No sound from front left speaker in 2ch stereo when using CD/SACD input on Sony AVR

[dave63]

I am having an issue with my Marantz CD6007 CD player and Sony STR DN1080 AVR. When in 2 ch stereo, Direct, or A.F.D modes, I am not getting any sound from the left hand front speaker (yet I am from all the others). In Multi channel stereo with all input sources (including CD/SACD) the left hand front speaker works as normal and delivers sound. I have tried different RCA connectors and this did not solve the problem. Input/Assign on the AVR for the SACD/CD input is set to Analogue and on the CD6007 is set to Analogue output mode. This all really makes no sense to me and I’m running out of ideas. Grateful for any ideas/advice anyone out there can offer. Thanks

 

[Fandango Andy]

My first thought is maybe in other modes your receiver is taking whatever signal it has and splitting it between all speakers. However, in direct 2.0 mode one of your channels is missing.

Try these steps to test that theory:

• Test the RCA cables by using another pair.
  • If you don't have a spare pair on hand just swap them around and see if the other channel fails.
    • if this happens you really need a second pair of cables to check if it is the cable or the CD out/amp in where the problem is.
• Try connecting the CD digitally coax or optical.
• Do you have a different source you can test? even a mobile phone using phono to RCA will work.
• Run the auto calibration on the receiver.

Finding where the problem is is the first step in diagnosing it!

 

[dave63]

Thanks for the above. Unfortunately I don’t have an alternative source I can try but I have tried alternative RCA connectors and the digital optical connection. I have also done a complete factory reset and re-calibration of the AVR but none of this has addressed the problem and despite all this I am still not getting any sound out of the left hand speaker in 2ch stereo mode. I really am at my wits end now, really am out of ideas. It is so frustrating not knowing what is causing this, there must be an answer somewhere

 

[Fandango Andy]

You say you don't have an alternative source? Do you have a TV connected?

 

[Gray]

How long since you bought the AVR Dave?
Is it a current model?
Have you ever heard it working in the way you want it to?

 

[dave63]

When I said I had no alternative input source I meant, no alternative RCA analogue input source. Listening to content from my separate blu ray player (via HDMI) the situation is the same, no sound from left front speaker in 2 ch stereo, which suggests the issue is with the AVR. I’ve had the Sony AVR for 5yrs now and in all other aspects it works fine and I’ve never had any issues with it (unlike my previous Denon). Before I bought the CD player a month ago I had never had cause to use anything other than multi ch stereo. I had read that 2ch would offer better sound quality than multi ch so wanted to use the best option. Obviously in an ideal world I would have a separate 2ch stereo set up for listening to music but that’s not really possible here.

 

[Gray]

...no sound from left front speaker in 2 ch stereo, which suggests the issue is with the AVR.

It certainly does.

Obviously in an ideal world I would have a separate 2ch stereo set up for listening to music.

Yes, that's why most people here have just that - that doesn't help you though, sorry 😕

 

[abacus]

Best to contact Sony to see what they say. (I presume you have checked to see if it has the latest firmware)

The latest firmware can be found here

Bill

 

[Messiah]

Can you add a picture of the back of the AVR so we can see all the connections?

 

[Fandango Andy]

When I said I had no alternative input source I meant, no alternative RCA analogue input source. Listening to content from my separate blu ray player (via HDMI) the situation is the same, no sound from left front speaker in 2 ch stereo, which suggests the issue is with the AVR. I’ve had the Sony AVR for 5yrs now and in all other aspects it works fine and I’ve never had any issues with it (unlike my previous Denon). Before I bought the CD player a month ago I had never had cause to use anything other than multi ch stereo. I had read that 2ch would offer better sound quality than multi ch so wanted to use the best option. Obviously in an ideal world I would have a separate 2ch stereo set up for listening to music but that’s not really possible here.

The fact you have isolated the problem is positive progress. Just a shame it's the receiver and not something cheap like a cable.

The fact you still get sound on multi channel leans more towards software than hardware. As abacus suggests worth checking the firmware. I believe you said you had already done a factory reset and calibration.

On a tangent what stops you having a separate two channel system? Most obstacles can be overcome.

 

[record_spot]

Can you add a picture of the back of the AVR so we can see all the connections?

 

[Messiah]

Cheers!

I should have been more specific.

I was wondering whether they could add a picture of their specific wiring to ensure everything was connected correctly. I seem to recall another post also mentioning other issues so I wondered whether everything was connected correctly. 😊

 

[record_spot]

Assuming they're all hooked up correctly, I'm going with an issue in the software within the amp. A long shot, as you'd expect an issue like that to be replicated through more than just one amp.