Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

sek929 · Jun 4, 2007, 02:49 PM

Today I came into two sweet speakers for dirt cheap. They are Genesis Media Labs model G 2815.

First off I have no idea why there are two sets of terminals on the back: (forgive crappy photo)

Besides that they sound great, except for some rather lackluster bass from the 12" subs in the speaks. I figure that it's because the speakers are rated for 500W max and my entire receiver only puts out 415W.

It's a Pioneer VSX 5300 and I can always take a snap of the inputs/outputs in the back if needed.

I am thinking about amplifying the new speakers or selling them. The only problem is that I have zero idea about what to look for. I'd hate to buy an amp only to find out it won't work with my jazz at all.

I ask you, faithful NN audiophile <cough>G4ME<cough>, to help me ascertain whether or not it'll be worth it to make my new speakers sound better.

Thanks ahead of time.

Dakarʒ · Jun 4, 2007, 02:56 PM

Nice SNES carts.

Have you considered trying BOSE®?

sek929 · Jun 4, 2007, 03:01 PM

BOSE is way to good for me.

And I knew that you'd appreciate my innovative use of SNES carts.

Dakarʒ · Jun 4, 2007, 03:03 PM

So, who was remanded to your dirty work?

(Which carts?)

richwig83 · Jun 4, 2007, 03:10 PM

The 2 sets of terminals are so you can bi-wire them!!!

How to Bi-Wire Speakers

sek929 · Jun 4, 2007, 03:39 PM

What if the copper dealy that connects both terminals cannot be removed?

dav · Jun 4, 2007, 04:16 PM

i'm thinking the amp in your pioneer receiver is having a hard time with the 4ohm speakers, so you'll need a new amp. and i wouldn't bother with the bi-wiring nonsense.

imitchellg5 · Jun 4, 2007, 04:50 PM

Bose sucks. I would invest in a new reciever. That Pioneer is pretty weak nowadays. Any new reciever should work just fine with those speakers. Harmon Kardon has a new reciever that is $299 and it's very high quality.

Dakarʒ · Jun 4, 2007, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

Bose sucks.

So does your humor detector.

Railroader · Jun 4, 2007, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

Bose sucks.

Are you new here?

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

I would invest in a new reciever. That Pioneer is pretty weak nowadays. Any new reciever should work just fine with those speakers. Harmon Kardon has a new reciever that is $299 and it's very high quality.

Not if they are 4Ω.

sek929 · Jun 4, 2007, 05:17 PM

n/m those connectors came right off, though after wiring it as per the instructions, it didn't sound any different.

I'm fairly novice at it so I'm going to re-do the whole thing again just to make sure I didn't miss a monday detail.

sek929 · Jun 4, 2007, 05:19 PM

4Ω eh?

I'm not big into buying a new receiver so would there be any cheaper way to boost my system other than buying a whole new unit?

sek929 · Jun 4, 2007, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by Dakarʒ

So, who was remanded to your dirty work?

(Which carts?)

Sim Earth, Stunt Race FX, Mario Kart, and Mario All-Stars.

The last two are games that I enjoy so I can always swap them out for the various other games I have.

sek929 · Jun 4, 2007, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

Bose sucks. I would invest in a new reciever. That Pioneer is pretty weak nowadays. Any new reciever should work just fine with those speakers. Harmon Kardon has a new reciever that is $299 and it's very high quality.

Anything under, say, 200 bucks that you would recommend?

residentEvil · Jun 4, 2007, 05:38 PM

don't take the copper connecting plates off UNLESS you are going bi-amp them. make sure the sets of unused binding plugs are screwed down and making connection with the plate. all the contacts must be touching.

my polk manual clearly states that. what is going on in most cases is that the top set of binding posts connects the mid and tweets, the bottom set of binding posts is just too the woofer. when bi-amping them, you can then have a separate amp to run the woofer and mid/tweets. more power where you need.

with just one amp for the entire speaker, the copper plate must be making complete contact to work or you will get poor to no results and it will sound like crap.

as for your receiver, check to make sure you don't have an ohm selector. many early pioneers had a selector in the back for 4 or 8 ohm loads.

residentEvil · Jun 4, 2007, 05:49 PM

couldn't find anyplace online that doesn't charge for the owners manual or i would look it up for you. do you still have the manual?

Railroader · Jun 4, 2007, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by sek929

4Ω eh?

I'm not big into buying a new receiver so would there be any cheaper way to boost my system other than buying a whole new unit?

The problem is the that there is not enough resistance and you could overload your receiver. You could wire them in series (if you had 2 for each channel) and then the load would be 8Ω.

If I am remembering ohms law correctly, you are essentially dividing your stereo's 415 watts by two. 8Ω/4Ω=2

sek929 · Jun 4, 2007, 05:58 PM

Nope, no manual.

