My wife and I have an Onkyo 601 that so far we've been really happy with. Last night, we were watching TV, and I tried to turn up the volume with the remote--nothing. No big deal, I put in brand new batteries--still nothing. I swtiched over to the other components and they still responded, so I knew it wasn't the remote. So I tried to turn the volume up on the actual receiver--still nothing! In fact, none of the buttons on the receiver worked; it was like a computer that crashed and had frozen up. I couldn't even turn the power off! I had to actually unplug the thing and then plug it back in. It seemed to work fine after that, but I had to completely reconfigure everything. It was like the memory was erased or something.

Any ideas what might've happened?

Thanks! -JT

Creepy... wondering if it maybe wasn't that it received a "button down" signal on the remote but never saw the button come back up (happens sometimes with IR remotes, especially if you have more than one going at a time), but even with a soft power button, you should have been able to power it off by hand (though other buttons might not have worked).

Bren R.

that happened to me before,i touched my pre-amp and gave it a static shock and the whole thing froze up on me,i had to unplug it as well

I can't remember exactly where I saw it, but it was either on Onkyo or HK's website. It mentioned resetting the Receiver. Since these things are basically computers with high resolution DSPs connected to high-current amplifiers it makes sense. Sometimes analog interference causes funny things to happen in digital systems. The process for resetting the receiver was prescribed as you performed it. Just unplug the unit and wait for some amount of time and plug it back in.

Ah ha!

From the HK manual :

Processor Reset
In the rare case where the unit’s operation or the displays
seem abnormal, the cause may involve the erratic
operation of the system’s memory or microprocessor.
To correct this problem, first unplug the unit from the
AC wall outlet and wait at least three minutes. After the
pause, reconnect the AC power cord and check the
unit’s operation. If the system still malfunctions, a system
reset may clear the problem.

To clear the AVR 230’s entire system memory including
tuner presets, output level settings, delay times and
speaker configuration data, press and hold the Tone
Mode Button5button for three seconds. The unit
will turn on automatically.

NOTE: Resetting the processor will erase any configuration
settings you have made for speakers, output
levels, surround modes, digital input assignments as
well as the tuner presets. After a reset the unit will be
returned to the factory presets, and all settings for
these items must be reentered.
If the system is still operating incorrectly, there may
have been an electronic discharge or severe AC line
interference that has corrupted the memory or
microprocessor.
If these steps do not solve the problem, consult an
authorized Harman Kardon service center.

Ah ha...thanks, that certainly seems to address the issue. Glad to know that the receiver's probably not defective.

-JT

Yeah, this sounds like what just happened to me last week with my satellite TV receiver. I had called DirecTV about how to fix the freeze up, and thankfully during their hold music they give tips on troubleshooting certain issues. One of them was to unplug the cord for 15 seconds and then plug it back in. Sure enough it fixed the issue.

-Kevin

Wow. That sounds like the usual answer to support requests for Win98 and NT 4.0...

Reboot

jr

Its also the answer for my direct tv box.

I've seen high dollar pre/pro's do the same thing. I wouldn't worry about it unless it begins to “freak” out on a regular basis. My Integra DTR 7.4 did this last year when I was fiddling around with the settings on DVD player I guess it wasn't happy with the adjustment I made... Very weird.