Hi I am not sure if my amp is performing as designed or there is a technical issue or set up issue. I have a Marantz7500 which I have used for several years. I have for the first time tried setting up a second zone and am using the Marantzs amp to drive both A & B. I have foor standing Mission M34 on the A and Mission M32 bookshelf on B. The A channel sounds deep, powerful and full. The B channel sounds thin, weak and without any oomph. I cant get much volume out of it.
What might I be doing wrong in the set up, or is this just a function of the fact that the second zone has no oomph or finally might there be a technical problem?
I have driven both sets of speakers from A and that channel sounds great.
If any one has any advice or experience in these matters I would love to hear from you.
"I have driven both sets of speakers from A and that channel sounds great."
Do both speakers sound "weak" on the B outputs? I would have to assume a second zone would mean the speakers are not in the same location when you observe this weakness issue. The first thing to check then is whether, when all the speakers are located in the same position in order to minimze room effects, do you observe a weakness in both or either output. If it's impossible to re-arrange the speakers, then you would go about this test by re-arranging the interconnect and speaker cables to each set of speakers. If the problem persists in the B outputs only, you should consult your owner's manual or call Marantz for technical assistance to make certain you have the connections and set up menu switches allocated in the proper configuration. I assume from what you've said you're using the internal seven channel amplifiers in the Marantz for the B channel. I'm not familiar enough with the specifics of Marantz's switching but there's a good possibility you have set up the surround channels to act as full range amplifiers and not as ambient surround channels. If you haven't performed the set up properly, this would easily account for the weak sound as you are only hearing the matrixed surround meant to be in the rear of the main room.
I havent tried both sets of speakers on the B. I assumed that the larger ones would sound even weaker. The weakness is so great that it sounds incredibly tinny and there isnt sufficient power to make it loud enough to drown out a conversation. (not my objective btw, but a point of comparison).
I suspect something like that which you were describing may be happening and the B is being treated as a surround rather than a primary. I have spent a deal of time in the Marantz manual but not found a solution. I may need to contact someone from Marantz.
I thought I had it set up correctly form the speaker set up menu but it idoesnt seem to be working as it should.