help!!!

[charleston86]

Here it goes...

I just bought an Onkyo 5.1 system after 4 hours I got my old set off the wall and this new system setup. I was told that 5.1 is a good system for the size of my room and wouldn't tell the difference between 7.1. Now my old POS system I bought from Wal-Mart was a 7.1 and I always heard sound from the rear right/left speakers at all times (music, radio, movies) never had to switch from one zone to another.

Issues I'm having

1) My center channel speaker will not work when I plug in the +/- wires into the back center channel jack the receiver...I put them in the front right/left speaker jack..and bam...I have sound in the center speaker...so I'm debating leaving both in. Afraid this will cause interference...or mess up the movies when the center speaker isn't in use at the given scene

2) There's an option A/B for speaker set, I'm assuming A = (3) front and B = (2) rear? We'll I cant get the back speakers to work either. I turn off (A) and I'm thinking (B) will kick on...nothing. I then plug in the rear left/right into the front left/right jacks and bam...let there be sound from there rear. I can't fathom plugging doubling them in with the front speakers for the same reason I mentioned above.

Any help would be great!

Thanks

Sean

 

[Midcow2]

What model Onkyo 5.1 receiver ?

Here it goes...

I just bought an Onkyo 5.1 system after 4 hours I got my old set off the wall and this new system setup. I was told that 5.1 is a good system for the size of my room and wouldn't tell the difference between 7.1. Now my old POS system I bought from Wal-Mart was a 7.1 and I always heard sound from the rear right/left speakers at all times (music, radio, movies) never had to switch from one zone to another.

Issues I'm having

1) My center channel speaker will not work when I plug in the +/- wires into the back center channel jack the receiver...I put them in the front right/left speaker jack..and bam...I have sound in the center speaker...so I'm debating leaving both in. Afraid this will cause interference...or mess up the movies when the center speaker isn't in use at the given scene

2) There's an option A/B for speaker set, I'm assuming A = (3) front and B = (2) rear? We'll I cant get the back speakers to work either. I turn off (A) and I'm thinking (B) will kick on...nothing. I then plug in the rear left/right into the front left/right jacks and bam...let there be sound from there rear. I can't fathom plugging doubling them in with the front speakers for the same reason I mentioned above.

Any help would be great!

Thanks

Sean

What model Onkyo do you have and we can better answer both questions.

(1) The center speaker might not be turned on. Let us know what model and we can easily help.


(2) Speakers A and B are two sets of speakers off the front .

Good Luck,

MidCow2

 

[charleston86]

It's an Onkyo HT-S3100

 

[Shock]

Hello Sean, and welcome to the forums.

First I'm going to need to know what model Onkyo you have. Since it's a 5.1 channel receiver you shouldn't have a "rear center" speaker out on it, so i'm a little confused. Normally to get sound from all your speakers the receiver will use some sort of processing to accomplish this. Unless you're running a 5.1 channel source ofcourse.

A/B usually means two different "zones" of speakers, from my understanding it's usually used in multi room setups. It allows you to play two different sources in two different rooms from the same receiver, or just play the same source on different speakers.

 

[Highbar]

You're going to want to hook up the Center speaker to the center terminals, as Shock said, if it's a 5.1 it should not have a "rear center" as that would make it a 6.1. I just took a quick look online at the unit and it only has one center speaker hook up. To set everything up you are going to want to hook the front speakers to the A terminals, the center to the center, and the rear to the rear. You are not going to want to use the B terminals, these are for a second set of main speakers that you would use in another area. As using two pair at the same time my damage the amp.

Now as far as getting sound from all of the speakers you need to make sure you have the receiver set to a surround sound mode. You're old set up was using processing if you "always" had sound coming from all 7 speakers as there is not a lot of 7.1 material out there. For TV the normal option would be Dolby PLII (what I'm listening to right now) and for movies it's more likely either going to be that or Dolby Digital/DTS if you have a DVD/Blu Ray player hooked to it digitally.

Hope that helps, if you need more help we are here.

 

[lsiberian]

Congrats on the upgrade! Looking at the back of your receiver. I can tell you the Center channel is going to be the green clip. This is only for a front center channel not a rear center channel.

For you to hear sound out of all your speakers you should be able to simply switch it to surround listening mode. To do this

1. Power on the receiver.

2. Press the receiver button on your remote. It might glow after you press it.

3. Next press the surround button under the listening mode box.

4. If you haven't pressed the setup button and gone through that menu please do. Refer to the manual for assistance. Usually they can be a great asset. As well as Onkyo tech support.

5. If you are having trouble with a channel. Press the Test Tone button under audio. It will start to play a noise on each speaker. If your receiver has an on screen menu. It will highlight the speaker it's playing. Make sure it highlights the right one. (I had a my right and left switched actually. LOL)

Don't hook up speakers to B for surround sound. B is for those of us who use different speakers for music or have a couple speakers in a different room.

Ok if it's still not working and you heard no sound from it on the test tone. It's time to check your wiring. Spring clips can be a royal pain. Make sure you spin your wire tightly. And feed it good in there. Also make sure you put the striped wire runs to matching +/- terminals.

If you are still lost after that. I suggest having a tech-savvy friend help you. Usually we miss something obvious and a 2nd look from another will catch what we did wrong.

Good luck I hope you solve the problem. Remember to be very methodical in making sure everything is hooked up right and every setting is set correctly. Even if it seem simple. Just do it anyway.

 

[Midcow2]

The solution

It's an Onkyo HT-S3100

Charleston86,

Thanks for the model number and by the way welcome to Audioholics forums

Your manual is online at:
http://www.onkyousa.com/download/own_manuals.cfm?cat=Systems

On page 10 section 7 you connect your center speaker to the area labelled cetern ( It sounds like your it conencted correctly).

Too get 5.1 output (for the center speaker) look on page 20 make sure speaker A is on and speakers B is off ( if you have speaker B enabled you will only get 2.1 and nothing will come out of the center channel. Only speakerA light should be on. This was probably your problem!

Good luck!

MidCow2