Railroader · Jun 4, 2007, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by sek929

Anything under, say, 200 bucks that you would recommend?

The Yamaha RX-397 will handle 4Ω, but it is only 100 w and is $299.95 MSRP.

residentEvil · Jun 4, 2007, 06:07 PM

hmmm, this site says the selector switches are a joke: Connecting 4-ohm Speakers to an 8-ohm Receiver — Audioholics Home Theater Reviews and News

hahaha; i didn't know that.

Railroader · Jun 4, 2007, 06:13 PM

I guess they are just there to keep the UL guys happy.

sek929 · Jun 4, 2007, 06:22 PM

Railroader, the way I currently have them hooked up is the "A" outputs are powering the mids and tweets and the "B" outputs are powering the subs.

is that what you were talking about?

sek929 · Jun 4, 2007, 06:22 PM

I have the selector switch and it is set to 4Ω and up.

residentEvil · Jun 4, 2007, 06:51 PM

those channel A and B buttons just let you drive two pair of speakers. if you have both A and B selected, you lose 1/2 your power.

don't use B, only run A. put the copper connectors back on the binding posts and tighten down the unused pair. run only 1 pair of wire to the top sets of binding posts to your A binding posts on the receiver.

imitchellg5 · Jun 4, 2007, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by sek929

Anything under, say, 200 bucks that you would recommend?

This here Yamaha is the one that we have. It's a pretty good reciever. Yamaha RX V457 - AV receiver - 6.1 channel Reviews. A/V Receivers Reviews by CNET.

sek929 · Jun 4, 2007, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by residentEvil

those channel A and B buttons just let you drive two pair of speakers. if you have both A and B selected, you lose 1/2 your power.

don't use B, only run A. put the copper connectors back on the binding posts and tighten down the unused pair. run only 1 pair of wire to the top sets of binding posts to your A binding posts on the receiver.

Thanks!

sek929 · Jun 4, 2007, 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

This here Yamaha is the one that we have. It's a pretty good reciever. Yamaha RX V457 - AV receiver - 6.1 channel Reviews. A/V Receivers Reviews by CNET.

Very tempted to buy that right now, I might have to sleep on it.

Thanks to you as well!

Railroader · Jun 4, 2007, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by sek929

Railroader, the way I currently have them hooked up is the "A" outputs are powering the mids and tweets and the "B" outputs are powering the subs.

is that what you were talking about?

No, for what I was talking about you'd need four speakers. I was saying you should hook two of them up in series on each channel so the resistance would add up and equal 8Ω on each channel. I was being a little facetious.

Railroader · Jun 4, 2007, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by sek929

Very tempted to buy that right now, I might have to sleep on it.

Thanks to you as well!

I'd contact Yahama and make sure that receiver can handle 4Ω. Most cheaper receivers can't.

The one I posted earlier is verified by Yahama on their site to handle 4Ω speakers. But it is only 100 watts.

It also has a very low THD spec.

Doofy · Jun 4, 2007, 08:44 PM

8 ohm monster should power 4 ohm boxes, surely? Just don't turn it up past half way or the tweets will spaz out at all the distortion.

(I'm guessing. I can't even remember that last time I used a passive speaker system).

imitchellg5 · Jun 4, 2007, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by Doofy

8 ohm monster should power 4 ohm boxes, surely? Just don't turn it up past half way or the tweets will spaz out at all the distortion.

(I'm guessing. I can't even remember that last time I used a passive speaker system).

Correct, sort of. It depends on the reciever, but sometimes you don't have to turn it up very much to get distortion though.

sek929 · Jun 4, 2007, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by residentEvil

hmmm, this site says the selector switches are a joke: Connecting 4-ohm Speakers to an 8-ohm Receiver — Audioholics Home Theater Reviews and News

hahaha; i didn't know that.

I'm confused after reading that link, can my older receiver safely run set to the 8ohm or higher setting?

residentEvil · Jun 5, 2007, 07:59 AM

my take on the article is yes, you can safely run having it set at the 8 ohm or higher. but, don't operate the receiver at full power (max volume). the receiver will draw electrical power to compensate and may end up overheating, you don't want that. keep it at a lower volume.

Dakarʒ · Jun 5, 2007, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by sek929

Sim Earth, Stunt Race FX, Mario Kart, and Mario All-Stars.

The last two are games that I enjoy so I can always swap them out for the various other games I have.

I was always curious about SimEarth. I loved SimCity. Stunt Race was fun at the time but I find the FX chip make the game virtually visually unintelligible at this point.

I hooked up my SNES in the bedroom a month ago and spent a few weeks playing soccer before I went to bed.

sek929 · 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by residentEvil

my take on the article is yes, you can safely run having it set at the 8 ohm or higher. but, don't operate the receiver at full power (max volume). the receiver will draw electrical power to compensate and may end up overheating, you don't want that. keep it at a lower volume.

