Help with Kenwood VR-405 receiver

[akajoker]

Let me start by saying I had a Sony STR-DE545 that finally went to the crapper on me (Protect was showing on the display) so i pull out my old back up Kenwood VR-405 receiver that came with a kit in a box many yrs ago, it's has an optical in, sound can be done in dolby pro-logic, and dolby digital, and for the life of me I can't get the dang unit to put out sound in digital. I've tried fiber optic cable which I'm currenty using from my DVD to receiver, and I've tried the digital coax cable as well, seems nothing I have tried has been right to get the unit to put out in digital format, can anyone help me, enlighten me any???? I've looked in the book as well and can't find anything more than making digital connections, which wasn't a bit helpful. Thanks Fella's!

 

[John D]

Hopefully this will help

I managed to find a manual online for your 405 (Seems similar to my 409). It looks like you may need to set your input mode to 'digital' on the input that you have your DVD plugged into.

This is done by selecting the input that you have your DVD player hooked up to and then pressing the 'Input Mode' button to select whether you want to use a digital or analog signal. This button is the second one from the left on the top row of buttons (according to the manual). Simply press this button until you get one of the digital options selected. I believe the options are: D-Auto, D-Manual & Analog.

Hope this helps.

 

[wafflebird]

A couple more things as well

I know you probably already checked but make sure your speakers selector is on the right set A instead of B if it has that selection, also make sure the mute is somehow not on as well. JohnD is probably on to somethig closer to the problem. Also I have a Kenwood VR615 as well, make sure your system is set up for auto detect, or try it on manual as well and give it some DD input, just to see if it will work with one or the other (again I am assuming it has these features) and look on the front panel display to see if it is finding the signal. You should have a DSP/DD light on the front and inside the illuminated panel you ought to get something that comes on once a digital signal is detected. I hope you get this sorted out, good luck!!!!

 

[akajoker]

hey guys, thanks for replying. I do have my owners manual and I have the unit on auto detect. Right this very moment I'm using a coax digital cable, have it plugged to the dvd input on the back, unit is on DVD and on the front of the screen, shows "autosound digital" and under that it says pro-logic, the pro-logic light is on and yes there is a dobly digital light on the front and for the life of me I can't seem to figure out how I can get a digital signal to the unit or it to recognize a digital signal, I also checked and there's no A B speaker signals, on the front just has a button for speaker and then the mute button. Am I looking over something stupidly simple here? it's about to drive me nucking futs and pull my hair out to boot, this shouldn't be that complicated at all! Thanks for any help that you all can provide, I can assure you it's greatly appreciated!

 

[wafflebird]

Stereo Joker?

Try to connect the receiver with just stereo connections and see if that works. That receiver has a specific Digital circuit board, as all do that are digital, it is possible that board or a connection for that board has just went bad. Hooking up the stereo inputs will tell you if the receiver is capable of putting out sound other than digital. That is really about the only other advise I could reccomend for you. If this doesn't work it may be time to go do some shopping!!!! We all know how terrible that is right? Write back and let me know.

 

[farscaper]

Did you setup the DVD player to output a digital signal? Some older players needed to be setup for digital output. In the DVD menu, I believe you pick "Bitstream" for audio output.

 

[John D]

You said that the Pro-Logic LED is on. How about making sure that is off before playing the DVD. The receiver may be outputting everything in Pro-Logic, even when it receiving a Dolby Digital signal. Try setting the Listening Mode to Stereo (when you first turn on the unit). That way, if/when the receiver detects an audio signal, it will automatically determine if it is DD5.1 or not. Sometimes, when the first part of a movie is playing (intros and stuff like that), the receiver will output the sound in Pro-Logic. Then when the actual movie starts, it will switch to Dolby Digital.

Also, maybe you can try hooking your audio (and video) cable(s) from the DVD to another input (VIDEO 2, for example) on the receiver. There is a note in the manual that says when connecting video components with digital audio outputs, that VIDEO 2 or VIDEO 3 should be used. Since you only have VIDEO 2 on the 405, your options are limited.

