Yamaha RXV 2500 problems?

[Corry]

Yamaha RXV 2500 problems... HELP !

I have been reading these forums for years and I would like to thank you for all the information you guys provide on these forums.

I finally got a YAMMY RXV 2500 and I couldn't be happier.
The sound quality is totally amazing.
I moved from a Sony ES GX909 with ProLogic surround. The Sony still works fine and I was (still happy) with it after 10-11 years...

Here is my scenario:
I have a 7.1 speaker setup in a room of aprox 18x30.
The speakers are all Mirage:
2 Mirage floor standers - OM12
4 Mirage OMNI - Omni FX
1 Mirage OMNI - Omni CC
1 Mirage SWR - BPSi 150

The sound is just amazing with this setup.

The only issue I have is when I use the STEREO - 7 CH and I turn up the volume... around -15db the display on the Yamaha blinks/dims at the same rate with the Bass...
It is really loud at this level and maybe will not use this as a regular listening level but in case of large parties the volume may need to be raised above the -15db...

I tried various setup options from Large speakers to SML speakers... Bass out on SWR, both , etc...
Currently the Yammy is set at 8ohm.

What could be the issue? Is the Yammy not powerful enough to supply the Mirage's ?
What setup adjustments should I try?

Thanks!

Corry

 

[Leprkon]

the Mirage web site shows the OM 12's to be a nominal 6 ohm, and peak 4 ohm speaker. The Yammy is notoriously picky about lower ohm speakers, and that may be what is causing your problem. you might try setting the receiver for 6 ohms and see if the problem repeats. if that doesn't work (or you already tried it), you might want to front end your mains with a two channel amp, something like this:

http://ww1.onecall.com/PID_653.htm

it will deal with the lower ohm speakers and keep your 2500 from breaking a sweat.

 

[Die Hard Yammy]

i've owned the RXV-2400 for over a year now and I've only had it flash at me once at around +5, +9or something. When she blinks like that it's pretty much telling you you about to reach your max ( i think, don't quote me on this). Have you tried lowering your levels on each speaker, that will extend your volume limit aswell as possibly permit you to go past -15db. I'm aware that OMNI FX and OMNI cc are rated minimum 4 ohm and go to 8 ohm, I'm not sure about the OM 12's. I know OM9's are minimun 4 and go to 6ohm. Check your impedance selector if you haven't already.
Now, how did you calibrate your system ( AUTO , MANUAL) if you do it manually you've got to play around with the GEQ for each speaker which, let me tell you, is time consuming but well worth it once you find the right settings ( I'm still not happy after a year of muckung around).

I hope some of these small tips help you, you've certainly IMO made a great purchase all around. Mirage makes great stuff, I think you know where I stand on YAMMY"S!

 

[Corry]

Thanks for your replies !
I will try it when I get home from work.

You know what... since I had the OM12's (about 5-6 years now) I don't remember checking the actual manual... the brochure said 8ohm compatible... and I just checked online... you're right the manual says 6ohm nominal 4ohms min.
I have always used them at 8ohm and maybe that's the reason that the Sony was flashing sometimes too !! I always thought it was not powerful enough.

Now, I checked the rest of Mirage and they all are 8ohm nominal with 4ohm minimum.

Would it be ok to set the Yammy at 6ohm ?

I did the auto setup initially and then I manually adjusted the levels on some of the speakers.

What's the break in period for the speakers? I recently added the OMNI FX and OMNI CC...
The OM12's are amazing !!! The more I have used them ... the better they sound !

I LOVE YAMMY ! The sound is awesome !!

 

[skitheo]

I just got the same receiver a couple of weeks ago, and hooked up to KEF Q11 mains, Q10c center, and Q2ds surrounds (no SWR). They're all 8 ohm nominal. When playing "Return of the King" extended edition using the THX program and the volume set to -16dB, the scene at Minas Morgul where the big beam of green light comes out of the dark tower, there is a drastic change from quiet to very loud. During that loud portion, I'm hearing snaps and pops which aren't present if replayed at -20dB volume. It's very repeatable. Anyone have a clue what's going on with that? Is it related to Corry's issue?

