are you tube vid's on it also.
 
Hey everyone, will be able to troubleshoot things later on and will get back to this thread when I do. I'm a bit overwhelmed as my previous posts never got any replies so didn't anticipate. The amp is back at my family's place so I'll be able to check things when I get back.
 
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