Stereo suddenly very quiet

**solmanic** · 12th August 2009, 03:50 PM

Got in the car this morning and then noticed that the volume for the stereo is very quiet. Usually driving with the volume set to around 15, now I need it up around 30 to hear anything properly.

All speakers still work - front, tweeters, back & sub.
All stereo controls still do what they should (just quietly).
It's not set to "mute" or "attenuate" or anything like that.
All input sources are quiet - radio, iPod, phone.

Turned the unit off and on - no change.
Turned the car off and on - no change.
Turned loudness on then off (it's always off) - still quiet.
Tried all different bass boost and equalisation presets - no change.

The loudness and bass boost controls still do their thing but the overall volume level is still waaaay quieter than it should be/has been.

I always have the unit set to flat equalisation with no bass boost or loudness. Nothing was changed since the day before, and I'm pretty sure I haven't bumped any buttons. The iPod has also not been unplugged so the level on it is the same, not that that affects the volume through the stereo anyway. There are separate input volume settings (only from -4 to +4) and they are always set to +4 for the iPod. I've checked this.

The unit is an 18 month old Pioneer DEH-P8950BT like this:

Any thoughts???

**Sleepy** · 12th August 2009, 03:52 PM

Mine does that when I push it too hard. It overheats and drops the power back. Although I still have the crappy standard unit.

**solmanic** · 12th August 2009, 03:56 PM

Interesting. But I doubt this is a heat related issue. The unit was fine yesterday afternoon during a couple of hours running around, but was quiet from start-up this morning.

It could be a power issue though, but I can still get a fair amount of volume if I wind the controls all the way up past 50. Usually I never have to go above 30 though.

I should also add that I generally listen to my music with the volume down so I can hear the UHF. I only occasionally "crank it up" but still not to anything like concert levels.

**Stue 3 doors down** · 12th August 2009, 04:16 PM

It appears the quality of things is dropping

faster than bears in summer

. My radio which is less than 2 years old cuts out all of a sudden

and there are no loose wires. To fix mine I just turn it off which you have then on again (youve done that) then its fine for a day or so some times less.
I am still not happy with it as I know its in the unit not external.
Bring back valve radios

**nice1guv** · 12th August 2009, 04:27 PM

Being a bluetooth one, could the reduction of volume be related to it muting for a phone call?

**solmanic** · 12th August 2009, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by nice1guv

Being a bluetooth one, could the reduction of volume be related to it muting for a phone call?

I thought about that but the unit is set to mute completely during a phone call, not just attenuate.

**solmanic** · 12th August 2009, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by Stue 3 doors down

It appears the quality of things is dropping

Rest assured, I will be fronting up at the shop tomorrow and if they find a fault with the unit only three months out of warranty (as opposed to me just doing something stupid) there will be desk thumping.

Hang on - I just found a reference to a pin-hole "microprocessor reset" button in the manual. The manual has the following, highly technical and detailed information:

"The microprocessor must be reset under the following conditions:
- If the unit fails to operate properly.
- When strange or incorrect messages appear on the display."

I'll give that a go and report back.

**nice1guv** · 12th August 2009, 04:48 PM

Was the unit purchased in Oz from a shop?

I bought a similar Pioneer model over the net from somewhere (Hong Kong maybe?) and it was an overseas spec one.
Worked perfectly for a year until it blew something internally and would no longer power the subwoofer.

Everything else worked fine, just the sub was way soft, almost inaudible.

I replaced the head unit as I couldn't live with no subwoofer.

Put it down to lower overseas market specs, poor quality control etc.

Maybe yours has suffered the same fate.

**nice1guv** · 12th August 2009, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by solmanic

Rest assured, I will be fronting up at the shop tomorrow and if they find a fault with the unit only three months out of warranty (as opposed to me just doing something stupid) there will be desk thumping.

Hang on - I just found a reference to a pin-hole "microprocessor reset" button in the manual. The manual has the following, highly technical and detailed information:

"The microprocessor must be reset under the following conditions:
- If the unit fails to operate properly.
- When strange or incorrect messages appear on the display."

I'll give that a go and report back.

I need to type quicker!

Maybe that could solve my old unit's problem as well!

**solmanic** · 12th August 2009, 05:13 PM

Local purchase from Strathfield or some such high-street retailer.

Tried the reset - not sure whether it has made any difference. Maybe I'm going crazy. If I set the loudness to "mid" and drop the frequency threshold of the sub to 50Hz, then I can get sort of similar volume to what I was getting before. The radio now seems as loud, but the iPod needs the volume set to 40-50 wheras before we had plenty of noise at 25-30. I have reset the iPod input volume to +4 since resetting too.

Everything works fine. I can still get impressive volume out of the unit only now I can wind it up to 55+ whereas before I would never dare even go up to 50 with flat eq. and loudness off for fear of shattering my eardrums, or a speaker cone.

Thread: Stereo suddenly very quiet

Thread Tools

Stereo suddenly very quiet

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions