Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo 2nd zone - Denon AVR2807

Does anyone know how to set up the 2nd zone on a Denon AVR2807? I've followed the manual but still cannot get any sound from the 2nd zone speakers. Is there any trick to getting this set up correctly? Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

Are you setting the source for Zone 2, as well? Generally (I don't have a Denon) that's independent from the source that's playing on Zone 1.

I don't use my 2805 for Zone 2 as I have 7.1 in my HT, but I believe Ken is on to something. I believe you have to assign the speakers to Zone2 instead of back surrounds, and also select Zone 2 on the remote/receiver to hear anything from them.

Also. You have to use analog sources for zone 2 operation. Wont work with digital inputs.

And I bet that Brandon has the right of it. I spaced on that...

Shag, you haven't given any details about what you've done. If you're connecting the second zone speakers with regular speaker wire to the terminals which would otherwise be used to power back surround speakers, you have to assign those terminals to Zone 2 rather than surround back in the system setup menu. Then, on the remote you have to select Zone 2 and turn it on.

ok, details. If I leave the surround back speakers to "surround back" I hear whatever is playing in Zone 1 just as I would expect if I wanted 7.1. So yes, I set the surround back speakers to Zone 2. I then use the function button to select the source for Zone 2. I do not get any sound from the speakers.

The analog vs digital issue? I did read this but wasn't sure exactly how it related.

I have a cable box and a dvd player hooked up via hdmi cable. Obviously these would qualify as digital, right? Would that be why I am not receiving sound? Seems pretty stupid to me that someone could be watching cable tv in the living room but I cannot use the dvd player to listen to a cd out by the pool on Zone 2.

Would that mean I would also have to hook up analog cable from the dvd player to the AVR to listen to something on Zone 2?

Quick update: I read a similar post on avsforum from someone else with a Denon asking the same question. Seems the HDMI is the issue. So, I would have to run analog cables from the cable box and dvd player to the avr to hear something from these sources. I will assume I wouldn't need anything if I wanted to just plain listen to a radio station.

Yup, that's your problem.

I thought so when I first had the issue. It was a long hot afternoon running wires in the attic out to the pool. I obvious wasn't thinking clearly.

Thanks for the replies.

For what it's worth, I totally agree that it's an annoying limitation, but at least it's solvable with sources that allow simultaneous output over RCA and HDMI. (I have a DirecTV box that requires me to do the same thing to get audio/video in Zone 2 with my Denon 3808, fortunately it does work)