Receiver quality
joeygrand3
Posts: 41
I have Polk Monitor 30`s all around and a Polk CS2 as my center. I`m using a Velodyne sub-woofer. The problem I have is that when I`m watching a 5.1 DTS DVD movie the dialogue does not sound as clear as I would like it. I have an entry level Yamaha receiver(HTR 5635) which I had bought as a home 5.1 theater package. I have gone through all the settings and am confident that the receiver is properly set for optimum performance. I felt that as long as my speakers are good I would get good dialogue sound; however when I listen to the same speaker set-up at Fry`s or Circuit City the dialogue sound is much better and clearer. The sales folks at these stores are telling me that the reason is that my receiver is an entry level(inexpensive) unit, and that to get clearer and cleaner dialogue I would need to purchase a receiver in excess of $500.00. I`m sorry for this long post . but would appreciate some advice as to resolving this situation.
Post edited by joeygrand3 on
Comments
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To my knowledge, unless there is a silent killer out there...he's correct.~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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joeygrand3 wrote: »I have gone through all the settings and am confident that the receiver is properly set for optimum performance. .
So, can you adjust the level on the center separately? What is it set on, relative to the fronts? I find that some movies, just the way the sound is mastered, you need to turn up the center to get better dialogue. Specifically, the original Star Wars (episode 4) copy that I have has lots of surround content that overpowers the dialogue unless it (center) gets cranked.
Or, maybe it is just my mid level receiver also.
:eek: :eek: 
"Don't forget to change your politician. They are like diapers they need to be changed regularly, and for the same reason." -
I don't think its the receiver at all, probably just the setup. I assume you have the speaker crossover set at 80hz like most do? Unfortunately one crossover size does not fit all and every room is different. What you are hearing is probably distortion from the speaker and the influence of the room. I would adjust the crossover frequency of your speakers upward in the receiver. Try 100 or 120hz and things should clean right up. I would also engage the crossover on the Velodyne and lower the frequency on that too, that should get the sound of the sub further out of the way which is most probably also contributing to the poor clarity. Bass below 100hz builds up and gets murky and messy, so cleaning up that region should help greatly.
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TRY this ?
When you are away at work, hook the center channel up to ONE side of your stereo receiver set in stereo.
Turn the balance control to ONLY that speaker, put some music on with moderate, repetitive bass in it, and let it play like this while you are gone.
Do this for about a week, everyday.
Many center channel speakers simply sound like **** because they are seldom aforded the opportunity to ereally break in.
Play it fairly loud, but watch the excursion to be sure it is not bottoming out, nor is the receiver overheating.
I use RAP Music to really loosen up a new drivers surround, but I am real careful.
Some Disco or mild Rap should do nicely.
The center channel speaker at CC plays ALL day, and is well broken in.
That may be why it sounds better then yours ? -
I had the same issue trying to run my RTI setup with an HTIB onkyo receiver. The whole soundstage sounded like there was a wet towel over it. I tweaked the setup for months before deciding to up the ante on the receiver. This solved my issue. I was being held back by the HTIB receiver. The new receiver created a tight and accurate soundstage, it was an amazing improvement. I'm not saying you have to go out and buy new equipment. I'm just saying what fixed the problem for me. And be careful. Once you head down the path of the darkside you'll get hooked. It wasn't long before my receiver was acting as my pre-amp for my Cinenova Grande :rolleyes:
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How is your CC aimed?
I had to tilt mine down into the listening area...that helped a lot. My CC was above my ears due to my Plasma Niche being above my fake fireplace.
Otherwise...run it a few db's higher...that might do the trick.Cambridge Audio AZUR 640R
KEF IQ2C Center, Fronts KEF IQ1 , Rears KEF Ci302Q
Sub Outlaw LFM2
Panasonic Plasma 1080i (50u)
Sony DVP-NS70H (DVD)
Belkin Pure Audio PF31 Line Conditioner -
There's a bargain on a Denon 3802 in the For Sale section right now....
I own one (NOT the one for sale) and I like it."You can tell by the kindness of a dog how a human should be." Don Van Vliet -
....and of course we are all for that around here. lol
Unless your receiver is truly crap has low power and high distortion, it is unlikely that problem is the receiver.
When you say it sounds better at the store CC etc. are you talking about listening in their dedicated listening rooms? If so, there's your answer.
BETTER ACOUSTICS
-LUCThere's a bargain on a Denon 3802 in the For Sale section right now....
I own one (NOT the one for sale) and I like it. -
I agree with the posts stating that you should be able to get decent sound even from an entry level Yamaha. In any case, if you upgrade, there are lots of great deals without paying the rent at Best Buy. Example:
- harman/kardon 146 (entry level) at Best Buy: $300 + tax.
- harman/kardon 147 (better) on amazon.com: $250 (possibly no tax to pay).
- harman/kardon 247 (much better) on amazon.com: $350 (possibly no tax to pay).
If you want to stay with Yamaha, there are deals on those also if you search around a bit.Alea jacta est! -
Before deciding whether its your center speaker or the amp, try turning OFF the center (most amps then create a 'phantom' center by feeding the center signal to the L and R speakers). It's a good way to hear the difference the center makes. If you can turn the center on and off with a remote, the comparison is easier.
I just installed a CSi5, never having used a center before. When I turned it on...wow.
The other thing I'd suggest if your receiver isnt too great is to use the powered sub to the maximum extent possible, to unload the receiver of the task of amplifying all that bass. Set all speakers to small, and the crossover to about 100, and make sure that any 'double bass' options are turned off.
Finally, check your speaker wire is the right gauge (or better) for the length of cable. I'm not recommending you buy any 'name brand' wire as any good quality multi -strand wire of sufficient gauge will do. But if you are using the sort of 'bell wire' (28 guage) that might have come with a HTIB, going to 16 gauge or better will certainly make a difference in clarity of any room-sized system. There is a link on this site to a great article which explains all you ever need to know about speaker wire.
