No sound from left front speaker???

[snodog]

I am running a Marantz recieiver and noticed some static sound and crackling that would come and go from my front left speaker. I checked the cables and everything is ok, nothing seems to be touching that is and now tonight went from just the occasional crackle to no sound at all. Any ideas what the hell this would be from? Is it possible that the channel to that speaker has gone bad? I tried my other speaker in place of it and it was the same thing so I am sure the speakers are good. How annoying when I was just considering selling it and updating my system.

Any ideas?

[Slippers On]

Hi Snodog,

I fear the worst. I had a very similar problem just last week. I'll outline what happened with me and maybe you can draw on it to see if my problem is your problem.

I recently moved house and a lot of my gear has been stored in boxes. I decided to introduce a set-up into a small room in the house I am renting. So I unpacked, from the garage, a pair of mono amps and the accompanying power supply. (the speakers and pre-amp were already in the house). I left the monos in the same room for two days (un-connected) to get up to ambient temperature before wiring them up.

Eventually I began to play some music. Within half an hour I noticed that one of the monos was extremely hot whilst the other was not even warm. Alarm bell began to sound as the volume levels were very low. These amps never heated up. I spent the next couple of hours checking all wiring and changing sources and speakers around but still the same mono would heat up very quickly.

By late afternoon the speaker connected to this mono began to crackle, low at first but then got louder with time. When I switched speakers, like you, the crackling went into the other speaker so I knew it wasn't the speaker. I introduced a different pre-amp - heat still there, speaker crackles still there. In fact I disconnected everything except that mono, the power unit to it and one speaker. The crackling was still there.

My monos have a little light each which shows 'clipping' when it occurs. By pure fluke as I was walking out the door I spotted the little clipping light begin to flicker as the crackling got louder from the speaker. I think I managed to save the unit - after summersaulting over the furniture to switch it off:ihih:

Now I know that it is either the left channel of the power unit or the left mono which has the problem. I don't know enough about electronics to understand what the actual problem might be but at least I can describe now to some expert in order to fix it.

There you are.

Did you experience any overheating?
Can you test the "no sound" speaker to see if it is working still?

I am convinced that the crackling is square wave clipping. I hope your speaker is still OK.

Let me know how you get on. I am obviously interested in the outcome.

Slippers On

[markw]

If so, a little deoxit sprayed into (not on) them fron the back might help. Likewise, tape monitor switches could be suspect as well and could benefit from this as well.

Possibly, by removing the bottom of the unit you can gain access to these, Spray a little into the controls and rotate them a few times. Naturally, make sure the unit is unplugged when you do this,

If you're not familiar wih gainng access to the back of the controls. a local tech might be able to perform this for you.

If this doesn't cure it, I'm outta ideas.

[snodog]

Clipping you say? Not sure what that is exactly. I didn't notice any overheating if there was any. I am in the process of taking my system down to drill a large square venitlation/access hole for my reciever. I will do a test on my two fronts and hope to God they are ok as well. It doesn't seem like overheating would be the problem since I think my unit would shut off. I certainly never abuse it either and keep the volume at a very respectable level. I will most definitely let you know as I figure it out. Ugh, hopefully nothing too bad. Always much easier to sell a unit working perfectly than a repair.

[snodog]

Damn, it is for sure my receiver. I took everything down and cleaned behind my entertainment center and put some additional holes in for ventilation. When I rehooked it all back up I tested speakers and no sound at all from only the left front. Ugh, wonder how much that will cost to fix? What would just cause something like that to malfunction?

[pixelthis]

Damn, it is for sure my receiver. I took everything down and cleaned behind my entertainment center and put some additional holes in for ventilation. When I rehooked it all back up I tested speakers and no sound at all from only the left front. Ugh, wonder how much that will cost to fix? What would just cause something like that to malfunction?

Does it do this on different sources? Have you tried a different speaker?
If it is the amp it could be anything from the caps (capacitors) to something loose.
Its probably the caps, the stuff insulating the plates has the lifespan of a bumblebee
compared to other stuff, like resistors.
A buddy in electronics class hooked up a "can" cap (one of those metal cylinders)
backwards, with the wrong polarity, causing the electrolytic to boil.
When the can took of it made a hole in the suspension ceiling.
Another time one blew and paper insulator went everywhere.
But I'd try switching speakers before I serviced the amp, the crossover could be fried or the cone could come loose from the driver, this is rare but I've seen it

[snodog]

Yes, I have switched the speakers and it did the same thing. Actually now the speaker works intermittently. I will hear the crackle and it will fade in and out. Strange. I just unplugged the speaker for now. I dont want to damage it. Maybe I wll try and hook it into the other posts that are for the crossover plates..

[kelsci]

Sounds like the left amplfier(power amplifier) is bad and the rest of the receiver is ok. Yes, it will cost some kind of money to fix it. You have the option to discard it and get a new receiver with a new warranty. Does this reciever have preouts for all channels. If so, the preamps might be ok. You could get a separate multi-channel power amplifier. What model is this marantz that blew on you? What model receiver were you considering in place of it. If you replace it, always keep HD-DVD or BLUE RAY players in mind if you are interested in getting one of these down the road.

[snodog]

It is a Marantx SR 6200. I believe it does have preouts. I have a BluRay player and prior to this was the reason I was looking for something different. I only have two digital optical inputs and need more options. I love the sound of this unit. It is unfortunate and I would really hate to just discard it since everything else works fine. I would rather use it as a trade for something but hate to downgrade quality for new technology...any suggestions?

[basite]

Had exactly the same with a yamaha receiver a year and a half ago. Your amp probably died, fixing is possible but I don't know how much it would cost...

[snodog]

When you say amp do you mean the one channel? Everything else works fine.

[Slippers On]

Snodog,

If the receiver is outside warranty have you now taken off the cover in search of fuses? You never know an internal fuse may have saved your amp until you can get the circuit tested.

Slippers on

[basite]

When you say amp do you mean the one channel? Everything else works fine.


yeah, probably only one channel. Dad still uses the yammie in the garage (well, in mono, that is :)) that works fine too...

[kelsci]

Hi Snodog; I believe that either a capacitor and/or a output transistor in the left power amp section is your problem. Yes it could be fixed and it would be nice if that receiver is in warranty. I know by the model number it is a few years old. My brother is using a SR5400 unit but does not own a Blue-Ray player yet.

The first question to ask is what make and model Blue-Ray player you own. The reason is an important one because if you are going for a next receiver in someones line, you want to know what kind of sound out of that player comes over the HDMI cable output of that player.

For instance, if you like Marantz, you might want to consider a SR5002 unit. From what I understand of this unit, it is capable of decoding 5.1 LPCM sound from blue-ray discs that have those tracks. Many Sony, Disney and Warners discs have those tracks. I know the Sony 300 Blue Ray player can output that LPCM 5.1 code via a HDMI cable from the machine to a receiver such as the SR 5002 and the receiver will then give you high defintion audio from those discs.

I believe that if you played a Fox disc that has DTS-HD or HD MASTER, you would get DTS core(1.5mbps) sound over that cable. So the SR-5002 is not a receiver capable of decoding over the HDMI cable DTS-HD MASTER AND DOLBY DIGITAL HD MASTER AUDIO.

The thing here is that you have the bass management of the receiver in operation. I understand at least from my brother who is a Marantz fan that the SR5002 IHHO beat out the audio quality of a few other receivers he heard such as the Onkyo and HKs. If you feel that your blue ray player can also output dolby digital plus and dolby true HD audio,, you may want to consider brands that will decode it from the hdmi cable of the player to that particular receiver. Hope this helps.

[snodog]

Hey again, well I tried this time to see if I can figure out this receiver and on source direct mode the left speaker has sound through it?? weird. If it is the channel to that speaker would it still play in source direct mode? anyhow also, does this elminate or promote the possibility of a fuse? If so, where would the fuse be located? thanks again

I currently have a Ps3 which has very nice sound but am going to get a player dedicated to music and sacds as well.

[snodog]

also, what was the deoxit somebody spoke of? I can take it to my local audio repair person but said it would take four weeks to get to...ugh...really wanting to get it fixed

where are the fuses located?

[kelsci]

Snodog; what is odd about what you say is that in the so called direct mode, that the left channel is working.

Put it back in 5.1 mode and then switch the receiver in STEREO and see if the left channel is working. If the left channel works then your problem does not sound like a left channel power amplifier problem.

Do you have another dvd player on hand that outputs dolby digital 5.1. If so, I would hook that up to your receiver and put on a D.D. 5.1 disc. If that other player gives you sound, then the problem might be with your regular dvd player; the processor in it is not outputing a left channel sound.

If you use this second player and you still do not get left channel sound in 5.1, then the processor's left channel in the RECEIVER could be at fault.

Also try putting a two channel cd in your dvd player and see if that plays in stereo; your receiver should automatically switch to two channel PCM; see if you get left channel sound in PRO-LOGIC of PRO-LOGIC 2 mode.

[snodog]

It is pretty strange and seems more like a problem in the surround circuitry itself. I have switched throughout the modes and a couple of times it would have sound from left front but then Id hear a low crackle and then it would be gone again. I have tried my Ps3, dish network receiver and tuner and the same with them all so I am sure it's the receiver.
I talked to local repairman and he thought it could be surround board but wouldn't be able to look at it for four weeks! damn I wonder what I can sell it for?

[snodog]

I'll probably just sell it for someone who can fix it. Wondering though could I use it somehow as a preamp to another reciever or would that be overkill?