🚀 go-pugleaf

My roommate and one of his friends both claim to have experienced a strange
problem with their Sony receivers.  They both have JBL 3800 speakers (8"
woofer, 5" mid, & 1" tweeter) and a Sony 80 watt per channel receiver.
One is a STR-AV770 and the other is the newer 790 with Pro-Logic.
They both have noticed a severe lack of Bass with the Sony amps.  Both
also have occasionally heard a loud popping sound from the woofers when
playing music loudly, as if the wofer cone were being driven past its limits.
I have heard the sounds, and it definitely seems that the speakers were not
putting out Bass up to their capabilities.  My roommate was convinced when
he substituted a much older receiver that was his father's.  The amp is
not a name brand yet is able to produce significantly higher Bass levels.
His friend spoke with the store he bought the speakers and receiver at and
they told him that the crossover in the JBLs is incompatible with most types
of Sony 80 watt per channel receivers and that he should get a different
brand of receiver.  I have never heard of any such thing in my life.  Is it
possible that Sony receivers are just junk?  My STR-GX7es is capable of
making my cervin-vega subwoofer knock shelves off of walls.  I seriously 
doubt that a receiver could be "incompatible" with a speaker.  I thought
I understood audio quite well, but I am at a loss.  The difference is
noticeable with the JBL speakers when switching amps, but not with others,
such as my Polks.     Weird...

Anyone?

Kevin Molander
klm41661@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu