Doesn't matter how much you spend...
mdaudioguy
Posts: 5,165
... if you don't set it up right! :rolleyes:
Went over my sister's house today for Mother's Day. It was a bit windy and cool, so we ended up in the living room, where the brother-in-law's HT was put to use. I was dying! He always spends way more $$ than me to get "better" stuff, but Oh MY, did he have it fudged up!?! He's got a very nice Denon AVR (4310CI), with a 5.0 speaker setup. Fronts and center are nice Mirage speakers (OM-5 mains), with built-in subs. I checked them out - they're supposed to be good down to 22Hz, +/- 3 db, so he can really get by without a dedicated sub. But, the setup.... whoa!
We had DirecTV on and I noticed the same basic audio coming out of all the speakers - yeah, he's got it set to 5-channel stereo! The problem was his DTV was set to Dolby Digital OFF. Ok, I turn it on and his eyes almost pop out of his head! I reset the audio to PLIIx for those occasions when only a 2-channel audio signal is present... Now for his PS3 - same basic problem - I set audio to bitstream, and what do you know? He's got 5.1 there too!
Oh yeah, he wasn't sure what that microphone thingy was that came with the AVR... so, we ran through Audyssey MultEQ. He originally had his AVR set to output LFE to a sub, which he didn't have, and his center was set to small, and trust me, it's anything but... One minor problem - only one of his subs works. He'll have to find a Mirage dealer to check out the non-functional one. However, the one speaker that was running full-range sure seemed to fill the room pretty well on its own.
His video was just as screwed up, as he's got a $4K PJ, and he was outputting 480 from both sources... Needless to say, he had a perma-grin on his face when I left.
Went over my sister's house today for Mother's Day. It was a bit windy and cool, so we ended up in the living room, where the brother-in-law's HT was put to use. I was dying! He always spends way more $$ than me to get "better" stuff, but Oh MY, did he have it fudged up!?! He's got a very nice Denon AVR (4310CI), with a 5.0 speaker setup. Fronts and center are nice Mirage speakers (OM-5 mains), with built-in subs. I checked them out - they're supposed to be good down to 22Hz, +/- 3 db, so he can really get by without a dedicated sub. But, the setup.... whoa!
We had DirecTV on and I noticed the same basic audio coming out of all the speakers - yeah, he's got it set to 5-channel stereo! The problem was his DTV was set to Dolby Digital OFF. Ok, I turn it on and his eyes almost pop out of his head! I reset the audio to PLIIx for those occasions when only a 2-channel audio signal is present... Now for his PS3 - same basic problem - I set audio to bitstream, and what do you know? He's got 5.1 there too!
Oh yeah, he wasn't sure what that microphone thingy was that came with the AVR... so, we ran through Audyssey MultEQ. He originally had his AVR set to output LFE to a sub, which he didn't have, and his center was set to small, and trust me, it's anything but... One minor problem - only one of his subs works. He'll have to find a Mirage dealer to check out the non-functional one. However, the one speaker that was running full-range sure seemed to fill the room pretty well on its own.
His video was just as screwed up, as he's got a $4K PJ, and he was outputting 480 from both sources... Needless to say, he had a perma-grin on his face when I left.
Post edited by mdaudioguy on
Comments
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Nice ! I bet your brother in-law is happy to have you.Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs -
Yeah.
I have had the same problem with my uncle. He bought a really fancy set up. Talked the crap out of it. I get there...was very disappointing. Set it up right bigger wire did the calibration his eyes popped out of his head...told me he would have gotten smaller if he'd have known.Receiver
Harman Kardon HK 3490
Speakers
Polk Audio Monitor 50s
Subwoofer
Klipsch KSW-100
Cables
AudioQuest Rocket 33s 10ft
AudioQuest Optilink1 2m
AudioQuest Alpha-Snake 25ft Interconnect
AudioQuest HDMI-1 2m
Alienware X51 R2
PS4
Samsung Smart TV 40" 1080p 3D -
PerfectCreature wrote: »Yeah.
