hi everyone, i've been searching for info online for the past couple of days, and came across this forum, so i thought i'd try here, since you folks really seem to know your stuff! i was just given an older stereo system, i'm guessing from the 80's, but not exactly sure. it consists of the following 3 Pioneer components, and 2 huge floor model Cerwin Vega speakers, model D9:
cd player PD-M423
graphic eq GR-777
a/v receiver VSX-5500S
the components were still hooked up and haven't been changed since they were originally hooked up, according to my friend. i have the stereo up and running, but there are two problems that i've run into, and this is where i'm hoping someone here can help me. please excuse my lack of technical knowledge. i am a serious music fan, but have never actually owned any more than an all-in-one compact stereo system, this is my first system with seperate compontents, so i've never actually had any experience with these things.

1) on the graphic eq, i can see the levels jumping up and down as i'm listening to music, so it is definitely working as a monitor from the receiver, but when i change the settings on the eq, i don't really hear any difference. even when i change the presets, for example from "heavy" to "soft" i don't really hear any change in the sound, and it seems to me as this should produce a dramatic change in the sound dynamics. since the receiver doesn't actually have an output/input on the back for an eq, the eq was hooked up to the "tape 1" section of the receiver. the "play" on the receiver was connected to the "play" on the eq, and the "record" connected to the "record". now it seemed to me that these connections should be alternating to create a loop for the sound, so i switched the connections on the eq so that the "record" on the receiver goes to the "play" on the eq, and vise versa. again, i still see the levels jump around on the eq, but any changes i make to the eq settings don't seem to effect what i'm actually hearing. so i'm wondering, how exactly should this be hooked up, and is there something i'm doing wrong?

2) on the receiver itself, the main levels for left and right are super hot at all times. even when the stereo isn't turned up loud, these levels are running very high, the bars keep going almost to the top of the display at all times. i have them hooked up with 18AWG speaker wire. i'm wondering if i should be using a smaller gauge of speaker wire? perhaps this wire is too thick, and is letting too much through the system, hence the maxed out levels? or does this even make a difference? any suggestions as to what else could be causing this?

thanks a million for any help! it is greatly appreciated!