Hope this helps.

 

[akajoker]

thanks John for the suggestions, and I'm going to try that in a few minutes, if that's not the trick to fix it, then I'm going to lean toward a bad digital board which is ok too. Soon as my sony went bad, I started looking for a new receiver, but i didn't want to go with out any surround so i pulled the kenwood out of the closet. so if it is bad, no biggie, just have to keep looking for a new unit lol

 

[akajoker]

Ok so I tried what was suggested and still, can't get the dad gum unit to recognize a digital signal, this unit is about 7 or 8 years old, so I think it's probably the digital board or something to that effect..guess I'll continue my shopping and in the meantime continue listening to the movies in pro-logic LOL..thanks for the help guys i appreciate it!

 

[John D]

akajoker
You say that you ARE listening to the movies in Pro-Logic? Does that mean that you have the audio coax cable hooked up to the receiver's digital input and just getting sound in Pro-Logic, or are you actually changing the audio connections to the analog inputs (Left & Right) and getting Pro-Logic that way?

I may be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure that the Pro-Logic information and decoding comes from an analog source. If you have a single coax cable coming from the 'digital out' on the DVD player going into the 'VIDEO 2 digital in' on the receiver and are getting sound, then you are receiving a digital signal, but the receiver is processing it into Pro-Logic before it is output to the speakers.

 

[akajoker]

well I solved the problem of sorts, I was out friday and stopped by the electronics store and they had Pioneer on sale, so I took it, so far i like it, I know the owner so i got a nice price on it, only reason I purchased it, if I was paying full retail, I wouldn't go with the Pioneer personally it's a VSX-515.. least i think that's the model number.

 

[wafflebird]

815 maybe?

So what do you think of it so far? I think in the long run you may be surprised at how good it serves you. Especially if you got a good price on it.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[socalsac]

sub woofer

I also have the VR-405 that "pulled out of my closet" I have the VR-205 and the darn volume is messed up. The remote won't control it and if I do it with the knob it starts to jump up and down if I go too fast. Whatever, its now in my shop. The problem i having with the 405 is that I can't seem to get my sub to work. It works wih the DVD and CD but not the AUX. I have my Sirius or MP3 or laptop hooked to it and no bass. Am I s*!t out of luck?

 

[Jboney]

Hey John D what's the web address for the on-line manual for the Kenwood vr-405?

 

[Jboney]

looking for answers

Does any know a web address for the on-line manual for the Kenwodd vr-405

 

[MDS]

http://www.kenwoodusa.com/support/simple.aspx?men=2&M2=69

Type in vr-405 in the search box.

I found it in 10 seconds with a google search.

 

[Seth=L]

http://www.kenwoodusa.com/support/simple.aspx?men=2&M2=69

Type in vr-405 in the search box.

I found it in 10 seconds with a google search.

rub it in why don't yah.

 

[MDS]

It was just a little jab at jboney. He waited almost two days for someone to answer when he could have found it himself easily. No offense meant.

 

[Nick250]

It was just a little jab at jboney. He waited almost two days for someone to answer when he could have found it himself easily. No offense meant.

I am with you on this MDS. So many questions could be answered in seconds using Google. In fact, if I am not is the best of moods, I will not post the link to something as simple as a manual, just say it's there should they choose to make the effort. Sort of a modern day version of RTFM.

Nick

 

[Garlor]

Howdy.
Im having the same problem with my VR-405. Found this thread using Google magic.

I cannot initialize digital 5.1... Pulled the VR405 out of my closet to have some nice 5.1 sound with my new pc soundcard.
I currently have a cd changer, fully capable of 7.1. Its hooked up using optical toslink. It will output 7.1 and 5.1 to my parent's Yamaha receiver fine. The VR405 plays it in 3-stereo and ProLogic (ProSUCK) fine, but wont do anything digital...
Also tried hooking it up to my new SB Audigy with a mono 3.5 -> RCA Coax. Same results. ProLogic.

Should I give up on the 405?