Help with marantz LS-950 speakers.

L

Lukemia

Audiophyte
I'm rather new to the audio obsession. With all the new technology everything seems rather easy I'm currently using marantz 5.2.4 surround system and the hardest part was fighting a huge bass null and room correction.

Now... I'm messing with older stuff I found a pair of Marantz LS 950 medium sized speakers. I connected them into my Yamaha RX-V371 (old junk reciever) and they sounded great untill it started to stop playing on the speakers. Every time I adjusted the volume it started again, then turned off soon after. I assume it's an overload protection.

After some research I found that my speaker can only produce 80w on 8 ohms each channel. The label on the LS-950 says that it's an 8 ohm speaker with max 360w peak input power 500w. I assume I need either an amplifier or a new reciever that can handle that. These are going to be my garage speakers so I don't want to spend alot of money also I don't need them to be heard 10 miles away, but I also won't be upset if they have the ability.

So what I'm asking for is help finding the cheapest way for these speakers to sound good. Also I would like to know why, so if this ever happens again I know what to look for. Thank you in advance and I'm sorry if it's hard to understand, I'm highly dyslexic.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
I'm rather new to the audio obsession. With all the new technology everything seems rather easy I'm currently using marantz 5.2.4 surround system and the hardest part was fighting a huge bass null and room correction.

Now... I'm messing with older stuff I found a pair of Marantz LS 950 medium sized speakers. I connected them into my Yamaha RX-V371 (old junk reciever) and they sounded great untill it started to stop playing on the speakers. Every time I adjusted the volume it started again, then turned off soon after. I assume it's an overload protection.

After some research I found that my speaker can only produce 80w on 8 ohms each channel. The label on the LS-950 says that it's an 8 ohm speaker with max 360w peak input power 500w. I assume I need either an amplifier or a new reciever that can handle that. These are going to be my garage speakers so I don't want to spend alot of money also I don't need them to be heard 10 miles away, but I also won't be upset if they have the ability.

So what I'm asking for is help finding the cheapest way for these speakers to sound good. Also I would like to know why, so if this ever happens again I know what to look for. Thank you in advance and I'm sorry if it's hard to understand, I'm highly dyslexic.
If the speakers were specked correctly, then your receiver should have no trouble powering them if it is good working order.

The first thing I would do is check your speaker wiring carefully. It only takes one small whisker to cause shut down. I suspect your receiver is fine.

So it is possible your speakers are specked incorrectly. This is common. Japanese speakers of that era were a nightmare as a rule. That is a four way speaker and may present a complex load to the amp.

The other possibility is that someone has over driven the speakers, and some voice coils are damaged lowering the impedance. So I would test the DC resistance of the speakers with a multimeter. The DC resistance should be somewhere in the neighborhood of six ohms, if they are truly 8 ohm speakers.

It is not good to send a receiver into protection, that is a good way to destroy it. If the wiring is good, I would ditch the speakers and not the receiver.
 
L

Lukemia

Audiophyte
If the speakers were specked correctly, then your receiver should have no trouble powering them if it is good working order.

The first thing I would do is check your speaker wiring carefully. It only takes one small whisker to cause shut down. I suspect your receiver is fine.

So it is possible your speakers are specked incorrectly. This is common. Japanese speakers of that era were a nightmare as a rule. That is a four way speaker and may present a complex load to the amp.

The other possibility is that someone has over driven the speakers, and some voice coils are damaged lowering the impedance. So I would test the DC resistance of the speakers with a multimeter. The DC resistance should be somewhere in the neighborhood of six ohms, if they are truly 8 ohm speakers.

It is not good to send a receiver into protection, that is a good way to destroy it. If the wiring is good, I would ditch the speakers and not the receiver.
One reads 4.6 the other reads 4.8 . I replaced the 16 awg to test it out with 12 awg made sure all whiskers are gone it seems everything is in working order now.

All I have left is in one of the speakers the dust cone has slightly started to un glue from the paper cone. I purchased some black speaker glue to glue it together so I should be good now.
 
Last edited:
Kingnoob

Kingnoob

Audioholic Samurai
If the speakers were specked correctly, then your receiver should have no trouble powering them if it is good working order.

The first thing I would do is check your speaker wiring carefully. It only takes one small whisker to cause shut down. I suspect your receiver is fine.

So it is possible your speakers are specked incorrectly. This is common. Japanese speakers of that era were a nightmare as a rule. That is a four way speaker and may present a complex load to the amp.

The other possibility is that someone has over driven the speakers, and some voice coils are damaged lowering the impedance. So I would test the DC resistance of the speakers with a multimeter. The DC resistance should be somewhere in the neighborhood of six ohms, if they are truly 8 ohm speakers.

It is not good to send a receiver into protection, that is a good way to destroy it. If the wiring is good, I would ditch the speakers and not the receiver.
Yeah probably only worth it to someone who repairs vintage gear . Probably expensive, real shame old speakers have these issues very commonly. Some no sound ..
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
One reads 4.6 the other reads 4.8 . I replaced the 16 awg to test it out with 12 awg made sure all whiskers are gone it seems everything is in working order now.

All I have left is in one of the speakers the dust cone has slightly started to un glue from the paper cone. I purchased some black speaker glue to glue it together so I should be good now.
So they are probably 6 ohm speakers, but that receiver should be fine with them. I bet you had a stray whisker!
 
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