SVS auto on/off

krabby5

I have the SVS 25-31 set to auto...I just noticed that it os off even though I have my digital cable connected at Dolby 2.1 (or 5.1 depending on the channel)

Is it not getting a high enough current to keep the sub on?

Could it be that my Kenwood VR-6070 might be kinda weak?

SHould I just leave on and turn it off at night?

PolkThug

Bump your sub out up a notch or two on the Kenwood. If there is no bass in the source material, then it won't come on anyway.

adam2434

Are your fronts set to large or small?

If they're set to large, the sub won't be active in stereo sources.

Try setting all speakers to small (if they're not already) and determine what crossover settings your receiver has. Try a 60 Hz or 80 Hz crossover and report back - both of those should be good for your 800i's and 400i.

gregure

Even with speakers set to small, Dolby 2.1 rarely has a great bass impact. When I first had my system setup w/ only 2 speakers and a sub, I watched Return of the King and was a bit disappointed with the bass resopnse. When I got all the speakers setup and switched to DTS, the bass had far more impact. My advice-if you have a surround receiver, just tell it that you only have 2 speakers, and still use DD or DTS. You will get a much better bass response with true LFE than you will w/ DD 2.1, and your receiver will send all the surround information to your mains.

Ron Temple

It's pretty source dependent even with HD 5.1 broadcasts. Some shows are mixed with a bunch of bass and others hardly any. I find the SVS turns on only from the bass heavy shows, CSIs, Numbers, Criminal Minds, NCIS, to name a few.

kingsqueak

Be sure of your receiver's surround modes too. Some of the 3 speaker modes on my Harman don't use the sub at all it seems. Read the manual carefully.

adam2434

Had a couple more thoughts on this:

1) Do you have your cable box connected to your receiver with a digital audio cable (coax or optical) or stereo RCA cables? If it's stereo RCA cables, you will get a stereo downmix without a dedicated LFE/sub (.1) channel. In this case, your sub will only play if your speakers are set to small. I would definitely use a digital cable if you're not already. This will ensure that you're getting the full multi-channel mix, not just a stereo downmix.

2) I have never seen a 2.1 soundtrack on my digital cable. I've only seen 5.1 and 2.0 (stereo). I'm not saying 2.1 does not or could not exist, but just that I haven't seen one. My sub will only play on 2.0 (stereo) if my speakers are set to small, using bass management to redirect bass from the other channels to the sub.

krabby5

adam2434 wrote:

Had a couple more thoughts on this:

1) Do you have your cable box connected to your receiver with a digital audio cable (coax or optical) or stereo RCA cables? If it's stereo RCA cables, you will get a stereo downmix without a dedicated LFE/sub (.1) channel. In this case, your sub will only play if your speakers are set to small. I would definitely use a digital cable if you're not already. This will ensure that you're getting the full multi-channel mix, not just a stereo downmix.

2) I have never seen a 2.1 soundtrack on my digital cable. I've only seen 5.1 and 2.0 (stereo). I'm not saying 2.1 does not or could not exist, but just that I haven't seen one. My sub will only play on 2.0 (stereo) if my speakers are set to small, using bass management to redirect bass from the other channels to the sub.

I am using a digital coax cable....I have one of them HDtv boxes even though I don't have a HD tv...I figured that was the only way I would get Dolby digital from a cable box...I just assumed that most of the broadcasts were 2.1..maybe they are 2.0

Whenever possible, I watch the hi-def channels because they are cleaner and the sound is 5.1 a lot of the times...

I think my problem is the same as everyone's when it comes to cable...most broadcasts aren't in 5.1..

I do notice that my Kenwood is really decent when watching movies with DTS or Dolby...but not so good with analog sources...when I use the analog source for cable (i have both a coax cable and RCA cables hooked up to hear the difference), it is too quiet..

The Harmon Kardon simulated processor (Logic 7?) intrigues me for that...

adam2434

Yeah, with my cable box, the sound level is also a lower than other sources and varies a lot between channels (which is annoying as hell), and this is with a digital audio connection too. One thing to check is that the audio output is set to max on the cable box. But even at max, the volume will probably be lower than other sources - it's just a cable thing.

With 2.0 from cable and your speakers set to small, do you still have problems with your sub coming on and staying on?

If so, one thing you may want to try is another sub level calibration with the sub's gain lower so that you get the sub level on the receiver to be in the plus range (from your other post, you're currently at -5, right?). For example turn the sub's gain down to the point that it calibrates to around +3 dB on the receiver. I believe this should give your sub a little stronger signal from your receiver, which may be enough to keep the sub on. No guarantee this will help, but it's something to try.

kingsqueak

krabby5 wrote:

I think my problem is the same as everyone's when it comes to cable...most broadcasts aren't in 5.1..

The Harmon Kardon simulated processor (Logic 7?) intrigues me for that...

With a Comcast HD setup a lot of broadcasts are Dolby but not 5.1, just stereo. With my HK I can run that in many modes, various Dolby Pro Logic modes which aren't awful and use the sub since I have the sub in L/R+LFE mode, center on small and LR set to large, all crossed at 80Hz.

The best mode for two channel stereo I think is the Logic7 5ch Music mode. It has a bass boost so it uses the sub more and overall it just feels warmer and richer. When all the missing speakers are set to off, the receiver just makes use of the 3.1 that are available. I generally run Logic7 5ch Cinema over Dolby Digital too, again, it just feels warmer and richer.

Now I just have to get motivated to disconnect the 435, drag it upstairs to do the firmware update via my PC. One of the bugs that it fixes is the receiver won't remember and hold the last set surround mode. It gets irritating having to switch them back to Logic7 all the time, particularly when a commercial kicks on in a different mode than the show I'm watching.

krabby5

does anybody else have a problem with local commercials being WAY louder than the broadcast?

talk about annoying

I've called Comcast and they know about it, but say that's just how it is..they even said that people have had their speakers blown..rediculous

danger boy

i used to have the same problem.. finally i just decided to leave the sub amp turned to ON all the time.. problem solved. you don't need to turn it off at night either. leave that sucker on 24/7

Ron Temple

krabby5 wrote:

does anybody else have a problem with local commercials being WAY louder than the broadcast?

talk about annoying

I've called Comcast and they know about it, but say that's just how it is..they even said that people have had their speakers blown..rediculous

Some marketing guru decided that people will pay attention to their commercials if they are 5db hotter than the programming. It's very annoying. I think a kick in the balls is in order...

kingsqueak

It's not really a boosted level in most cases, it's a matter of abusing compression.

Here's a plot of the dynamic range of commercial audio

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They compress the hell out of it so it basically 'screams' at you compared to the show you are watching.

krabby5

kingsqueak wrote:

It's not really a boosted level in most cases, it's a matter of abusing compression.

Here's a plot of the dynamic range of commercial audio

---

They compress the hell out of it so it basically 'screams' at you compared to the show you are watching.

I agree...it's the compression