Different speaker cables for rear satellites

KingsGambit

Established Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2014
Messages
249
Reaction score
184
Points
94
Hi all, I am having a bit of a headache with my home entertainment setup and hoping for a solution. I think I know what the answer will be, but I really would love a little assurance because I'm hoping to have a setup that will bring some years of enjoyment and headaches in the new home keep cropping up.

I recently bought Monitor Audio silver speakers. 200s front, 150 centre, 50s rears. I have a Marantz SR6015 receiver and bought QED Silver Anniversary XT cables: 2x 4m for Front L & R, 2m for Centre and 2x 2m for each rear L & R because of the in-wall run. When I try to use the Audessey configuration, as it gets to the rears the amp shuts down for speaker protection. There may be two wires shorting somewhere in the wall and I don't have the time, money or inclination to fix it, and am gutted that after spending the money to get it run, and the banana plug plates I'm still having issues.

Regardless, the solution I've now come up with is to just run new cables around the skirting and ignore the in-wall run entirely, connecting speakers directly to amp. But the trunking I have is too small for 2x QED Silver Anniversary XT. It could however take 2x QED Silver Micro which looks okay to me. If I ran 2x 10m QED Silver Micro for the rears and kept the fronts as above, am I going to have any issues, with sound or with the amp? I'm mostly watching film/TV, followed by gaming, followed by music.

I think I can guess what the answers will be but I'd love to know what folks who know more about this than I do think. I've already spent so much and want to enjoy a nice system headache free. Thanks so much in advance.
 
Speaker cable - anything if a suitable cross section will do.

Test - are you saying the amp ‘works’ (sends sound to the Surrounds from whatever source is playing) and only shuts down when you run the Audessey configuration?

Joe
 
Speaker cable - anything if a suitable cross section will do.

Test - are you saying the amp ‘works’ (sends sound to the Surrounds from whatever source is playing) and only shuts down when you run the Audessey configuration?

Joe
Hi Joe, Thank you very much for the reply. I was fairly sure it would be fine but am glad for a little assurance.

I can here quiet sound from the rears ordinarily, but while trying to configure the whole setup with Audessey, as it cycles thru the speakers with the chirping sounds it goes into "speaker protection mode" when it reaches the rears. There's an in-wall run with a plate at each end with screws on the inside and banana plug ports on the outside. I screwed the bare speaker wire to the plates myself and was sure they were fine, tho there might be a phase issue. But if the amp is shutting down, search-fu suggested there's a short somewhere.

I was quite chuffed once all the speakers, plates and amp were setup, then quite deflated when Audessey shut down the amp.
 
If you can temporarily move the Surround speakers you could try taking them to the AVR and use a short run of loudspeaker cable to test the system with the in-wall cables not being used.

Joe
 
Good advice from Joe. Best to check the speakers themselves by bring them to the amp to rule them out as a potential problem. If they work fine and there's no safety shutdown then it's likely the cable has a break or is touching something to short out.
 
If you can temporarily move the Surround speakers you could try taking them to the AVR and use a short run of loudspeaker cable to test the system with the in-wall cables not being used.

Joe
Good advice from Joe. Best to check the speakers themselves by bring them to the amp to rule them out as a potential problem. If they work fine and there's no safety shutdown then it's likely the cable has a break or is touching something to short out.
Thank you both for this sensible advice. This is relatively straightforward since the rears are small and light and I have the 2m cables. I do hope it isn't them at fault.
 
I purchased two 10m QED Silver Micro cables and managed to run them around my room with some micro trunking I still had. Pleased to say it's working now. I have some settings tweaks to make, and while I'm a bit disappointed of the issues with the in-wall cabling fault, at least I finally have a home theatre setup that works and works well :)
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom