Some HT set up questions

[kevan]

Hi
I just purchased my first HT system thanks to all here who helped me make good decisions on components.
I have a couple of set up questions. First i have purchased, Yamaha RXV557 amp, Polk RM6005 with Sub. Yamaha CDC585 CD player.

Questions.
I have 5.1 speakers. I have set up the amp for 5.1 in the setup menu. So when i play my CDs in 6ch stereo mode is it driving 6 channels? even though i only have 5 speakers? will it damage anything?

Why do my sources (cd player, dvd player, cable box, and tuner which is built in the amp) all play at wildly different levels?
If i play a cd and set up the volume and then switch to the digital cable box i cannot even hear the speakers unless i go and put my ear against them. the tuner and dvd player are also different but the cable box is very quietest and the cd player is very loudest. They are all VERY different. All are using analogue stereo out only, i set the amp to play all in the same music DSP mode for comparisons.

Any thoughts?
cheers
ekv

[noddin0ff]

If you tell the receiver you have 5.1 speakers in the set up, it will only drive those channels regardless of the mode you use.

Different sources have different output levels. That's why you have variation. The cable box issue doensn't sound right though, could be a connection problem there.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Hi
I just purchased my first HT system thanks to all here who helped me make good decisions on components.
I have a couple of set up questions. First i have purchased, Yamaha RXV557 amp, Polk RM6005 with Sub. Yamaha CDC585 CD player.

Questions.
I have 5.1 speakers. I have set up the amp for 5.1 in the setup menu. So when i play my CDs in 6ch stereo mode is it driving 6 channels? even though i only have 5 speakers? will it damage anything?

No it won't damage a thing. Whatever information is in the 6th channel is discarded.

Why do my sources (cd player, dvd player, cable box, and tuner which is built in the amp) all play at wildly different levels?
If i play a cd and set up the volume and then switch to the digital cable box i cannot even hear the speakers unless i go and put my ear against them. the tuner and dvd player are also different but the cable box is very quietest and the cd player is very loudest. They are all VERY different. All are using analogue stereo out only, i set the amp to play all in the same music DSP mode for comparisons.

Any thoughts?
cheers
ekv

All of your component have different output sensitivites. One might have x millivolts, another z millivots. Some components(like my processor) have circuits that equal out all sources so you hear pretty close to the same volume from all sources. But there is still a huge difference when I switch from DVD to multichannel input when I use SACD Not sure if the Yammy has this circuit also.

[L.J.]

My cable box is the lowest of all my sources also.

[kevan]

Thanks
I havent been through all the set up options yet. Perhaps their is some sort of input level adjustment. I also plan to use only the digital out of the CD, DVD and cable box if it has one. Perhaps that will change things.

Cheers
kev