Sweet, no problem with the volume since I've never turned it past half anyways.

sek929 · Jun 5, 2007, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by Dakarʒ

I was always curious about SimEarth. I loved SimCity. Stunt Race was fun at the time but I find the FX chip make the game virtually visually unintelligible at this point.

I hooked up my SNES in the bedroom a month ago and spent a few weeks playing soccer before I went to bed.

Sim Earth was kinda lame, I did manage to actually finish a game where the evolved 'men' had a huge global war and trashed the planet. They then blasted off in spaceships and left the cold, dead world.

Sim City 2000 was much more engaging for me, but using a D pad to scroll around your city is absolutely maddening.

Stunt Race FX was the shiz back in the day, but the frame rate gets so slow that it's almost unplayable at times.

Dakarʒ · Jun 5, 2007, 12:39 PM

I remember continually doing laps with the cycle on one of the time trials, trying to get a lap into the 12s.

sek929 · Jun 5, 2007, 12:53 PM

The main draw for me was vehicles with googly-eyes.

Y3a · Jun 5, 2007, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by residentEvil

those channel A and B buttons just let you drive two pair of speakers. if you have both A and B selected, you lose 1/2 your power.

don't use B, only run A. put the copper connectors back on the binding posts and tighten down the unused pair. run only 1 pair of wire to the top sets of binding posts to your A binding posts on the receiver.

Actually, you don't. You have ONE stereo amp and a away to connect one or two pairs of speakers to that one stereo amp.

Pitch the Pioneer, and get a Crown Power amp ( and pre-amp & tuner) that WILL work fine down to TWO OHMS.

Dakarʒ · Jun 5, 2007, 12:55 PM

It was the 3d levels. The demo where they show your car in the glass underwater tunnel was awesome.

Actually a lot of the levels were cool.

ort888 · Jun 5, 2007, 01:07 PM

Wow. Stunt Race FX brings out a lot of painful memories. I went to the store to buy that game and when I returned, I learned that half of my best friends family had been killed in a car accident.

Every time I see my copy or see it mentioned anywhere, it reminds me of that day.

Dakarʒ · Jun 5, 2007, 01:08 PM

Jesus Christ.

residentEvil · Jun 5, 2007, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by Y3a

Actually, you don't. You have ONE stereo amp and a away to connect one or two pairs of speakers to that one stereo amp.

Pitch the Pioneer, and get a Crown Power amp ( and pre-amp & tuner) that WILL work fine down to TWO OHMS.

yes it does. the A button drives pair 1, the B button drives pair 2. both selected drives both pairs. some receivers don't allow both A and B, but i believe this pioneer does. who said anything about it have 2 amps? nobody. when you are trying to do twice the load with the same amount of power, it has to decrease.

Y3a · Jun 5, 2007, 03:09 PM

NOT when your talking about ONE set of speakers. Connecting the A to the mid & tweet and B to the woof just bypasses the crossovers.

imitchellg5 · Jun 5, 2007, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

Are you new here?

Bose is way to expensive and not that great sounding IMO. I've heard Polk and Klipsch and JBL speakers that cost less than half of Bose stuff and sounds the same or better.

Dakarʒ · Jun 5, 2007, 03:35 PM

God you suck

sek929 · Jun 5, 2007, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

Bose is way to expensive and not that great sounding IMO. I've heard Polk and Klipsch and JBL speakers that cost less than half of Bose stuff and sounds the same or better.

Since you clearly didn't get the memo, BOSE is a running joke around here.

sek929 · Jun 5, 2007, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by Y3a

Actually, you don't. You have ONE stereo amp and a away to connect one or two pairs of speakers to that one stereo amp.

Pitch the Pioneer, and get a Crown Power amp ( and pre-amp & tuner) that WILL work fine down to TWO OHMS.

The Pioneer was in the basement when I moved in and therefore was 100% free.

Unless a Crown receiver is 250 or less then I ain't interested.

sek929 · Jun 5, 2007, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by Dakarʒ

It was the 3d levels. The demo where they show your car in the glass underwater tunnel was awesome.

Actually a lot of the levels were cool.

I remember many a race where I went flying off the half pipe things into the water. Even the city course was cool too, man, if the framerate wasn't so godawful I'd play that shiz right now.

Dakarʒ · Jun 5, 2007, 04:29 PM

I seem to remember a trick with the gay yellow car where you could enter the tube area, except on its edge, whereby all your wheels would be off the ground and it'd progress along slowly in this odd humping motion.

Obviously, you'd need to see it to understand, but that's not going to stop me from pointlessly trying to describe it anyway.