Definitive Technology BP9080 & Yamaha receiver Issue

[diyankov]

Hello everyone, first-time poster here!

Recently I bought Def Tech bp9080 floor speakers and I am running them on my Yamaha RX-V675. I know my receiver is not a high-end unit and that I will have to upgrade it eventually. Right now I have only hooked up these two speakers to the receiver with a speaker wire (monster cables). They work and sound great!

My speaker settings are: Speakers - Large, Woofer - No/OFF

However, the bp9080 speakers have built-in powered subwoofers and have LFE input ports. My receiver has two LFE output ports. When I add the LFE cables into the mix, my receiver shuts off right away (regardless of volume level). Anything above muted sound causes the receiver to shut off.

Speaker settings are: Speakers - small, woofer - Yes/ON. Double Bass - OFF

What am I doing wrong? The weird thing is that if one of the speakers (either left or right) is hooked up with the LFE connection everything works fine. The moment I add the second speaker everything shuts down.

DefTech customer service said my receiver is summing the sound levels from the speaker wire and the LFE cable and is recognizing it as a short, so it shuts off as a protection. The place I bought the speakers from said my receiver sucks and I need at least 140-150W per channel to run these towers - anything below that won't work... but they sound awesome right now, and how's that related to the LFE signal? I am super confused.

Is there any advantage of running these speakers with LFE vs only a speaker wire? Would I see any sound improvements?

Thoughts?

 

[lovinthehd]

I think both customer service at DefTec as well as where you bought speakers from leaves a lot to be desired. Sounds like a fault within the speakers. Just to be sure, can you take some pictures of the speaker connections you're making?

 

[snakeeyes]

Hello everyone, first-time poster here!

Recently I bought Def Tech bp9080 floor speakers and I am running them on my Yamaha RX-V675. I know my receiver is not a high-end unit and that I will have to upgrade it eventually. Right now I have only hooked up these two speakers to the receiver with a speaker wire (monster cables). They work and sound great!

My speaker settings are: Speakers - Large, Woofer - No/OFF

However, the bp9080 speakers have built-in powered subwoofers and have LFE input ports. My receiver has two LFE output ports. When I add the LFE cables into the mix, my receiver shuts off right away (regardless of volume level). Anything above muted sound causes the receiver to shut off.

Speaker settings are: Speakers - small, woofer - Yes/ON. Double Bass - OFF

What am I doing wrong? The weird thing is that if one of the speakers (either left or right) is hooked up with the LFE connection everything works fine. The moment I add the second speaker everything shuts down.

DefTech customer service said my receiver is summing the sound levels from the speaker wire and the LFE cable and is recognizing it as a short, so it shuts off as a protection. The place I bought the speakers from said my receiver sucks and I need at least 140-150W per channel to run these towers - anything below that won't work... but they sound awesome right now, and how's that related to the LFE signal? I am super confused.

Is there any advantage of running these speakers with LFE vs only a speaker wire? Would I see any sound improvements?

Thoughts?

If you don’t have a sub for LFE, then run the sub out RCA on a sub cable to the LFE on each tower. If you only have a single sub out on the Yamaha, use a Y splitter RCA adaptor.

 

[lovinthehd]

If you don’t have a sub for LFE, then run the sub out RCA on a sub cable to the LFE on each tower. If you only have a single sub out on the Yamaha, use a Y splitter RCA adaptor.

He's doing this and that's where he's running into issues, with both connected (vs one); he's got dual sub pre-outs on the avr.....

 

[snakeeyes]

He's doing this and that's where he's running into issues, with both connected (vs one); he's got dual sub pre-outs on the avr.....

Sorry I read the post too quickly.


Ya the shutting off is sounding like a defect. I would try a splitter using one sub output on the receiver side perhaps. They are only $5. However, something is definitely defective. I would guess the speakers most likely but could be one of the Yamaha sub outputs. (The reason I would try the $5 splitter.)

And yes LFE content is definitely desired. A dedicated sub or 2 would be the ideal setup though.

 

[Russdawg1]

Hello everyone, first-time poster here!

Recently I bought Def Tech bp9080 floor speakers and I am running them on my Yamaha RX-V675. I know my receiver is not a high-end unit and that I will have to upgrade it eventually. Right now I have only hooked up these two speakers to the receiver with a speaker wire (monster cables). They work and sound great!

My speaker settings are: Speakers - Large, Woofer - No/OFF

However, the bp9080 speakers have built-in powered subwoofers and have LFE input ports. My receiver has two LFE output ports. When I add the LFE cables into the mix, my receiver shuts off right away (regardless of volume level). Anything above muted sound causes the receiver to shut off.

Speaker settings are: Speakers - small, woofer - Yes/ON. Double Bass - OFF

What am I doing wrong? The weird thing is that if one of the speakers (either left or right) is hooked up with the LFE connection everything works fine. The moment I add the second speaker everything shuts down.

DefTech customer service said my receiver is summing the sound levels from the speaker wire and the LFE cable and is recognizing it as a short, so it shuts off as a protection. The place I bought the speakers from said my receiver sucks and I need at least 140-150W per channel to run these towers - anything below that won't work... but they sound awesome right now, and how's that related to the LFE signal? I am super confused.

Is there any advantage of running these speakers with LFE vs only a speaker wire? Would I see any sound improvements?

Thoughts?

Well first off, your receiver is fine. Whoever and wherever you got your speakers from is definitely far from knowledgeable.

As for the LFE vs just speaker wire: Technically there will be more bandwidth for the signal to be cleaner and less interrupted but it shouldn’t cause that problem. The fixes I see and that would normally be used is to run the speakers in full range on the receiver and only running speaker wire OR you can run both speaker wire and LFE, BUT your receiver must have the speakers set to small. That’s should fix your problem if I read that correctly.

