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This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
The house I purchased 4 years ago came with a BEO system, which all worked fine until recently. Now my passive speakers are not responding and I can't figure out why.
I'm no expert with this system so bear with me - the system is comprised of a BeoSound 9000, 2 active speaker sets (BeoLab 8000 and 3500, both working fine), 3 passive speaker sets (CX100 and 2 others), an ML/MCL converter, and an MCL X-TRA speaker kit for each passive speaker set (transceivers plus one MCL2A relay box).
Now, when I press the mute on any of the three transceiver panels in the rooms with passive speakers in an attempt to turn them on, the little red light flashes but does not turn on the speakers and the light does not stay on. I get the same sort of response using remotes - the red light on the panel flashes but nothing happens. I have taken off the cover of the MCL2A relay box looking for loose wires, but don't see any obvious problems. Otherwise, I'm at a loss for how to diagnose this.
Do I have a problem with the MCL2A? The ML/MCL converter? Do I need to just call a service technician to come out? Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I would check the MCL/ML converter - this is the amplifier for the passive speakers. Make sure it has not been inadvertently unplugged. Then check the connections to it from the BS9000. It is unlikely to be a problem with the MCL2A as the same problem is in all three.
Peter
Thanks Peter. I have power to the MCL/ML and all of the connections look fine as far as I can tell. Again, I'm in over my head a bit here but are there any tests I can do to isolate whether one of these is working correctly (or incorrectly). For example, is there any way to bypass the MCL2A and test whether there is signal available to go from the MCL/ML to the speakers?
You could try plugging one of the pairs of speakers direct into the ML/MCL converter. (Make sure that you replace the two connectors in the correct left and right sockets afterwards.)
Guy
Just a further thought, for the speakers to work plugged directly into the ML/MCL as suggested above, you will probably have to use the Powerlink input on the ML/MCL. You can do this by unplugging one of your active speakers and moving the powerlink cable across to the ML/MCL. Unplug the Masterlink connection when you try this.
A note regarding the MCL transceivers: the red LED on the right hand side should go off when the system is turned on from the link room. The light should only be on if the system is at stand-by.
Not sure if I did what you suggest correctly, but here's what I tried. Right now, The cable from L and R speaker out from the MCL/ML goes to the Link Cable connectors on the MCL2A (where the 6 wires and shield are also twisted with another cable/wires which I believe heads off through the wall to my 2 upstairs bedrooms). The third set of speakers is connected to the L and R speaker out from the MCL2A - this set has similar plugs to the ones coming out of the MCL/ML so this is the set I tried to connect directly. So, I disconnected the speaker out from the MCL/ML (thereby disconnecting it from the MCL2A), disconnected the speaker out from the MCL2A and plugged those into the MCL/ML. At this point, I think I have that third set of speakers connected directly to the speaker out of the MCL/ML and the MCL2A is out of the loop. However, still no sound from those speakers.
Did I confirm that the MCL/ML is not functioning? Or did I confirm that I don't know how to do the test right?
In either case, thanks for the help.
Our postings apparently crossed somewhere in the Atlantic. I did not do the Powerlink thing, so will need to look at doing that later.
On the red light, it is currently off when in standby, and only flashes on when I hit mute of any other command from a remote. Any idea what this means?
Possibly a silly suggestion, but have you unplugged the speaker MCL cables from the MCL/ML converter? Have you made sure they are in the correct sockets as the extra pin does different things in each side.
You did exactly what I suggested in my first post, but I am not sure if the ML/MCL will turn on with a Masterlink input (from the BC9000) and no MCL connected. Hence in my second post I suggested changing the input to the ML/MCL from Masterlink to Powerlink - but to do this you may have to move the ML/MCL converter so that it is within reach of one of the Powerlink outputs from the BC9000. Hence the signla path is: BC9000 via Powerlink to ML/MCL, then direct to speaker cables. You can unplug any other active speakers whilst you check this.
In this mode the ML/MCL should act simply as a passive amplifier, and if it works then at least you have proved that the 'amplifier' funtion of the ML/MCL works. The data connections could still then be at fault - either the Masterlink connection (from BC9000) or the MCL connections to the MCL2A boxes.
By the way, when the ML/MCL turns on you should see a little LED inside the amp next to the power connection change from Red to Green. If this doesn't happen could it be something as simple as the ML/MCL plug fuse (but your first post said you had power..)
I have to go in a moment and will be off-line tomorrow due to a trip away (to Struer!), but willbe back on line Wednesday night. That said there are lots of MCL experts on the forum.
Good luck!
Guy:Hence in my second post I suggested changing the input to the ML/MCL from Masterlink to Powerlink
To please Graham, I will also remind that feeding the converter via Powerlink needs fully connected, formerly known as Mk.2 Powerlink cables.
Since the active speakers in use are fairly modern and don't have displays, I suspect they have the thinner Powerlink cables, and the ML/MCL will not even turn on with them - so this test might just bring in another unknown variable.
--mika
Thanks for all of the suggestions to this point. I'm traveling until the weekend, so will re-engage on Monday. But if anyone has any ideas in the meantime, specifically about why my transceiver red lights are all opposite of what they should be, I'll be checking in here. Thanks!