[psinyc]

Hi, i'm new to the forum.

I have 2 Denon receivers, the AVR-2309CI, and the AVR-1709CI. The AVR-2309CI is my home theater receiver with a 7.1 Definitive Technology speaker setup assigned to it (Zone 1). The Zone 2 out of the 2309CI is going into the 1709CI. I need help with the speaker configuration/setup of the 1709CI.

The 1709CI needs to control 3 pairs of Definitive Technology speakers (6 speakers total) in 2 zones.

1. The first zone (inside) is the Kitchen/Dining Room that has 2 pairs (4 speakers total) of Def Tech DI 5.5R in-ceilings speakers. I want all four speakers to be in the same Zone (let's call it Zone 1).
2. The second zone (outside) is the backyard that has one pair (2 speakers total) of Def Tech AW 5500 outdoor speakers. I want both speakers to be in the same Zone (Zone 2), but a different zone than the inside zone.

So, I have a couple questions here:

1. There are 6 speakers, and the back of the Denon receiver has the typical 7.1 speaker post configuration. Which speakers do I plug into which posts on the back of the receiver?
2. Do i plug them in arbitrarily, like, 2 speakers in the front, 2 speakers in the rear, and 2 speakers in the surround?
3. Does it matter which speaker go into which posts? I would think so, meaning the 2 outside speakers have to be plugged into the receiver so that the reciver can send a different source (if desired) to Zone 2 (these speakers), right?
4. What audio mode should I set this receiver to? Meaning, I don't want it to "seperate" out the signal into surrond, right? Do I set it to stereo or mono (sorry if this is a stupid question)?
5. What is the best practice for each pair of speakers in terms of what audio gets "sent to them"? Meaning for the 2 speaker in the kitchen for example, is one speaker all "right" and the other speaker all "left", or do both speaker get both "right and left"?

Lastly, I didn't go with a speaker selector because there are only 3 pairs of speakers - I beleive I do not need one with 3 pairs, but would for 4 pairs, or more ...

Thanks for the help!

Pete

[dwhite]

Answers to your questions:

1 and 2 and 3: For your Zone 1 on the 1709, plug your 4 speakers in to the FL, FR, RL and RL. For zone 2 plug your 2 outside speakers into SBL and SBR. You will have to configure the amp for AMP assign : Zone 2. This will allow the outside speakers to have a different input to the main zone (more on this later). Plug each pair of speakers in each L and R pair.

4 and 5. 5.1/7.1 Stereo will give you the stereo signal to each pair of speakers in the main zone. Zone 2 is already setup as a stereo.

For all your sources, you are aware that zone 2 functionality (on both the 1709 and the 2309) only works with analog sources. So no digital inputs (HDMI, optical or digital coax) are transferred to the second zone. A lot of sources have both digital and analog outputs active at the same time, so you can plug both in from the same source, with the amp recognising that the digital input is to be used for the mian zone and the analog input for the sub zone.

Presumably as well as the 2309 as an input to the 1709, you will also have some other sources connected to it, otherwise I don't understand what you need the multizone capability of the 1709 for? To summarise these points, you will have three zones:

Zone 1 (2309): which can select any input (both digital and analog) on the 2309. Also output a separate input (analog only) to the 1709.

Zone 2 (1709 main zone): which can select any local input (both digital and analog) and the zone 2 output of 2309. Also output a separate input (analog only) to Zone 3.

Zone 3 (1709 Zone 2): Will output either the analog output selected on the 2309 or a local anlaog output on the 1709.

[psinyc]

this was very helpful all makes sense.

I will refer to the manual for the amp assign on the Zone 2 of the 1709, presumably, I hope, it's fairly straight-forward ...

Also, for this particular setup it sounds like I can always have the receiver set to 5.1/7.1 stereo, as I will not play surround in these zones; is it a correct assumption that I'm maxed out at 3 pairs of speakers on the 1709 in this configuration without a speaker selector?

I remember reading that Zone 2 functionality is analog (that means RCA connection, right), so one last question on this:

• does this mean the "source" (or first) connection, or the "final" connection? Meaning, for each of these scenarios, is this correct:
  1. Digitial Source on Zone 1 (either receiver) = OK
  2. Analog ONLY for Zone 2 (either receiver)
  3. Connect 2309 to 1709 with RCA cables ONLY, right? Does it matter what IN I use on the 1709?
  4. Analog source into 2309, passed to 1709 (via RCA), played on Zone 1 or Zone 2 of 1709 = OK (is this right, and it can only be RCA, right)
  5. Digital source into 2309, passed to 1709 (via analog - RCA), played on Zone 1 or Zone 2 of 1709 = ?? (does this work)

Thanks much.
Pete

[dwhite]

1, Correct, although the digital input must be connected to the amplifier in question, it won't be transferred to zone 2. So a digital input on the 2309 won't get to the 1709.

2. Correct

3. Correct. No it doesn't matter what analog input you use.

4. Correct.

5. See answer to 1.

[psinyc]

got it, last question:

so if I have a blu ray HDMI IN to the 2309, playing in 7.1 surround off of Zone 1, and an RCA to the 1709, it will not play the audio on the 1709 - right?

to make it work, it sounds like I need to have the HDMI and an analog out of the blu ray into the 2309, and an RCA into the 1709, and the 1709 will be smart enough to pick up the analog signal? is this right?

thanks a lot!

[dwhite]

Yes except its the 2309 thats clever enough to use the HDMI for zone 1 and the analog input connected to the same input for zone 2. In your setup the 1709 will only ever recieve whatever zone 2 output is set to on the 2309, it doesn't have any choice in the matter.

However, I'm not that familiar with bluray players, you will have to make sure it has stereo rca outs and that these are active at the same time as HDMI audio is.

[psinyc]

thanks for all the input, it was a great help.
Thanks.