Pioneer VSX 52TX Receiver problems - Sub works only on DVD movies

[Dave the Canuck]

I just set up my new HT system (Pioneer VSX 52 TX with Monitor Audio Radius HT speaker package) and have run into a problem. The sub works when playing DVD movies but is dead on anything else (TV, CD music through a Marantz CC4300 CD player, and the tuner). Because the sub works on DVDs but not on anything else, I'm assuming the problem lies in the receiver. I checked the receiver settings and the sub is turned "on" but since I'm new to all this, that's about all I know to check. I believe the cable connections are all correct since a very savvy A/V guy from the store came over and set up the whole system. The thing is, we only checked the sub while playing a DVD movie. It wasn't until the next day that I noticed the sub didn't work with the other settings.

If anyone has any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated. The guy is coming back to check out the system on Tuesday, but I'm hoping to get some answers here in the meantime.

Here's a link to the receiver site:
http://www.pioneerelectronics.ca/pna/product/detail/0,,32171715_32252773_147231238,00.html
And the sub:
http://www.monitoraudiousa.com/products/radius/series/r360.htm

Thanks,
Dave

[Ja Phule]

It sounds like you have your speakers set to Large. You're getting bass output from your sub with DVDs because your sub is receiving the .1 LFE data from the 5.1 tracks. When watching anything other than dvds, the receiver is sending all frequencies to your speakers. You need to set either your speakers to small so that all frequencies below the crossover (ie if set to 80hz) will be sent to the sub. If you want to leave your speakers at large, you can set your Sub from "On" to "PLUS" instead and that will send the frequencies to the sub.

When you run the Auto MCACC on the receiver, it will tend to set all your speakers to large whether they can go low or not, best option is to set them all to small esp. if you have a good sub.

Hope that helps. :)

[Dave the Canuck]

Originally posted by Ja Phule
It sounds like you have your speakers set to Large. You're getting bass output from your sub with DVDs because your sub is receiving the .1 LFE data from the 5.1 tracks. When watching anything other than dvds, the receiver is sending all frequencies to your speakers. You need to set either your speakers to small so that all frequencies below the crossover (ie if set to 80hz) will be sent to the sub. If you want to leave your speakers at large, you can set your Sub from "On" to "PLUS" instead and that will send the frequencies to the sub.

When you run the Auto MCACC on the receiver, it will tend to set all your speakers to large whether they can go low or not, best option is to set them all to small esp. if you have a good sub.

Hope that helps. :)
Thanks. That seemed to work. Oddly, when the guy was doing the set up he set all the speakers to small. Somehow, the fronts got switched to large. I changed them back to small and suddenly the sub's working again.

The guy set the sub's crossover to 120 hz. He seemed to think that would best suit the small surround speakers. Anyway, it sounds great. Thanks for your assistance.

Cheers,
Dave