Just received VT-12 and STF-2 and Onkyo 601...

[rain maker]

After 2 hours of setting up the newly arrived system, I found that only the center speaker and sub-woofer are working. The front L and R speakers do not have any sound. (i have not connected back speakers yet),I followed the exact wire guide per HSU manual. I also tried to connect front speakers directly to the receiver, still no sound. I am using digital coax between DVD player and receiver. I start to sweat now, and have no idea if it is speaker problem, receiver problem, DVD player prblem, or configuration problem... I am a newbie to HT and it's my first system. Learning curve is not quite flat to me this time.

Anyone would have any idea of my situation? I just want my system working properly.

[Dudley]

Try connecting all of the speakers directly to the reciever left and right front (in pairs) to see if they work. The reciever should be in stereo mode. If they do not work then try the speakers one by one connected to the center channel output (which you have said works). This way you can at least see that the speakers are working. Another way to test the speakers is to run the built in test tone from one speaker to the next.

If all of the speakers are working then hook them up to the reciever and we can start getting that set up right. Are you playing multichannel sources? Do you have the "direct" button pushed in? Is the "A" speaker button pushed (you could try this first)? Have you selected the right type of audio input? Should be set to auto. Is your DVD source set to coax on the input setup? Do you have all of the speakers set to yes in the speaker setup on the reciever?

Try some of these things and post the results. Then we can help figure out your problem.

Don't let it get you down. It can take a while to set everything up. It will be worth it.

[cschang]

Dudley has you in good hands right now.

It may take some time, but in the end you will be rewarded.

[rain maker]

Originally Posted by Dudley

Try connecting all of the speakers directly to the reciever left and right front (in pairs) to see if they work. The reciever should be in stereo mode. If they do not work then try the speakers one by one connected to the center channel output (which you have said works). This way you can at least see that the speakers are working. Another way to test the speakers is to run the built in test tone from one speaker to the next.

If all of the speakers are working then hook them up to the reciever and we can start getting that set up right. Are you playing multichannel sources? Do you have the "direct" button pushed in? Is the "A" speaker button pushed (you could try this first)? Have you selected the right type of audio input? Should be set to auto. Is your DVD source set to coax on the input setup? Do you have all of the speakers set to yes in the speaker setup on the reciever?

Try some of these things and post the results. Then we can help figure out your problem.

Don't let it get you down. It can take a while to set everything up. It will be worth it.

Thank you for the suggestion. I connected F/L and F/R directly to the receiver, and they work fine. When I use the HSU way, which is routed through center speaker, not work again. I am just wondering something wrong within the circuit of the center that sends the signal to the front speakers...?! I also called Onkyo and they walked me through the test process to verify their channels on the receiver all working. So now it looks like the problem sits in the center speaker.

[Dudley]

At this point it looks like there may be a problem with the center speaker. Does it make a difference if the ventriliquist mode is on or off?

I would now call Hsu Research to verify your findings, and see what they can do. They may be able to cross ship a new speaker to you, so you don't have to wait for them to get your speaker then send back a new one. Sometimes in a case like yours when the speaker does not work from the start (doa) they will even send along a pre-paid return shipping mailer - wouldn't hurt to ask, but it is going beyond their warranty so you can't really expect it.

In the meantime you can hook up all of your speakers directly to the reciever. You won't have ventriliquist mode, but you will at least have surround until your new speaker arrives.

Good Luck, and let us know how it turns out.

BTW, it could just be some loose connections inside the speaker, if you are comfortable with a screwdriver you could check, but I would wait until you speak to Hsu first to see what they say.

[rain maker]

Originally Posted by Dudley

At this point it looks like there may be a problem with the center speaker. Does it make a difference if the ventriliquist mode is on or off?

I would now call Hsu Research to verify your findings, and see what they can do. They may be able to cross ship a new speaker to you, so you don't have to wait for them to get your speaker then send back a new one. Sometimes in a case like yours when the speaker does not work from the start (doa) they will even send along a pre-paid return shipping mailer - wouldn't hurt to ask, but it is going beyond their warranty so you can't really expect it.

In the meantime you can hook up all of your speakers directly to the reciever. You won't have ventriliquist mode, but you will at least have surround until your new speaker arrives.

Good Luck, and let us know how it turns out.

BTW, it could just be some loose connections inside the speaker, if you are comfortable with a screwdriver you could check, but I would wait until you speak to Hsu first to see what they say.

Thank you, Dudley. It's been a long night after I hung up with the Onkyo guy. I tried to hook up the F/L and F/R again, but this time DIDN'T work. I switched to "stereo"mode, only the sub-bass could be heard, not even the center. I also tried to hook up one of the front speakers to center output from receiver, still no sound. Once I used center speaker to hook up the center output, it worked again. I know it sounds totally illogical, but this was what happened, and has been confused me whole night. I was thinking maybe the connection might be loose, but I plug-unplug so many times for the front speakers, still no sound. What's stranger is when playing music and dvd, center and F/L worked, not the F/R. But when used test function on the receiver, only center speaker sends out the signal (of course and the sub). Now for tomrrow, I have to call all the vendors involved in my HT system to figure out what is really wrong. Speakers? Receiver? or even wire?! I wish I could have some expert coming to my home and see all these. What shall I do...?

[Dudley]

Non repeating glitches are the hardest to diagnose. When you change speakers and get different results, are you leaving the wire attached to the reciever or the speakers? It could be some bad connections, are the speaker wires frayed out anywhere so they might be short circuiting?

If the center output is working then try each speaker one by on hooked up to the center. Put a little volume into the speakers too, if there are loose connections this might make the speaker crackle a little. If all of the speakers work fine then there must be something wrong with the reciever. Maybe the intermittant nature of the problem is what makes it seem like the center is not routing sound to the Front L/R.

You could borrow another reciever to help diagnose as well.

[cschang]

do you have another set of speakers? Try the scenarios with those.

[rain maker]

FINALLY ALL SUSPENSES CAME TO AN END...

Now I realize how stupid I am! It's not speakers problem (sorry, Dr. HSU, I shouldn't doubt on your products and made you nervous). It's not Onkyo receiver problem (sorry, Onkyo fans, just blame me). IT'S THE SPEAKER WIRE PROBLEM.

I didn't peel off the thin plastic transparent shield covering the wire, which makes whole connection insulated. ( yeah, I did peel off the thick plastic cover, I am not that stupid). Now I'm sitting on my couch, playing Diana Krall in Vent-mode, and half drunk. I will calibrate the speakers tomorrow and during the coming weekend. I might have more questions during next stage (hopefully I will bring up some real questions by then)

Thank everyone for putting all the suggestion for me

[cschang]

OK....now that is a good story/thread.

[Dudley]

Glad to see it all worked out. Had me scratching my head there. Post again when you have it calibrated and let us know how it sounds.