Connecting 2 systems to one set of speakers - HELP!

[wushu2000]

Hello everyone,
I am having a problem connecting my HT system and my music system to my pair of Ascents.

My HT system consists of a Denon 3805 receiver and a Parasound A23 with audioquest type 4 speaker cable.

My music system consists of a cary tube preamp and a Musical Fidelity A3cr amp with acoustic zen satori cables.

They share the same source player a Denon 3910 and both sets are connected to the ascents. I connect the cables to seperate binding posts but I leave the jumper clips on as I am not biamping.

My problem is when they are all connected my HT system goes into circuit protection mode whenever a dvd is playing. The only way to remedy this is by detaching the speaker cables from my music system. Is there a way where I can get the two systmes to live peacefully? I have tried using a y adapter to connect the receiver and the preamp to the MF amp but the receiver does not send any sound to my speakers in this setup. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Duane

 

[Spike]

Give this a try

I helped a friend of mine with his Denon AV receiver about 3-4 years back and here's what I did. I'm going to describe the steps using your components so you won't be confused. Denon source player hooked up to Denon receiver via optical (TosLink) cable. Denon receiver hooked up to Cary preamp via RCA cables for left & right channels (input 1 on Cary preamp). Denon source player hooked up to Cary preamp via RCA cables (input 2 on preamp). If your Cary preamp has inputs for HT bypass, that's even better. Cary preamp connected to your amplifier, and amp to Ascend. Disable the L/R amplifier sections on Denon receiver. This way, if you want to watch video, select input 1 on Cary preamp. Make sure you've calibrated the volume on the preamp correctly (if you don't have HT bypass). Select input 2 for music and you don't even have to power up the receiver. The drawback to this method: preamp has to be on when watching video. For video, your Denon receiver will power the center and rear surround channels, leaving the mains (left & right) through the (musical) path via the Cary preamp and MF amplifier. Give this a try, it should work. It did for my friend's sytem.

Good luck
Spike

 

[EricE]

The safest way is to detach the speaker cables depending on which amp you are running. It looks like you have totaly separate audio and HT systems and the only common link between the two are the speakers oops...and the Denon DVD player.

How do you hook up both the receiver and the pre to the DVD player? Digital out to the receiver and LR RCA to the pre?

 

[kach22i]

I ended up purchasing some used M&K (little speakers) and 50 cents a foot speaker wire when I seperated out my system. For H.T. it's hard to beat the bang for the buck M&K's. You can pick up a $99 DVD player or combo VCR/DVD player for the H.T..............unless that's beneath you.

Sounds like you could fry something pretty easily.....................isn't the Cary an out of phase unit?

 

[DTB300]

Hello everyone,
I am having a problem connecting my HT system and my music system to my pair of Ascents.

For me two channel is priority, but I have HT Receiver for movies and "some" SACD's and DVD-A's. Did a mainstream fairly cheap HT Receiver solution primarily for movies and some multichannel music. I do this now with my CLSIIz's - the key is a PreAmp with HT Processor Loop and HT processor/receiver with Pre Outs for at least mains.

That way you run the front speakers from the HT unit out the Pre Outs to the HT Processor on the PreAmp. The preamp then goes to your main amps for the Ascents (me = CLSIIz's) and your amps power the Ascents, not the HT Receiver. This allows the HT volume control as a controlling level when using multichannel, when playing two channel, the PreAmp controls the volume levels.

For my setup I also pre out the surround speakers as I have dedicated amps for those speakers. My HT Receiver is a Yamaha - and it only powers the Center Channel and the Rear Surrounds (not main surrounds). Everything else has dedicated power amps to drive them. Universal is a Denon 2200 for now as I am having another player modded for better SACD playback.

So it would go like this:

RedBook Playback or Two Channel SACD

DVD -> CoAx or RCA for SACD -> DAC (only for RedBook)-> Pre Amp -> (one set of outputs to Xover, and one set to Power Amps for CLSIIz') XOver ->Power Amps (sub and mains) -> Speakers

Multi-Channel Playback or Movies

DVD -> Optical -> Yamaha -> Pre Out -> PreAmp HT Processor Loop-> (one set of outputs to Xover, and one set to Power Amps for CLSIIz') XOver ->Power Amps (sub and mains) -> Speakers

Confused? I was for a while until I understood the HT Procssor Loop. That is the key to the whole thing. BTW, I do not use the LFE on the HT as I set my HT unit to put Bass in Front speakers. The CLSIIz's roll off at 50 with their own electronics, and I have my Xover setup to fill in that bottom part for my Sub.

This works fine for me and still isolates the Two Channel playback for the best sound possible.

Dan

 

[EricE]

Dan, Yamaha receiver too
At the time it was the only one with room EQ and PLIIx

My system is symilar to Dan's but there is a switch on my main front amp between balanced and unbalanced inputs. The 2ch audio is balanced and the HT is unbalanced. Easy one flip of a switch.

The problem in this thread is the sharing of the DVD player between the 2 systems.

 

[DTB300]

Dan, Yamaha receiver too
At the time it was the only one with room EQ and PLIIx

Yeah, not the greatest, but it works fine when watching the movies with the family.

My system is symilar to Dan's but there is a switch on my main front amp between balanced and unbalanced inputs. The 2ch audio is balanced and the HT is unbalanced. Easy one flip of a switch.

Cool...now you just need a remote for that switch instead of Sneaker-Net

The problem in this thread is the sharing of the DVD player between the 2 systems.

Yep... just read it again ..... my bad....two completely different systems.

Dan

 

[Jeff Aguilar]

I have a tube system and a solid state system hooked up to my Aerius i speakers.

I have a Niles DPS-1 switcher. It works really well. It allows two different amps to hook up to one set of speakers.

Jeff Aguilar

 

[wushu2000]

Thanks everyone for the input!
I actually went with Spike's suggestion and it works out very well! I just have to calibrate the recevier speaker levels properly. I thought about the Niles switch but I didn't like the idea of it being in the middle of the signal. Everything is setup and sounds awesome!
Thanks again!
Duane

 

[EricE]

It's nice to hear that these boards provide some bit of help.