Receiver or sub or other issue?

[BdFoz]

Hi, I've been reading the forums for awhile and recently received a blu-ray player as a gift which in turned spawned a whole home theater upgrade kick in me. Previously I had a yamaha htib surround package. I recently upgraded the speakers to an SVS SBS-01 speakers w/ PB10-NSD subwoofer. I had hooked it up to my old yamaha receiver and it was working fine.

I only had it a few weeks before I went out and bought a new yamaha receiver (VX-R663) and hooked it up. Everything seemed to be working. However right away the subwoofer has been acting up. The sound just cuts out. It's hooked up via the subwoofer line out cable. I tried various methods to isolate the problem but I'm not sure whats causing it.

I know that if I simply unplug the subwoofer cable from the line in on the subwoofer and plug it back in it starts working again and then will cut out again. While the sub is playing it sounds fantastic.

Any ideas, is this a receiver problem, a subwoofer problem, or maybe something else entirely (power, heat, cables, etc?)

Thanks for any help.

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forum!

It'll help if you explain a bit better what you mean by it's cutting out.

The one thing that comes to mind is that the sub is turning off when there isn't enough signal getting to the auto-sensor on the sub's amp, but it should turn back on when there is enough signal (but you'll notice a delay). One way to check if that is what is happening without changing anything first is to set the power switch on the sub to be on (not auto, but full on). If the sub is still cutting out, then it's something else. If the sub works fine in that condition, then try turning up the subwoofer output level on your new receiver (and turn down the volume knob on the subwoofer itself so that the overall level is the same) to help with the receiver sending a strong enough signal. Turn the power switch on the sub back to auto and see if that works for you.

Also, are you running your speakers as "small" with bass being directed to the sub? Or are you just using the sub for the LFE track on movies?

 

[BdFoz]

Thanks for the welcome and reply...

What I mean by cutting out is that the subwoofer stops playing any sound. I do have all the speakers set to small. I use the subwoofer for everything tv, movies, X-box... I actually was just playing Rock Band and doing some more troubleshooting. I started playing a song (Journeys Anyway you want it with a good bass line/kick drum) and 20 seconds into the song the subwoofer would stop playing. It was easily noticable when the sub stops playing. I then would pause, unplug the sub cable, plug it back in. Resume the game and the subwoofer is playing then it would stop less than a minute later. Same source, same volume and everything. Then I tried just upping the gain on the subwoofer when the subwoofer stopped playing and it would come on again but the bass would be so loud and overwhelming compared with the other speakers but it would stop playing at the higher gain point.

 

[Adam]

I can't remember who it was, but I'm almost certain that another member was having that same problem (different sub, I think, but same issue). My recollection is that it was the cable connecting the receiver to the sub. Might be a bad connection between the cable and one of the connectors on the ends of the cable.

I'd say try the trick of setting the amp to be "on" and not "auto" and see what happens. If it's still acting up, try a different cable. If it's still not working, contact SVS - I've had great experiences with their customer service.

 

[BdFoz]

I set the sub to ON fulltime and still get the problem. I've been watching the superbowl all afternoon and it's gone out twice.

Once during Obamas pregame interview and once during the Monsters vs Aliens preview. It's certainly an odd problem. I think after the game I'll pull out my old receiver and do some side by side comparisons. Maybe I have some setting wrong in the receiver. I just can't figure ou why unplugging and replugging it in without doing anything else restored the signal.

 

[Shock]

From what you just mentioned, I'd assume it's the cable.

Try another cable and report back here. Pretty much any RCA cable will work, doesn't have to be fancy.

 

[BdFoz]

Well...

I tried a different cable and that wasn't it. So then I tried moving it to the second sub line out on the yamaha and was still getting the same problem. Then I got my old yamaha 8 inch powered sub that came with my old yamaha 5.1 set and plugged it in at the same time as the SVS to see if the receiver stopped outputting a bass signal to the subwoofer line outs and that wasn't the case. The SVS would stop playing and the yamaha sub would still be playing the LFE effects.

I wasn't having this problem for the two or three weeks I had the SVS hooked up to my old receiver so I thought maybe it was something with the setup with the new receiver. But, maybe something new is up with the sub now? I guess I should contact SVS and see if they have any ideas. The only thing I'm worried about is I bought the SVS speakers and subwoofer used from craigslist.

 

[TLS Guy]

Well...

I tried a different cable and that wasn't it. So then I tried moving it to the second sub line out on the yamaha and was still getting the same problem. Then I got my old yamaha 8 inch powered sub that came with my old yamaha 5.1 set and plugged it in at the same time as the SVS to see if the receiver stopped outputting a bass signal to the subwoofer line outs and that wasn't the case. The SVS would stop playing and the yamaha sub would still be playing the LFE effects.

I wasn't having this problem for the two or three weeks I had the SVS hooked up to my old receiver so I thought maybe it was something with the setup with the new receiver. But, maybe something new is up with the sub now? I guess I should contact SVS and see if they have any ideas. The only thing I'm worried about is I bought the SVS speakers and subwoofer used from craigslist.

I think there is a problem with the sub's power supply. I think it is interrupting the ground, when you pull out the cable that is resetting the power supply in the amp.

 

[lsiberian]

Well...

I tried a different cable and that wasn't it. So then I tried moving it to the second sub line out on the yamaha and was still getting the same problem. Then I got my old yamaha 8 inch powered sub that came with my old yamaha 5.1 set and plugged it in at the same time as the SVS to see if the receiver stopped outputting a bass signal to the subwoofer line outs and that wasn't the case. The SVS would stop playing and the yamaha sub would still be playing the LFE effects.

I wasn't having this problem for the two or three weeks I had the SVS hooked up to my old receiver so I thought maybe it was something with the setup with the new receiver. But, maybe something new is up with the sub now? I guess I should contact SVS and see if they have any ideas. The only thing I'm worried about is I bought the SVS speakers and subwoofer used from craigslist.

Make sure you are plugging the sub into a different outlet. If it is a Power Supply issue. You could probably replace the amp fairly easily. Don't know the cost of it, but it's worth a look. I wonder if a Bash Amp would fit in the box. Might be a way to turn the fix into an upgrade. Hey also try running the sub via speaker wires.

 

[BdFoz]

I am hopping it isn't something with the sub but if it is it won't be the end of the world. It'll just mean I get a chance to learn more about the insides of it. Although I am pretty sure the SVS already has a BASH amp unless you were talking about a specific line of BASH. However I am really happy with the performance as is. I actually need to spend sometime locating all the things that rattle in my room when the explosions start happening.

On a related note and at the risk of burying it in this thread would it be wrong to locate a sub in a recessed alcove on the floor?