Muddled sound on DVD
zeke14
Posts: 7
Denon AVR 1801
Polk Monitor 2 speakers ( a bit old but working well)
Polk CSi3 Center speaker
With the current configuration of my house, I can't set-up a home theater. I bought a center speaker because dialogue on DVDs was so muddled, I couldn't understand half my movies. The center speaker doesn't seem to have helped too much. I use the 5 Channel Stereo setting on my Denon receiver and I'm wondering if I should use a different setting? The receiver has Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby sound pro logic, etc. settings. Any suggestions are appreciated. It's also probably apparent I'm not an audiophile.
Music CDs sound great with the new center speaker, highlighted clarity, better highs, lows, etc., so that has been pleasant, it's the movies I'm strugggling with.
Zeke
Polk Monitor 2 speakers ( a bit old but working well)
Polk CSi3 Center speaker
With the current configuration of my house, I can't set-up a home theater. I bought a center speaker because dialogue on DVDs was so muddled, I couldn't understand half my movies. The center speaker doesn't seem to have helped too much. I use the 5 Channel Stereo setting on my Denon receiver and I'm wondering if I should use a different setting? The receiver has Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby sound pro logic, etc. settings. Any suggestions are appreciated. It's also probably apparent I'm not an audiophile.
Music CDs sound great with the new center speaker, highlighted clarity, better highs, lows, etc., so that has been pleasant, it's the movies I'm strugggling with.
Zeke
Post edited by zeke14 on
Comments
-
-
Are you hooking up the dvd player to the receiver digitally? Coax or optical?
Pro logic SHOULD be the default always if the dvd player is putting out stero/mono.
If you have dolby digital then the reciver would usually default to that....well mine does.
I would check the dvd player and see what it's putting out...check on screen menu make sure you got DD or DTS going out over PCM
ChrisReceiver: Onkyo TX-SR502-S
DVD Player: Pioneer DV-578A-S
Left and Right: R50
Center: CS1
Rear Center: R15
Surrounds: R30
Subwoofer: 10'' Dayton 100 Watt -
This is a common complaint with it seems like all center speakers. Just go in to your speaker settings and boost up the volume for the center channel.
Also for movies, put the receiver on auto and let it pick the correct setting for the movie.
Oh and welcome to Club Polk!Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2 -
Center channel may be too low in relation to your other speakers. Here is a great tool to help you set the levels:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103668&cp=&pg=2&kw=sound+meter&parentPage=search
Sound pressure level meter. Position the meter where your head would be, aiming straight up at the ceiling. Turn on the "speaker calibration" menu, play the "whooshing" (pink noise) through each speaker, and adjust the levels until they are all about even. It is acceptable to set the center slightly hotter.-Eric
-Polk Audio -
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions, I changed the receiver setting to Auto to see how that goes. Dolby Pro Logic is next.
My center speaker is placed in a cabinet below ear level. I did set it upside down, if you will to directthe sound to my ears at sitting level. Another feature that I liked about Polk is the flexibility in putting a center speaker above or below the desired level and being to aim the sound accordingly.
Zeke -
using 5ch. stereo is what's muddling the dialogue in your dvds i would say. That's made for EXTREMELY non-critical listening (such as music at a party). Try turning the DSP in your Denon 'off' and switching it to regular Dolby Digital (it will downconvert to the best possible playback automatically) then increase the volume until dialogue is mostly anchored from your center.
-
Yep, DD for movies (or DTS of available), and Direct mode for 2 channel music playback
