# Sony 5400ES driven to Protection Mode today



## jmmdm2 (Mar 3, 2009)

I was home alone for once today... decided to watch Transporter 2 right around reference level (-1.5) and about 1/3 into the movie, the AVR shut down and flashed "Protector" at me. This is the first time it's happened. I reached above the AVR and it really wasn't that hot. I've had car audio amps get so hot I couldn't touch them and they never shut down. Granted, the audio on Transporter 2 was very tough on the system but to shut down? I only have 5 channels driven and the receiver is a 7.1 configuration.

Are the SVS MTS-01's too much for the amp section of the AVR? I hope this issue can be solved by adding an amp to the system to run the mains.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
The SVS's are not super efficient Speakers, but they were certainly designed with AVR's being the primary means of amplification in mind.
Are your channels level matched? Also, have you increased the levels on the individual channels much beyond zero? If so, your Reference Level will occur at a lower point.

It is not that uncommon for AVR's to go into Protection Mode. After reading your AVR's 5 Channel All Channels Driven rating of 40 watts per channel:http://www.hometheatermag.com/receivers/sony_str-da5400es_av_receiver/index3.html
I can definitely see why it happened. I really do not like the tested output power being so much lower than its Rated Performance considering its MSRP. (40 tested/120 rated) This is one of my biggest Pet Peeves are AVR's that grossly overrate their rated output power. Onkyo's upper range actually often meets or exceeds its rated specs. As do upper level Denon's.

If you notice that your AVR constantly does this in the future, you really might want to consider adding an outboard amplifier. Hopefully, this is an isolated incident. And a outboard amplifier would definitely minimize the chances of thermal overload. I hate to say it, but your 5 channels driven power is not that high. Usually AVR's this expensive come far closer to meeting its rated specs.
Cheers,
JJ


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## jmmdm2 (Mar 3, 2009)

Wow, that rating is... painful. I was under the impression the AVR was putting out 100w and above. 40 watts is awful.

The channels are level matched by the receiver's mic. The front 3 channels are all at 0db and the rear surrounds are +2dbs. I'm not using a sub at the moment and the x-over points are letting full range pass to the speakers. That may be an issue as well.

40 watts is a major issue for me after spending so much on that AVR. I'll be hunting for amps in a moment.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Jason, I was quite surprised when I read the test results. If you have just purchased it, you might want to consider returning it. Don't get me wrong, an outboard amplifier will almost always give you more power than a AVR. The Denon AVR-5805 is one of a handful of AVR's that might actually have more power than some cheap multichannel amps. But this is an exceedingly rare example and still high powered multichannel amplifiers are still more powerful.

Something like Emotiva's XPA-5 is a very popular choice. http://emotiva.com/xpa5.shtm Unfortunately, it did go back to its regular price as it was on sale for 699. Still a great buy at 799.

You could also pick up something used like a Sunfire, Parasound, B&K, etc.. There is also the option of Pro Amps like Behringer, Crown, etc..
Cheers,
JJ


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## jmmdm2 (Mar 3, 2009)

Thank you for the info and suggestions Jack. I've been on ebay just looking at what's out there, nothing of any real value has caught my eye yet. There's a Rotel dealer about a half hour away so I may check out one of those amps.

The Sony was my choice thanks to CNET. I had been a car audio guy for years and I had no clue about home audio. I also hadn't found The Shack yet either. CNET pointed me in the right direction when I purchased my Sony LCD TV (46XBR4). The TV was amazing so I went back to CNET and found the SONY STR DA5400 ES as their current top AVR. Now being a car audio guy... I never touched a Sony product, I thought Home Theater was different and Sony was a contender.

I bought the AVR from ebay about a year ago, got it for around $1400.00 so at least I didn't pay the full retail price.

I still have to deal with the fact that maybe the sound quality is also lacking. I once tried six different head units in my car because I didn't like the sound after my Eclipse head unit died. I went back to Eclipse because it had a "warm" sound. I wonder if I'm missing the sound quality I enjoy with this Sony unit.

Even if I add an amp, the sound will still be effected by the Sony. I just can't get that out of my head.


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

A good receiver shouldn't color the sound at all unless you want it to, and then, only purposefully with an EQ or something similar.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
The one thing I do not like about Cnet's Audio Reviews is they usually do not Bench Test the items. With Video, Cnet does provide measurements.

With AVR's and Amplifiers, I highly value Bench Testing to get an idea how a component performs in multichannel and low impedance situations. With Amplifiers, they often specify the size of the transformer and filter capacitance. Some Technical Reviews of AVR's will provide this information, but it is rare. These two items are important for judging how much current and power a Amplifier or AVR will have.
Cheers,
JJ


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