I have had the same problem with my uncle. He bought a really fancy set up. Talked the crap out of it. I get there...was very disappointing. Set it up right bigger wire did the calibration his eyes popped out of his head...told me he would have gotten smaller if he'd have known.
Oh yeah, he's got a nice, thick set of Monster speaker wires tethering those Mirages to the AVR. He wouldn't in a million years appreciate anything else, so I'm not even going there...
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It was a nice gesture on your part Ed to set up the system for your BIL. I don't think I'd be that hard on him tho.
HT has become very complex for the average guy. If they don't hang at AV sites, they just don't know the right way to hook up and set up gear to get the most out of it.
Some manuals weigh as much as the components
Many of them are written by Chinese interpreters so the translation does not come across very well. Many of them are written by engineers for engineers so normal language you and I use is non existent.
For example, a young guy I work with bought a nice Klipsch 5.1 system, Denon AVR and player. He came to work one day bummed out. Said the system sounded terrible and why did he spend the cash. I went to his house and he didn't know what an optical or digital cable was. When somebody asks me for help, I have big box of wires I carry over because most of the time they don't have the right piece. Should have seen the look on his face after I installed a Monster optical cable between the player and AVR and turned on the surround for him. OK, no comments on the Monster I've had this stuff for years and it was usable! Not to mention all the problems with handshakes on HDMI!
And your right, it does not matter what you spend. I've a ton of money in my rig and I have yet to figure out how to make the remote do what it is supposed to
I can't figure out how to change sources on my dac without getting up and manually turning the knob!
Off my soap box
Gordon2 Channel -
Martin Logan Spire, 2 JL Audio F112 subs
McIntosh C1000 Controller with Tube pre amp, 2 MC501 amplifiers, MD1K Transport & DAC, MR-88 Tuner
WireWorld Eclipse 6.0 speaker wire and jumpers, Eclipse 5^2 Squared Balanced IC's. Silver Eclipse PCs (5)
Symposium Rollerblocks 2+ (16)Black Diamond Racing Mk 3 pits (8) -
I love stories like this. Our buddies make fun of us all the time for being geeks but the first time they buy a surround sound system or their computer craps out, whos the first ones they call? polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st
polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D -
Don't worry, Gordon, I love the guy anyhow. He's an in-law, but really he's more like my brother. I just get a kick out of the things he does sometimes. Case in point - he once was in the market for a lawn tractor. Had to be a Deere. He goes and buys the biggest one he can afford. It gets delivered and the mower deck is wider than the gate on his fence, as well as the doorway to his shed! :eek: I agree that the AV stuff is sometimes needlessly complicated. I just was amused that he'd thrown so much money at it and just assumed he had something "better." Well, he does have nice stuff and it definitely IS better now.
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Good job Ed. On a simialar note, not to extent that you did, I have an in-law that works for Comcast that gave me a not very well known option on setting up the parameters for the box. I still believe that everyone I have checked this way was set up all wrong and half weren't even set up for 1080 i.
Great job. I am sure that you impressed him and made his day. One I am sure that he won't soon forget. -
That is funny about the lawn tractor! I did the same thing I just built a new fence and was proud of it from the get go. My father out law decided we needed a tractor to cut the grass and gifted one to us for a house warming gift many years ago. Needless to say, I had to make the gate MUCH larger!
Have you ever seen what a 12 year old can do to a back yard on a tractor? Many a day I'd come home from work and see crop circles in the back yard!
Can you make the get together at Gary's in Solomons? I'd like to meet you in person!
Gordon2 Channel -
Martin Logan Spire, 2 JL Audio F112 subs
McIntosh C1000 Controller with Tube pre amp, 2 MC501 amplifiers, MD1K Transport & DAC, MR-88 Tuner
WireWorld Eclipse 6.0 speaker wire and jumpers, Eclipse 5^2 Squared Balanced IC's. Silver Eclipse PCs (5)
Symposium Rollerblocks 2+ (16)Black Diamond Racing Mk 3 pits (8) -
mdaudioguy wrote: »... Now for his PS3 - same basic problem - I set audio to bitstream, and what do you know? He's got 5.1 there too!
