What is the best way to connect 2 receivers together? Complicated

ToTo Man

ToTo Man

NEVER ENOUGH TOTO!
I've finally got some time to redo my vintage rig so that I can have a center speaker to fill in the 'middle hole'.

My existing setup is as follows:
All sources into Yamaha CR-2020 Receiver
Main speakers driven by Yamaha CR-2020
Subwoofers driven by Technics SU-V9 Amplifier
SU-V9 linked to CR-2020 as follows: PreOut of CR-2020 to Aux input on SU-V9 (the SU-V9 is a standard integrated amp with no separated Pre/Power sections).

My proposed setup would be as follows:
All sources into Yamaha CR-2020 Receiver
Main speakers driven by Yamaha CR-2020
Subwoofers driven by Technics SU-V9 Amplifier
Center speaker driven by Yamaha CR-1000
Y-adaptor in PreOut of CR-2020 going to Aux input of SU-V9 and either Power section or Aux input of CR-1000

My dilemma is how to connect up to the CR-1000. Do I use the Aux input or use the Power section input?

IIRC, using the Power section would disable the volume control and all other functions on the CR-1000, right? My hesitation about using the Power section is the lack of ability to adjust the volume of the center speaker, and also the lack of ability to engage the 70hz filter (the speaker is pretty small so it would probably be wise to use the bass filter with it).

My hesitation about using the Aux input is that I would need to crank the volume up probably well above 12 o'clock. On the CR-1000, the input selector is button-based, and the buttons are easily knocked, so my fear is that I accidently knock the FM button and have FM radio fry my speaker due to the volume being set so high.

Which way would you recommend?

Also, I'm not quite sure how the 'couple / decouple' switch at the Pre/Power section on the CR-1000 works. If its set to 'couple' does that mean that the PowerIn section is disabled, or what?

Oh, my head is spinning! :nutz:
 
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Well not quite as nifty as the Technics switcher you pointed out a while back but it looks like this
UNIT will handle 6 pairs of speakers with 2 sources?

I would like to put together something like this: Choice between 3 receivers, 3 cassette decks (one for each receiver), 1 Turntable, 1 R2R, choice between 6 pairs of speakers. Suggestions?
 
happy Bday BTW!

hi Richard, I've daisy-chained 3 sets of amplifiers together a couple times, what I did was buy 2 sets of Y-cables, hook them together and connect from the master amps preouts to the other 2 amps main ins. You have to take the remaining set of outs and hook them back into the main in of the first amp though, at least I did with the gear I have, you're CR-2020 maybe different.
 

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You'll have to individually set the volume on your SU-V9, and your CR-1000, then crank up the CR-2020, have fun! :thmbsp:
 
Cheers greg!

So, doing it that way greg, could you still use the volume controls on the other 2 amps or was all volume just controlled by the master amp?
 
the master controls all volume, but at the level that the 2 slave amps are set at Richard. :)
 
Okay, that makes sense now greg. Should I leave the pre/main switch on the CR-1000 set to 'coupled' or should i decouple it?
 
I'd say coupled. Decoupled is if you want to use the CR-1000 as a preamp only(and you don't), it disconnects the pre section from the amp section. Start with all volume controls at their lowest levels, turn up the CR-2020 slightly, then turn up the SU-V9 slightly(listen for sound), then the CR-1000 slightly, and listen for sound again.
 
You do run into problems any way, you need some filters. My suggestion would be to use an active crossover.
Go pre out of the CR-2020 (decuple it) into the crossover, feet the link signal back to the power input of the 2020 (that way you have full signal for the main speakers). Use the LOW output for the sub amp and the HIGH for the center amp (that way you can also control the low cut of the center speaker). You only need a 2 way crossover for this (It might be easier to find a 3 way unit) of curse it has to be a stereo crossover!

Another thing, be sure to send booth left and right signal into the center speaker amp. Then switch the amp into mono mode, you can get into some nasty phase problem if you just mult the signal.

---edit---
I almost forgot, active crossovers have a gain sitting for every output, which means that you can balance the volume on the crossover and use power in on all amps. Avoiding the pre's in the slave amps.

Only remember if the crossover sounds bad, every thing will sound bad. Don't buy the cheapest of the shelves digital $25 shiny lots of lights crossover, you’re rig will sound like it!
 
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At the moment, I've got the CR-2020 switch set to coupled, and I've got a Y-splitter on the PreOuts, going to the Aux input of the SU-V9, and the Tape Input of the CR-1000, and it all sounds good. Question: Why would I need to 'decouple' the CR-2020? It outputs at the PreOut even if it is set to coupled, so there should be no need to decouple it, right?

I chose the Tape input over the Aux input because it gives me a safety net. What I do is set the input selector to Aux1, then engage the Tape Monitor button. This way, even if I do accidently knock it from Aux to FM, the Tape Monitor button will still be engaged and so will silence the other inputs anyway.

For completeness I suppose I should mention that before the signal reaches the SU-V9, it goes through RCA 50hz low pass filters which effectively act as a crossover for the subwoofers, and I also use an EQ on the SU-V9 to help make the 12db/oct crossover a 24db/oct crossover.

Attached is a diagram of how its wired at the moment.

The only thing I would change is with the CR-1000, i.e. feed the CR-2020 to the MainIn on the CR-1000 instead of the Tape In. Will there be any difference in volume by doing this?
 

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don't know about thae CR-2020 coupling/decoupling Richard, but if it's workin.... well it's workin! :D
 
You are actually right that you can keep the 2020 coupled, it is an old habit of me to move all control into the crossover :) it will just work as a y-split.

I don’t have the specs on the CR-1000, but the CR-800 states that the AUX and TAPE input has the same sensitivity. You do go thru some more switches and electronics by using this setup.

There would be a difference in volume by using the MAIN in instead of the AUX/TAPE, the main has a sensitivity of 775mV (50kohm), the aux/tape is 150mV (45kohm). Again this is specs. For the CR-800, but I do assume that they are the same as the CR-1000.

You are cheating by not telling that you have a low pas filter :) be a little careful by using that many EQ, the phase of you’re sub’s can end up bad. It would be nice it you also had a high pass filter for the center speaker (about 125Hz-150Hz, here I assume that it is for vocal’s).
 
Yeah I didn't mention the low pass filters because I thought that it would just complicate the situation even more! Sorry :D

So, if I keep the volume control on the CR-1000 at, say, 10 o'clock, would MAIN be louder than AUX/TAPE?
 
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