center channell speaker settings

bobmorris428

hi--i have a sony strde-845 and a polk cs225. someone disarranged all decibel and kiloherz settings which i got back on front and rear speakers after much fiddling. but not for the center channel. can you tell me, please, what i should set the kiloherz settings to on center bass, center mid and center treble to influence arranging the decibel setting. i can't seem to work out the combinations to detect any differences.

many thanks.

bob morris

dorokusai

Welcome to the forum.

I would keep them all flat, or 0(zero). Are you having a problem with sound or are you just trying to figure out what to set them at? If you really want to set a filter, crossover point, I like 100hz personally. 80hz is another popular setting. When it comes to actual db settings for bass/mid/treble, keep them flat, let the source material work that out on its own.

Do you own a subwoofer? This would really influence that adjustment. What are your other speakers? I use 100hz across the board, and the "small" setting for my speakers, and subwoofer to "yes".

bobmorris428

dear dorokusai.

thanks for the welcome and the info.

i'm not having trouble with sound, per se, just the settings, as you suggested. i do understand the flat decibel settings, but the range of of hz and khz for those settings is what i DON'T understand. the sony receiver allows adjustments from 1.1khz-to 10 khz on the center treble speaker; 500 hz to 5khz on mid; 100hz to 1 khz on bass. in order to flatten decibels to 0, i guess i'd like to know if i have to set the hz-khz to something to achieve the flattening effect. or at what hz-khz setting on center treble, mid, bass i can influence the decibel settings.

i do keep speaker settings at "small" and sub at "yes". front speakers are eosonic rsp 200 and the sub is an older one from a canadian company, called energy. but a good one. i take it that the crossover setting you mention is for the center speaker bass, yes? or did i misread this?

sorry to be so troublesome or obtuse. and i can't tell you how much i appreciate your response and expertise.

dorokusai

I think saying the word expertise in conjunction with my name would be saying way to much

Yes, that is what I meant about the center speaker.

You mean the "Equalizer" menu I believe. This is in fact a very confusing idea from Sony, just in that it is not easy to understand this thru the manual.. Basically think of it as a regular 10 band EQ. Each set of speakers has a selectable frequency point, and then you can boost/defeat those points.

Here are the default settings(6.1) for them, for flat response:

Front Bass = 250hz
Frony Mid = 1.0khz
Front Treble = 2.5khz
Center Bass = 250hz
Center Mid = 1.0khz
Center Treble = 2.5khz
Surround Bass = 250hz
Surround Treble =2.5khz
Surround Back Bass = 250hz
Surround Back Treble = 2.5khz

You can select a +/- db level for each point. I would leave it flat and 0(zero) db.

IF you do want to play with it, no problem, it will just be time consuming. You have to cycle thru the frequencies, and pick one to boost/defeat. Listen to your source...then see if it helped...if not, back to the dial you go...and so on.

If you just want to increase the overall volume, in the entire freq. band, go to the "Level" menu and use it to increase your db for the selcted speaker.

Does that help?

Grimster74

Doro, being I'm a Sony owner also. What is the method or reasoning behind keeping all the settings in the eq "0" or flat. Thats what mine are set at I was just wondering why everyone says to keep them flat.

dorokusai

Grim - I think it really is personal taste. Some people want the music to be unaltered, and as natural as possible....others find that some material needs a little help. It also allows the consumer to adjust some things that may not quite be that particulars speakers forte...like a small bookshelf and bass frequencies perhaps.

There are folks that freq. sweep there systems, and may use that feature to boost or defeat a hump they see on a particular sweep.

I like it flat, I don't really have a rhyme or reason as to why I do that though. I just have never listened to a song, and said to myself, "I think I should increase the 2.2khz region, 2.0db so I can hear that scream better..." But who knows, maybe later.

Grimster74

I hear ya there, only time will tell.

bobmorris428

dear dorokusai--

more than expertise, i should say.

i've recorded the defaults in a file and will treasure them, since i think my fiddling about grandchildren tend to run roughshod over receiver (which has been marvelous).

i've tried the flat default settings out and i can actually hear the changes in decibel levels, something that was touch and go before. this is actually the first place i've ever seen the defaults; they're not in the sony manual, but perhaps they're common knowledge to professionals like yourself.

as i say. i sure hit the right forum and the right fellow.

i'm in your debt.

bob morris

dorokusai

No problem at all Bob, thats what we forum flunkies are for

Adjusting the EQ for your room characteristics, and/or speaker choice is certainly workable, and can produce some nice results. Its what sounds best to you that counts.

Glad to hear you are moving forward.

fgr41

Personally I have tweeked my EQ settings, up'n the high ends. Polk, while great speakers dont cary a lot of the high end rage that other speakers do and I found I like to adjust my EQ to make a smiley face. To me it sounds better but that is my personal taiste and not for everyone.

What I did was adjust the EQ then turn the EQ off and listen to the difference. An A/B test is always the best in my opinion.

What ever you like is what you should go with, best thing to do is tinker.

RuSsMaN

Tone controls are there to compensate for a weakness - imo.

I used to use the bass, treble, loudness, AND a 10 band EQ back in the day. I had to, to get the sound where 'I' wanted it.

Tone controls are a thing of the past now, I actually prefer my gear to not have any at all, or at least a bypass or direct switch.

Why the big change?

Perhaps my tastes changed a little bit, I'm sure they have. However, in my own experience, once you have the 'right' mix (amp, source, pre, cables, speakers) - you don't NEED tone controls.

If your speakers are too bright, it could be your interconns, your preamp stage, hell, it might even be your speakers. Not bright enough, same thing - you see where I'm headed here.

I would be willing to bet, that most people that use tone controls, run them hot (+db) vs. not. I'd also bet that the back end (amp, interconns) could use a slight to moderate improvement to cancel the need for eq'ing.

It's always a shocker what a good, high current amp can do, especially on inexpensive speakers. (as far as 'wow' factor)

Cheers,
Rooster

bobmorris428

dear fgr and russman--

thanks for the further insights. lots of things to try, and i appreciate your time. bob morris