AVR-3805 Overheat...

warhummer

warhummer

Junior Audioholic
Well I just tripped the thermal protection in my Denon. I was running a SACD version of Ravel's Bolero through my Axiom M80ti's and I think they were sucking a little too much juice. I didn't think I had the volume that loud for that long but apparently not...

I suppose it's time to spring for a decent 2-channel amp for the front speakers. Any one else run into similar "4 ohm speaker oops's"?
 
A

Aliixer

Audioholic
Heat!!!!

See if you can change the settings on the denon to support 6 ohm speakers. I am not sure you can but take a look in the manual.

I have a yamaha receiver and have the choice to set the speaker set to 6ohm or 8ohm.

I know you are running 4ohm speakers, but this might alleviate a little of your problem.

If that doesn't work try more ventilation for the receiver and when all else fails pick up a outboard amp like you mentioned.

Hope this helps.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
There are a lot of comments about that receiver running Polk LSis and the fact that it can't handle the 4 Ohm load. You should be hearing some sort of distortion well before it shuts off due to thermal overload. IMO, you are running the risk of frying tweeters if you keep running those speakers with that receiver. I'd definitely get a 2ch amp to drive those guys.

No oops, but I was running my A/V-2s off my 8300 (which states 6 Ohm minimum) thinking it sounded OK, but it clearly became strained when pushed hard, so I added the monoblocks. The difference was very noticable, which meant they were not getting enough current running off the receiver.
 
Buckeyefan 1

Buckeyefan 1

Audioholic Ninja
Pg. 15 in the manual clearly states to only use 6-16 ohm speakers as front, center, and surround speakers. It also states when using two pairs of surround speakers (A+B) at the same time, that damage will occur if using speakers with an impedance of less than 8 ohms. 4 ohm speakers are known to dip well below 4 ohms during output, so be extremely careful when pushing your unit. The fact you were pushing multiple channels with SACD leads me to believe the unit quickly overheated and went into protection mode.

How is the unit ventilated? Is it in a closed cabinet? Do you have any components on top of it? I use an external pc fan that seems to work great. My Polks also run at 4 ohms, and I've never had the unit shut down. Your Axioms must really dip down.

The 3805 does not have a setting to support 6 ohm speakers. All that setting does on the Yamaha's is limit the output of the amps. Check out Gene's review of the 4806. He explains it well, and recommends to leave the Yamaha's switched to 8 ohms regardless of the speaker impedance.
 
jaxvon

jaxvon

Audioholic Ninja
Which is the best? Flip a coin. Heads is Yamaha. Tails is Denon. Call your side and flip. There, decision is made for you.

Just kidding. But while the decision isn't THAT easy, these receivers are practically equal. The Yamaha, if I remember correctly, has slightly better preamp outs, which will be a good thing if you decide to use it as a preamp at some point with an external amp.
 
warhummer

warhummer

Junior Audioholic
How is the unit ventilated? Is it in a closed cabinet? Do you have any components on top of it? I use an external pc fan that seems to work great. My Polks also run at 4 ohms, and I've never had the unit shut down. Your Axioms must really dip down.
The receiver has about 10 inches above it and plenty to the sides. I kind of knew what I might be setting myself up for with pushing the Axioms but I suppose I know the limits now. I have plenty of breathing space for another amp so I think I'm going to head down that route. I was eyeing an Alesis RA300 but I don't really need the "rack mount" chassis. In fact, it would look kind of stupid sitting there in my current configuration.
 
jaxvon

jaxvon

Audioholic Ninja
Maybe a couple of Outlaw monoblocks? 300w into 4 ohms!
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
According to Denon's Home Theater FAQ section:

http://www.usa.denon.com/support/faqs_ht.asp#Q9

"9) CAN I USE 4 OHM LOUDSPEAKERS WITH MY DENON RECEIVER OR POWER AMPLIFIER?

Yes, you certainly can.

To understand this a bit better, first realize that all amplifiers are designed to deliver a signal into an electrical "load" or resistance presented by the loudspeaker. We measure resistance in units called "ohms" (after the German physicist Georg Simon Ohm, 1787–1854).

Conventional wisdom makes an 8 ohm loudspeaker load the most acceptable because it "protects" the amplifier from delivering too much current. A 4 ohm loudspeaker can encourage a marginally designed amplifier to deliver more current than it comfortably can.

However, you should remember that a loudspeaker’s impedance rating is a nominal or average one: A speaker rated at 8 ohms may actually vary from 5 (sometimes even less) to 20 ohms or higher, depending on the frequency at which you measure the impedance. (Don’t worry about this too much -- good speaker engineers are well aware of these variations and take them into consideration when designing products.)

In general, you’ll find that Denon products are designed to function with a wide variety of loudspeakers and have power supplies and output circuitry more than able to meet the current demands of low impedance loads.

In the rare event that very low impedances tax the amplifier, quick acting circuitry will protect it from damage. If unusual operating conditions trigger this circuitry, the word "PROTECTION" will appear on the unit’s front panel. If this happens, simply turn the unit off, wait a moment or two, and turn the unit back on again. The protection circuitry will automatically reset. If it re-engages, check your system for possible malfunctions."

It seems that Denon claim they can drive 4 ohms load but it could trip under "rare" conditions. Add a 2 channel amp and you will have no worry.
 
J

Jason Coleman

Banned
I'd definitely recommend adding an outboard amp to your setup. I purchased an Anthem MCA-20 (225 wpc) to power my fronts (Paradigm Studio 100...notorious for dipping down to 3 ohms) and the difference was immediately noticeable. It really took the load off my 3805 and the front end opened up all over.

Jason
 
warhummer

warhummer

Junior Audioholic
Sounds good. I appreciate everyone's suggestions.
 
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