# Muffled sound front speakers with Denon receiver



## thebrasiers (Jan 1, 2018)

I have a Denon AVR-1604 receiver and Definitive center, front, back speakers and a subwoofer. Audio components are a TV, Blu-ray, Amazon fire TV and a Wii. The TV is connected through a TOSLink that splits the HDMI signal into optical/HDMI (no HDMI on receiver). The Blu-ray is connected through coaxial, and the Wii through simple red/white AV plugs. 

The sound from the center speaker and subwoofer is great, but the front speakers are muffled. This happens for all components listed above. I thought the speakers were blown, but when I switched out the right/left with the center, they sound great from the center speaker connector (and the center speaker sounds muffled from the right/left connector on the receiver). I tried new speaker wire and also tried the "B" connectors on the receiver, which have never been used. I still get the same muffled sound from the front speakers.

Any ideas on what could be causing this? Maybe a setting I missed on the receiver setup? Is it common for only some connectors to fail on a receiver while others work fine?


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## thebrasiers (Jan 1, 2018)

No.


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

What happens when you switch the Denon to straight stereo?

Regards, 
Wayne


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## thebrasiers (Jan 1, 2018)

When I switch to STEREO, the sounds you expect from the center speaker (voices, etc.) come from the front speakers and are muffled.


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Are you saying that the front L/R speakers sound the same way in basic stereo as they do in surround sound?

Regards, 
Wayne


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## thebrasiers (Jan 1, 2018)

Correct. In Dolby Pro Logic mode, the center speaker sounds great but the front speakers are muffled. When I switch to Stereo mode, no sound comes from the center speaker at all, and the front speakers carry the sound you'd expect to hear from the center speaker (voices, etc.) but still sound muffled. The switch to stereo makes no difference in the quality of the front speaker sound.


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Check the speaker menu to make sure the left and right channels don’t have their levels set extremely low. If that’s not it, then I’m presuming it’s time to put the receiver out to pasture.

Regards, 
Wayne


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## rossmck (Dec 16, 2021)

Very late to this party so sorry to OP but hopefully this will help someone. 

TL;DR My similar Denon AVR issue fixed by Menu/Auto Setup/Audyssey/Restore. I guess I have to re-run audyssey idc.

In full:

Had an issue with my Denon AVR-2310 where after 10 years trouble free use, mid listening the front L & R suddenly went muffled to the extent that front L & R sounded like they were on Mute (but slightly louder than mute -40db). My AVR is in a rack and I heard an audible click when it went muffled - similar to that made when powering the standby button - may have been coincidence but I very much doubt it.

On investigating:

1. Amp off - I checked all connections first, in particular cleaning the rear very dusty contacts (possible short as significant dust trail between + and -) on footstanders. No change. 

2. I power cycled AVR, no change, so I dived into the audio menus.

3. Quickly found that almost never used DSP modes, in particular 5 channel stereo all worked fine - so speakers proved ok and re-focussed on amp settings.

4. Started to dig in Audyssey settings and after trialling multiple changes elected to Restore, my logic being DSP worked and only Stereo and Direct/Dolby Pro were effected. Voila, post Restore, front L & R channels restored.

Next step I’ll reconfigure Audyssey, if needed, and see how that goes.


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