 

[wafflebird]

Don't worry so much Corry about the flashing light

Hey there Corry,

I have the same receiver with Omnisats, Omni CC, and a Velodyne Sub. The speakers and receiver are more than I could have ever imagined. The light dimming is just a representation of the power that is being output by the receiver. The power level going out to the speakers is spiking a little with the lower frequency signals. Which in turn translates to a little bit of power loss (Very minimal I might add) going to the lights on the panel. The front panel lights require very little power and will show dimming when the receiver is pumping out the sound.This is no big deal at all and most all receivers will do the same thing when pushed if you watch the front panel @ high output levels. Having lower ohmed speakers probably makes it more noticeable but if the sound is not suffereing, you really have nothing to worry about. I have the same issue if I turn my system up loud as well but the sound never suffres one bit, and I do not have as power hungry speakers as you. Enjoy your system, and it is nice to see another Mirage owner. We seem to be a minority around here, but with so many great speaker manufacturers out there we are fortunate to have such a massive selection of great quality speakers.

 

[Corry]

wafflebird:
glad to see another Mirage happy owner as well !!!
How are the omnisats? I have the omni fx and I really like them.

I love the Mirage ! I would never exchange my speakers for anything else (except the mirage powered ones)...

 

[Corry]

Well, I changed the Yammy to 6 ohms and performed another auto setup + some manual modifications and tweaks afterwards and it improved a little bit.

Yammy "flashes me" around -8db now. It doesn't seem to be as significant as before. The volume howevers seems to be lower than before (for whatever reason).... It seems that the -8db is kinda the same loudness as the -15db I had yesterday... or it's just me...

I tweaked it for 1-2 hours and that was the maximum limit my wife could tolerate at that level... She totally hates my sub... she never liked it from day one Honey... it was on sale... only $50... and it rox !

Women don't understandddddddddd

I'll do some more damage to the house on the weekend.

 

[Electone]

Has anyone tried beefing up their power cord? The first thing I did when I got my RX-V2400 was to chuck that wimpy 18 gauge stock power cord and use a thicker 14 gauge cord. I'm not talking about any ridiculous over-priced audiophile power cord, but something I made myself with Belden power cable, a female IEC and a standard AC plug from the hardware store.

Also, is the receiver plugged into a circuit that has other devices sucking current away from the unit? Nothing beats a dedicated circuit for your audio gear.

 

[rschleicher]

I'm thinking that the diplay dimming might be due to the power supply rails dipping. The "problem" with the 7-ch. stereo mode is that it is really 2-channel stereo (more or less), with the left channel fed to three channels (front left, surround left, and back surround left), the right channel fed to the corresponding three right channels, and probably a mono combination of left and right fed to the center. So, unlike a 7.1 source, there is a high correlation of signal peaks on multiple channels. Basically 7-ch. stereo is much harder on your receiver than regular 7.1, in terms of driving all channels simultaneously, with the same input signal.

Using the 4-6 ohm setting (the switch on the back of the receiver) will help a little in preventing the dragging down of the receiver's power supply rails, in that it limits the maximum current draw from each channel (probably by simply using lower voltage taps from the main power supply transformer). So, it likely reduces the probability of getting the display-dimming symptom you are seeing.

BUT, it also makes it MORE likely to get clipping of peaks in the signal, since you have lowered the maximum voltage that can be driven during a signal peak. Generally speaking it is better to use the 8 ohm speaker setting, even with lower-impedance speakers, to prevent clipping. You still have to watch out for thermal overloading of your receiver, of course.

Since your surrounds are probably less efficient than the larger front speakers, you might find that cranking up just the fronts in 2-ch. mode is a better way to get more volume during parties, than trying to drive all of the speakers with a 2-ch. stereo signal in 7-ch. stereo mode. It will take a higher volume setting to get the same overall loudness, but probably less total power output from your receiver (just more concentrated in 2 channels)

 

[rschleicher]

One other comment:

My manual says that I can adjust the signal level for each channel in 7-ch. stereo mode. The implication is that you could therefore reduce the signal level to your surrounds for just 7-ch. stereo use, without affecting the set-up for other modes (like 7.1 surround).