How do zones work?

[bsblfan]

I currently have a 2 zone Onkyo TX 636. I have a Yamaha RX-V3900 on order with 3 zones. Are there seperate amps for these zones? How about the seperate channels for zone 1? Tell me Mr. Wizard

 

[adk highlander]

Hi bsblfan and welcome to the forum.

Zone 2/3 functions are used to play a second source in another room that is different than the main zone (1). Most of these receivers allow you to configure the surround back channels to be used as the amplification for zone 2. This means that you would run a 5.1 system in the main zone and say a pair of speakers on your deck. The deck could play the radio or XM while some is wathing TV or a DVD in the theater. If you want 7.1 in your main zone you would need to add an external amp.

Units with a third zone will need an external amp to power those speakers but it functions in a similar fasion to what I described for zone 2.

 

[Midcow2]

I currently have a 2 zone Onkyo TX 636. I have a Yamaha RX-V3900 on order with 3 zones. Are there seperate amps for these zones? How about the seperate channels for zone 1? Tell me Mr. Wizard

Nice receiver Yamaha RX-V3900! Quick answer: Each speaker takes an amp (unless you use pre-out and an external amp), when you enable zone 2 and/or zone 3 you take away speakers/amps from Zone 1. Also usually able to define separate audio sources for zones 2 and 3.

Now specific to Onkyo TX-SV636:

Your "FRONT SPEAKERS REMOTE" (see page 15) in effect become your Zone 2 when MR=OFF indicator is off and "MULTI-SOURCE" is pressed. See page 42.


Now specific for RX-V3900:

See page 117. You can have pre-outs go to separate amps for Zones 2 and 3
You can have separate input sources for each Zone. If you use pre-out then you do not take away any of the sepaker/amps from Zone 1.

See page 118. You can also connect internal amps SP1 and SP2 to two channel speakers in Zone 2 and two channel speakers in zone 3. You can also have video in zone 2 and 3. You will still have front, center, rear surround and surround in Zone 1.


On page 9 you have Left/right Zone 2 and Zone 3 out plus two zone video outs.

 

[bsblfan]

Pages?

Where can I find pages? Thanks

 

[Midcow2]

Yamaha RX-V3900 manual

Where can I find pages? Thanks

You can view most manuals on-line. On Yamaha you have to sign-up join Yamaha's "EasyPass" and give them your email address; no big deal.

Here is where to get the Yamaha RX-V3900 manual:

https://www.yamaha.com/yec/Registration/YecLoginNew.aspx?returnurl=/yamahavgn/Documents/YEC/AV_Receivers/Manual/RX-V3900_U.pdf

 

[Hi Ho]

As Midcow2 said, the 3900 can power all three zones with it's internal amps.

The other thing to consider when using zone 2/3 is that they will not work with digital signals. You need to run analog lines from each source along with digital for the main zone. For example; if you have a DVD player connected to the receiver via HDMI everything will work fine in the main zone but you would not get sound in zones 2/3 without an analog audio cable from the DVD player.

 

[mstrike]

Hi to all, it is my first post.
I am facing problem with Zone 2.
Everything is connected as per instructions, but not video (HDMI Out 2) or Audio (on 2 speakers) is playing in Zone 2

Any ideas what seems to be wrong?
Thanks

 

[Nomo]

Hi to all, it is my first post.
I am facing problem with Zone 2.
Everything is connected as per instructions, but not video (HDMI Out 2) or Audio (on 2 speakers) is playing in Zone 2

Any ideas what seems to be wrong?
Thanks

Assuming...... your are talking about the 3900; the HDMI 2 is not meant for zone 2 use. For that matter, only analog inputs will be capable of making their way through to the zone 2 and 3 of that receiver.
It sounds like you are expecting digital inputs to be heard in zone 2.

Sorry, aint gonna happen.

 

[mstrike]

Thanks Nomo for quick reply.
I understand only analog inputs can be send to Zone 2, but I am disappointed that Internet Radio can not be sent as well.

I have in my living-room 5.1 surround and in other room 2 speakers as Zone2.
Some issues:
1. When I start Zone 2, in my living-room from 5.1 comes down to only front speakers. Why this happens?

2. I tried Zone 2 with Net radio, FM radio, Sat receiver (connected with Video, Audio jacks) and no sound at all.

3. When it comes to HDMI out 2, any video source is not showing. Cable is fine, I connected directly to a player and it's working.

4. I have PS3 working fine on Main Zone, but HDX 1000 (NMT media player) is not showing at all. I have auto detecting video output and tried different options (720, 1080...p, i), but no picture as well.

Thanks in advance for help

 

[mstrike]

Thanks Nomo for quick reply.
I understand only analog inputs can be send to Zone 2, but I am disappointed that Internet Radio can not be sent as well.

I have in my living-room 5.1 surround and in other room 2 speakers as Zone2.
Some issues:
1. When I start Zone 2, in my living-room from 5.1 comes down to only front speakers. Why this happens?

2. I tried Zone 2 with Net radio, FM radio, Sat receiver (connected with Video, Audio jacks) and no sound at all.

Thanks in advance for help

Problem solved!


Just to find solution for point 3 and 4!

 

[jerry2k]

How did net radio and FM tuner work on your zone 2?

 

[mstrike]

How did net radio and FM tuner work on your zone 2?

Make sure you have Zone 2 switched on.
Each zone you need to setup to play something, so make sure you have it on net radio.

 

[jerry2k]

Thank you very much for the quick reply.
I connected Polk Audio RM8 Satellite speakers on SP1 of the RX-V3900. Zone 2 was on and its input was set to either Tuner or Net Radio. There was no output from both speakers. However, main zone played the music beautifully. Is Net radio or FM signal considered as digital signal which may be blocked by the A/V receiver at zone 2/3.

Thanks,

 

[MDS]

Is Net radio or FM signal considered as digital signal which may be blocked by the A/V receiver at zone 2/3.

FM is certainly not digital. If Net radio is streaming from the internet, it would be a digital signal but the requirement for analog connections only applies to external devices connected to the receiver.

Net Radio may be slightly different (I'm not familiar with it) but FM most certainly can be sent to zone 2. It's probably a setup issue. You may have to tune FM first in the main zone and then choose 'source' for zone 2. I think you can then change the main zone to something else.

 

[mstrike]

I would suggest you the following:
1. Play the main zone with net radio (lower power level)
2. Disconnect the speakers from main zone (leave the main zone on)
3. Connect speakers to Zone 2
4. Switch on the Zone 2 and check the level od sound
5. If there is no sound, go inside the manu and check the settings there

If you are not able to set it up, check the manual.
Tip: With Zone 2 swithched on, you can only have 5.1 suround system in the Main Zone!

Maybe you can check also if the Zone 3 is working!

 

[jerry2k]

Thank you very much for the suggestion.
I followed your instruction and it did not work. I plugged the speakers to main zone and they worked fine. I tried different input such as Blue-Ray player instead of FM and Net Radio. None of them worked. I begin to think the device that I got is a defective unit. Another problem I noticed in main zone is that the sub woofer interface (connected to Infinity PS-10) makes a high pitch noise whenever the PS-10 is switched from idle to on. I tried different sub woofer cables such as Monster cable and the sub woofer simply has no output but the high pitch noise while it is up. Now I am using a cheaper cable and at least it has output. I am not sure whether the problem is on RX-V3900 or Infinity PS-10.

 

[mstrike]

The only thing I can tell you is to take the manual out and do the setup again step by step.

I changed my 15 years old amp and it was a bit difficult to get around the setup at first.