Reciever keeps shutting down at loud volumes (but I'm using monoblocks)

[93cbra]

Hey guys, first of all this is what I have:
Onkyo SR702 reciever
Titanic 15" sub
Polk RTI-12 left/right speakers (got these because I wasn't getting the tight bass that I wanted when listening to music)
2 Outlaw 2200 monoblock amps powering my RTI 12s
4 Polk surrounds

My problem, when I bought the RTI 12s I knew that the Onkyo wouldn't be powerfull enough to power them plus when I turned the Onkyo up too loud (only when listening to music) it would shut off. So, I bought the 2 Outlaws to power my RTIs (I wanted it really loud, figured it would be unbelievable when playing rockband on XBOX and when listening to music). Anyways, with the Outlaws it is a bit louder but nowhere what I thought it was going to be, not that much louder than what my Onkyo was doing. On top of that the reciever still shuts down when I turn it up too loud (over 70) listening to music (yes I listen to it very loud). I have nothing connected to the L/R speaker outputs on the Onkyo, the outlaws are connected to the "front left and right" pre outs.

Does this make sense, should the Onkyo be shutting down like this when turned up over 70 (which isn't crazy loud) and shouldn't I be getting a huge boost in volume with the Outlaws and RTIs?

Any help?

Thanks,
Jeff

[CBRworm]

The onkyo shouldn't be shutting off I wouldn't think. I have a TX-SR703 and can run it to the point of audible distortion and have not had it shut off or go into any kind of protect mode. There is a fan that comes on once it gets smoking hot though. This is only in 2 channel mode though - I have never listened to it that loud with surround on.

If you are running the outlaws from the Pre-outs on the back of the onkyo there should be no load at all on the internal amp. Unless it is going into protect due to the output voltages being too high becuase of no load - but that would kind of make the pre-outs useless. I am pretty sure that with my 703 I can turn the volu

There are no speaker wires connected to the onkyo at all correct? Nothing that could be shorting out somewhere? No rear speakers?

Maybe try plugging the outlaws into a different AC circuit in case they are pulling so much power that the Onkyo is affected. Do they dim the house lights significantly?

Maybe your onkyo is defective. I have driven 2 ohm infinities with mine and while it didn't get particularly loud, it didn't go off either.

Sounds like you may need a different pre-amp.

[93cbra]

Thanks, that does help to here your experience with the reciever. I am in fact playing it in surround mode, maybe this is just too much of a load. I'll try just stereo mode and see if it gets better.

[Puffin]

Try adding a dummy load to the speaker outs, say 2 wirewound resistors 8Ohms, 20W

[CBRworm]

I think those resistors would cook pretty quicly. It is a 100+ WPC amp that he is driving hard. He would need a good sized resistor bank to deal with that and dissapate the heat.

[CBRworm]

So I tested this on my Onkyo, which it turns out is a 702.

I connected an external amp to the pre-outs and the onkyo does go into protect with no speakers connected if I keep the knob turned all the way up. I tested it without the external amp and with no speakers connected and it went into protect like that as well.

Can you turn up the gain on the outlaws to keep the onkyo turned down a little?


It seems like a time delay - it will stay up for about 10 seconds then click off.


You may need to buy a real, or at least different pre if you need to go louder than what you can do now.

[93cbra]

Thanks for testing that, sounds just like my reciever. I guess I feel better knowing it's not just my Onkyo. I can't turn up the gain on the outlaws because I need the volume levels on all 7 speakers to be the same. I'll just start litening to music in stereo instead of Surround and hopefully that will take some load off the reciever. I'll probably end up getting a different reciever in the end. Thanks for all the help guys.

[cbdb]

if your preamp is still driving surrounds does it get hot? (Loud music can harm your hearing) and going from a 100 watts to 400 is only 6db