 

[lovinthehd]

Sorry I read the post too quickly.


Ya the shutting off is sounding like a defect. I would try a splitter using one sub output on the receiver side perhaps. They are only $5. However, something is definitely defective. I would guess the speakers most likely but could be one of the Yamaha sub outputs. (The reason I would try the $5 splitter.)

And yes LFE content is definitely desired. A dedicated sub or 2 would be the ideal setup though.

Testing both sub pre-outs would be a good idea if he hasn't already, making sure cables are good, too would be in order.

 

[TLS Guy]

Russdawg1 is correct.

You must set the Def Tech speakers to small if you use the LFE connection and set the crossover to 80 Hz.

Why not doing this makes the receiver go into protection is troubling. By thoroughly bad and dangerous design on Def Tech's part, your receiver amps and the Def Tech sub amps must both be able to drive the sub driver at the same time if you omit this instruction. That should NOT be able to happen under any circumstances, as that is the fastest route to blown amps.

The protection on your receiver must be very good as usually this would blow up an amp protection or not.

That really is very bad design indeed and another strike among many against Def Tech.

They have never even reached the lower rung of my recommended list and I doubt ever would.

 

[lovinthehd]

He's already said he set speakers to small....

 

[snakeeyes]

The settings would need to say “subwoofer on” for the LFE signal to come out of the subwoofer output of this Yamaha. The post indicated “woofer off” so update that setting to On, if I’m understanding the post correctly.

I would also make sure the 8 ohm setting is selected on the Yamaha (the 6 ohm setting just limits the power of the amp).

 

[lovinthehd]

The settings would need to say “subwoofer on” for the LFE signal to come out of the subwoofer output of this Yamaha. The post indicated “woofer off” so update that setting to On, if I’m understanding the post correctly.

His post indicates he set woofer to on/yes in the avr ("Speaker settings are: Speakers - small, woofer - Yes/ON. Double Bass - OFF). If that's settings on both on the speaker and avr, that might need clarification.

 

[snakeeyes]

His post indicates he set woofer to on/yes in the avr ("Speaker settings are: Speakers - small, woofer - Yes/ON. Double Bass - OFF). If that's settings on both on the speaker and avr, that might need clarification.

Wow I misread that. He had explained his settings in both configurations. I’ll stop guessing until he replies. LOL.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The weird thing is that if one of the speakers (either left or right) is hooked up with the LFE connection everything works fine.

Did you test BOTH Sub outputs on the AVR when testing just one speaker at a time?

Sub1 to Left speaker. Sub2 to Left speaker. Sub1 to Right speaker. Sub2 to Right speaker.

Like @snakeeyes says, try the Y-cable. They sell cheap ones at Radio Shack or Walmart.

If using a Y-cable doesn’t work, try a different AVR.

Do you have a second AVR to try out?

Maybe try another AVR from a local Best Buy.

 

[TLS Guy]

He's already said he set speakers to small....

Sorry I missed that.

There must be something seriously wrong with those Def Tech speakers. There is no power drawn form an LFE output. So the LFE output can not send the receiver into protection.

Some how, and I have no clue how as soon as the LFE is connected there is some connection being made between the receiver power amp outputs and the sub power amps in the Def Techs. There is no other explanation. There is obviously enough of a bleed between the two that doing it on two channels overwhelms the protection.

Absolutely for sure the speakers are the culprit and should be disconnected immediately and returned. There is no way the receiver could cause this problem only the speakers.

My advice is to return the contraptions and get something better. Any speaker I have heard from that quarter has been highly inaccurate and plain awful.

 

[lovinthehd]

Sorry I missed that.

There must be something seriously wrong with those Def Tech speakers. There is no power drawn form an LFE output. So the LFE output can not send the receiver into protection.

Some how, and I have no clue how as soon as the LFE is connected there is some connection being made between the receiver power amp outputs and the sub power amps in the Def Techs. There is no other explanation. There is obviously enough of a bleed between the two that doing it on two channels overwhelms the protection.

Absolutely for sure the speakers are the culprit and should be disconnected immediately and returned. There is no way the receiver could cause this problem only the speakers.

My advice is to return the contraptions and get something better. Any speaker I have heard from that quarter has been highly inaccurate and plain awful.

I'd suspect the amp/connection interface in the speakers....they're not famous for being all that good (let alone being actual "subs")

 

[TLS Guy]

I'd suspect the amp/connection interface in the speakers....they're not famous for being all that good (let alone being actual "subs")

Your correct. That is the only place it can be. Obviously they have a cowboy design team. He needs to dump those like hot potatoes before he does damage to every receiver or amp he ever owns.

 

[lovinthehd]

Your correct. That is the only place it can be. Obviously they have a cowboy design team. He needs to dump those like hot potatoes before he does damage to every receiver or amp he ever owns.

Well, it could be something other than your cowboy analysis you're so fond of (doctor stuff I assume)?

 

[TLS Guy]

Well, it could be something other than your cowboy analysis you're so fond of (doctor stuff I assume)?

Well what ever it is, creating a problem like this is very low class to say the least. I certainly would be very ashamed of creating that sort of issue.

 

[lovinthehd]

Well what ever it is, creating a problem like this is very low class to say the least. I certainly would be very ashamed of creating that sort of issue.

I'd think it's more your low-class determination....your music taste of horrible clasic origins leaves me in a constant state of horror as to how anyone could consider that the pinnacle of audio other than what is horrible.

 

[TLS Guy]

I'd think it's more your low-class determination....your music taste of horrible clasic origins leaves me in a constant state of horror as to how anyone could consider that the pinnacle of audio other than what is horrible.

Well I think I should let the wisdom of a child explain to you why music should be beautiful.

And a Happy Christmas to you!