For the time being, I'm using the PS3 for BR. I had just hooked it up and noticed that I wasn't getting any sound out of my back 2 speakers. Dumbass me didn't think to look at the settings on the PS3 until just now. Where do I need to go and what does it need to be on?
FYI, I'm running 7.1 -
mdaudioguy wrote: »... if you don't set it up right! :rolleyes:
Went over my sister's house today for Mother's Day. It was a bit windy and cool, so we ended up in the living room, where the brother-in-law's HT was put to use. I was dying! He always spends way more $$ than me to get "better" stuff, but Oh MY, did he have it fudged up!?! He's got a very nice Denon AVR (4310CI), with a 5.0 speaker setup. Fronts and center are nice Mirage speakers (OM-5 mains), with built-in subs. I checked them out - they're supposed to be good down to 22Hz, +/- 3 db, so he can really get by without a dedicated sub. But, the setup.... whoa!
We had DirecTV on and I noticed the same basic audio coming out of all the speakers - yeah, he's got it set to 5-channel stereo! The problem was his DTV was set to Dolby Digital OFF. Ok, I turn it on and his eyes almost pop out of his head! I reset the audio to PLIIx for those occasions when only a 2-channel audio signal is present... Now for his PS3 - same basic problem - I set audio to bitstream, and what do you know? He's got 5.1 there too!
Oh yeah, he wasn't sure what that microphone thingy was that came with the AVR... so, we ran through Audyssey MultEQ. He originally had his AVR set to output LFE to a sub, which he didn't have, and his center was set to small, and trust me, it's anything but... One minor problem - only one of his subs works. He'll have to find a Mirage dealer to check out the non-functional one. However, the one speaker that was running full-range sure seemed to fill the room pretty well on its own.
His video was just as screwed up, as he's got a $4K PJ, and he was outputting 480 from both sources... Needless to say, he had a perma-grin on his face when I left.bsturgeon89 wrote: »mdaudioguy wrote: »... Now for his PS3 - same basic problem - I set audio to bitstream, and what do you know? He's got 5.1 there too!
For the time being, I'm using the PS3 for BR. I had just hooked it up and noticed that I wasn't getting any sound out of my back 2 speakers. Dumbass me didn't think to look at the settings on the PS3 until just now. Where do I need to go and what does it need to be on?
FYI, I'm running 7.1
Nevermind......I think I found it. Will try and figure it out later when I get home. -
I love stories like this. Our buddies make fun of us all the time for being geeks but the first time they buy a surround sound system or their computer craps out, whos the first ones they call?
Same here. Nice on you to go through his setup and get everything taken care. My immediate thought was "wait until you ran Audessey", lol. You seem to have covered that area also, which PJ does he have in the setup. Wait until he gets that PJ calibrated and the video will be popping to add. Excellent read.Shoot the jumper.....................BALLIN.............!!!!!
Home Theater Pics in the Showcase :cool:
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=73580 -
mdaudioguy wrote: »Don't worry, Gordon, I love the guy anyhow. He's an in-law, but really he's more like my brother. I just get a kick out of the things he does sometimes. Case in point - he once was in the market for a lawn tractor. Had to be a Deere. He goes and buys the biggest one he can afford. It gets delivered and the mower deck is wider than the gate on his fence, as well as the doorway to his shed! :eek: I agree that the AV stuff is sometimes needlessly complicated. I just was amused that he'd thrown so much money at it and just assumed he had something "better." Well, he does have nice stuff and it definitely IS better now.
We at Deere thank you for the support. If you need anything, PM me.Shoot the jumper.....................BALLIN.............!!!!!
Home Theater Pics in the Showcase :cool:
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=73580 -
Sounds like you did the 'right' thing. But we should also remember that Denon AVRs are among the most 'difficult' for the average consumer to set up and their manuals pretty much Suxk. Some of the worst on earth. I can't tell you how many times I've had to 'answer' questions about Denons....they simply exhaust me so I usually tell people buy something else..how about an Onkyo...that's not that 'hard'? Of course ease of set up should not be your criteria for picking an AVR but Jeesh...when is Denon going to wake up and smell the coffee. Most people are not AVR nerds...excuse my language since some might call me an AVR nerd, too?
cnhCurrently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!
Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
[sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash] -
We at Deere thank you for the support. If you need anything, PM me.
Cool - thanks! I'm a small engine guy from way back... Used to repair and sell parts for Kohler, Briggs, Tecumseh, and Kawasaki! -
Yeah, I've been through Yamaha, Onkyo, and HK setups... the Denon was a little less than intuitive. But, they all have their peculiarities. If they could just standardize. My goal was to get it so that the only things he'd have to do was power it on, select the source, and change the volume. I wish I could lock all the other buttons...Sounds like you did the 'right' thing. But we should also remember that Denon AVRs are among the most 'difficult' for the average consumer to set up and their manuals pretty much Suxk. Some of the worst on earth. I can't tell you how many times I've had to 'answer' questions about Denons....they simply exhaust me so I usually tell people buy something else..how about an Onkyo...that's not that 'hard'? Of course ease of set up should not be your criteria for picking an AVR but Jeesh...when is Denon going to wake up and smell the coffee. Most people are not AVR nerds...excuse my language since some might call me an AVR nerd, too?
cnh -
bsturgeon89 wrote: »
Hey, let us know if you get it straightened out. If not, I can help.bsturgeon89 wrote: »Nevermind......I think I found it. Will try and figure it out later when I get home. -
Same here. Nice on you to go through his setup and get everything taken care. My immediate thought was "wait until you ran Audessey", lol. You seem to have covered that area also, which PJ does he have in the setup. Wait until he gets that PJ calibrated and the video will be popping to add. Excellent read.
It's a JVC. I didn't bother much with it, because right now he's projecting on a brown wall and he's very happy with it. Yes, you read that right! I'm trying to get him to at least paint a screen. -
I need to look at my calendar. Things are always so crazy, but if possible, I'd love to be there. I'll respond in his thread if I figure out I can make it. I'm sure it would be a good time!That is funny about the lawn tractor! I did the same thing I just built a new fence and was proud of it from the get go. My father out law decided we needed a tractor to cut the grass and gifted one to us for a house warming gift many years ago. Needless to say, I had to make the gate MUCH larger!
Have you ever seen what a 12 year old can do to a back yard on a tractor? Many a day I'd come home from work and see crop circles in the back yard!
Can you make the get together at Gary's in Solomons? I'd like to meet you in person!
Gordon -
mdaudioguy wrote: »It's a JVC. I didn't bother much with it, because right now he's projecting on a brown wall and he's very happy with it. Yes, you read that right! I'm trying to get him to at least paint a screen.
You should talk him into an Elite screen at least. A 4k JVC projector, he is missing out on alot of detail and definitely black level performance with that setup.Shoot the jumper.....................BALLIN.............!!!!!
Home Theater Pics in the Showcase :cool:
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=73580 -
i have been on the other end of the spectrum on this one. i am not much of a AVR person. if it wasnt for my brother in law, Grimster, i would have been lost when it came to setting everything up. the only problem i now have is that i am looking to upgrade now... plus he has started setting up my truck starting with an Alpine head unit and Polk MOMO components.......now i am working on getting the subs and amps going, with Grimster's help of course....47" Vizio LED Television
Sony STR-DH800 Reciever
Sony BDP-S360 Blue Ray Player
Polk Audio RM6750 5.1 Surround Speakers
XBOX 360 Elite
Nintendo Wii -
Good for you! Always feels good to help someone out especially when you see the smiles on their faces after. I have always done installs in home and auto for family and friends. Did my brother-in-laws HT couple years ago, then he calls me a week later after my sister decided to rearrange so I had to go set it all up again:eek: Dohhhhh!!!! lol Just recently I got my buddy up and running in 5.1 and HD after he moved to his new apartment. Did my little brothers recently as well:) I love hearing the setups just as much as they do when I finish:DI love animals, they're delicious!
