10-27-2004, 08:50 PM
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#1
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Certified Audio Nut
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington State
Posts: 7,032
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Could this damage something?
In the last week I have had my home theater reciever turned on with the volume all the way down so I can listen through the wireless headphones I just bought. However, when the volume is all the way down on the reciever it gets very warm. Now I am noticing distortion when watching TV. I am worried that I have somehow damaged the reciever. The reciever, Panasonic SA-HE100, is almost out of warranty. I really do not want to replace it. What would cause distorted sound? I never play anything at excessive levels.
EDIT: After investigating more I believe that it is just one TV station that seems to have a problem with their sound because DVD's, CD, and other TV stations sound fine even with the volume cranked up. That's a relief but I would still like to know if it's bad for it to have it turned on with the volume all the way down. Why does it create so much heat? It's not powering any speakers. Shouldn't it be using as little power as possible?
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Last edited by Hi Ho; 10-27-2004 at 09:03 PM..
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10-28-2004, 02:47 AM
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#2
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Member (10 bit)
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: southern cal
Posts: 644
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How do you have the headphones plugged into the reciever? Assuming that it's plugged into a headphone jack, you're fine. An amplifier will always increase the level of sound, even if there's no sound and the volume is off, it will always be working. That's just what an amp does, so it's nothing to worry about. Unless you have the headhones are plugged into a speaker output, then you may blow something up.
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10-28-2004, 03:16 AM
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#3
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Member (14 bit)
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: port hope, michigan
Posts: 10,617
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connecting the headphones to the speaker output is perfectly ok
speaker output is 8 ohms and the headphones are 8 ohms also, so they are perfectly safe to connect that way.
I would just be carefull to not turn up the volume too high with the headphones on my head.
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10-28-2004, 10:17 AM
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#4
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Member (10 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Tucker Ga. USA
Posts: 953
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The speaker output power can blow headphones (or the link) to pieces. Better not to risk using them there.
Last edited by edfair; 10-28-2004 at 10:20 AM..
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10-28-2004, 10:27 AM
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#5
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 507
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by bailey
connecting the headphones to the speaker output is perfectly ok
speaker output is 8 ohms and the headphones are 8 ohms also, so they are perfectly safe to connect that way.
I would just be carefull to not turn up the volume too high with the headphones on my head.
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But if the speaker output is amlified for a 200Watt speaker and you plug those headphones in, sure somethings gonna blow eventually.
The amlifier or the resistor may both be getting warm. |
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10-28-2004, 11:49 AM
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#6
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Member (14 bit)
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: port hope, michigan
Posts: 10,617
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it would blow your ear drum's first
he he
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10-28-2004, 12:00 PM
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#7
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 507
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by bailey
it would blow your ear drum's first
he he
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Ya, that's right. When that happens, I should notice that something's wrong. |
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10-28-2004, 02:28 PM
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#8
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Certified Audio Nut
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington State
Posts: 7,032
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I should have clarified. The wireless headphones are connected to the line out on the reciever. Therefore, the amplifier should not be powering anything since it is turned all the way down. Why does it get so hot? The front speakers are 4 OHM and the reciever is capable of powering 4 OHM speakers. It is set accordingly. Do 4 OHM speakers make it run hotter?
Last edited by Hi Ho; 10-28-2004 at 02:31 PM..
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10-28-2004, 02:37 PM
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#9
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Member (14 bit)
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: port hope, michigan
Posts: 10,617
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its a ohms-law thing, two speakers of 4 ohms each wired in series will be 8 ohms.
it would really depend how many speakers are in the cabinet and how they are wired, but 8 ohms has been the standard for as long as I can remember
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10-28-2004, 02:52 PM
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#10
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 507
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8 ohm is the standard for most speakers. But if it is a really big speaker they can very likely be 4 ohm.
What gets hot? the receiver or headphone thing?
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10-28-2004, 02:58 PM
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#11
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Certified Audio Nut
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington State
Posts: 7,032
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The reciever gets hot. What's odd is the fact that it is almost cool to the touch when I play it very loud for movies. The front speakers are two-way's and they say "4 OHM's" on the back. They are Advent Loudspeakers from 1977. They are great spekers and that's why I'm using them. Many of the other recievers I looked at recommended not using 4 OHM speakers. The one I have is one of few that said it would work. It says to turn on the "low impedance" fuction if using speakers lower than 8 OHM's so I did.
Last edited by Hi Ho; 10-28-2004 at 03:01 PM..
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10-28-2004, 03:10 PM
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#12
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 507
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If playing it loud makes the reciever cooler than when playing it low, would make me think that it's the resistor(s) that keeps the volume down. See when the unit puts out sound the amp is on, the amp has one level volume and that's "on" (and off i guess). Now when you turn the volume down with an analog volume switch it's like closing a tap, it makes te area or the amount of "stuff" able to pass by, smaller. Now the varible resistor(volume control) gets warm from holding back power and the amp might also from pushing power but it's not going trough anyway. That's the only thing that I think of right now that would make the reciever warm.
If you plug the headphones in to line out, then the headphones have their own amplifier and resistor, especially if they are wireless.
EDIT: I've never had problems with Panasonic's tech support. Call them and ask them if you want to be sure.
Last edited by nubbler; 10-28-2004 at 03:12 PM..
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10-28-2004, 03:12 PM
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#13
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Certified Audio Nut
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington State
Posts: 7,032
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That's what I was thinking. However, the volume control is not analog as far as I can tell. The knob will spin forever. How does that work?
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10-28-2004, 03:17 PM
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#14
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 507
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Hi Ho
That's what I was thinking. However, the volume control is not analog as far as I can tell. The knob will spin forever. How does that work?
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That's digital. But those have different levels, you move the knob so far and the electronic volume control system gets a signal to go to the next level, the levels just have a resistor and as you run the volume down, the resistor in each level resistes less, I think that's how it works, all the resistors and stuff are in an IC. So it might still be the amp that's pushing but being stopped. But if it's hotter than you think is normal, I'd just contact them to make sure, but that's up to you.
EDIT: I think I made it sound different but usually the amp gets hotter than the resistor(s). Well I mean it's been so with all amps that I've seen, I do some PA stuff every now and then for a while and the amps always get quite warm, sometimes almost too hot to touch but never any problems.
Last edited by nubbler; 10-28-2004 at 03:20 PM..
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10-28-2004, 03:19 PM
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#15
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Certified Audio Nut
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington State
Posts: 7,032
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Thanks for the explaination. I don't think I'll worry about it. There is a fan that comes on when it needs to.
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10-28-2004, 03:23 PM
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#16
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 507
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Hi Ho
There is a fan that comes on when it needs to.
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If there is a fan in it than they(Panasonic) probly expect it to get warm cuz all th amps I've worked with haven't even had a fan just a heatsink. And they get hot. If it's a consumer devise (like it is), company's usually try to keep the heat it produces down to a minimal- unless of course it's a heater |
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