How To Effectively Test Speakers? Help PLEASE!

[Wassim]

Hi all,
Such a rude way to introduce myself to you for the first time... and yet it must be done. If somebody could help me that would be great!

A few years ago I bought a Kenwood home theatre system, which included a receiver and five speakers and a subwoofer.

After a recent apartment move I found that when I tried to plug my speakers into the receiver, NONE of them worked. I invested in a multimeter to test the speakers' impedance. The speakers were 8 Ohms, and the multimeter registered 8 Ohms (give or take).

Incidentally, the speakers are the kind with two naked wires on the end that you have to clip into the receiver (not that I know of any other type).

Do I have enough information to conclude that it's the receiver that isn't working and the speakers are fine? Is there anything else I should be testing for, given I don't have access to another receiver?

Thanks a bunch!
WASSIM

[Netlist]

Hi Wassim and welcome to the forum.
Even after reading your post twice I can't find anything rude in it

Concerning your system:
It would surprise me that all speakers would have died at the same time, certainly when they still measure a nice 8 ohm.
I would go for wrong settings on the receiver (monitor button ?) or a major problem with it like a dead fuse or an active protection circuit.
I remember some old AKAI receivers where system B (that was the rear or second set of speakers) never worked if no speakers were connected to system A. (Front or first set). Just a thought.

/Hugo

[Kittle]

Wassim,

Which kenwood receiver do you have?

I know mine can be cranky at times if I have the wrong combination of selectors and wires hooked up -- I thought I had toasted my center channel once, but it turned out I had it plugged into the wrong output.

Other stuff to test.
-check your speaker wires for breaks (multimeter should show 0 reistance).
-check the input source on your receiver. (random radio station works for a sanity check)
-receiver lights up okay when you poke the power button?

[SY]

It's almost certainly your receiver.

One way to test whether or not the speakers are functioning is to use a small 1.5 volt battery (like a AAA cell). Hold one of the speaker wires against the bottom terminal, then touch the other speaker wire to the top terminal. You should get a thump or a click as that wire is touched and released. If you do, the speaker should be capable of producing sound.

[Cal Weldon]

Wassim,

I'm with Sy, even though his latest avatar makes him look so old (bring back the monkey)

It has to be a button on the reciever. It may be as simple as having turned off the speaker button(s) or something way more complex...

like a monitor button

Let us know how it goes and welcome to the forum.

Cal