CS400 problem

Whateverer

I have a CS400 center and the tweeter is really quiet. Is the tweeter supposed to be quiet on the CS400? Its definitely producing sound its just not as loud as it seams it should.

Is this just how the CS400 is or think its something else? I checked out the crossover and cant see any visible problems as well as the tweeter appears to be fine.

Anyone have any ideas?

Whateverer

No one?

hockeyboy

I would check the settings on your receiver. Try setting the center to medium or large if it is currently on small. I can almost bet you it is set wrong.

Kex

I don't find it particularly quiet. It can be hard to hear distinctly because of two big drivers next to it (the tweeter is a bit more isolated in most other speakers). I listen to tweeters with a tube, such as from an empty kitchen roll (when I feel the need, that is, not every day!), and since I have RT55 also (with the same tweeter and drivers as the CS400) it's easy for me to determine if I think it sounds normal.

Whateverer

I have it set on large. I usually use PLII which puts a ton on the center so if it just naturally doesn't have much highs I guess that could be why? On Neo:6 its a little better but not much. On either PLII music or Neo:6 music it sounds much better because the mains are not touched or are very little.

Kex: I tried the tube thing and I can definitely clearly hear it that way. So there's no doubt its working and it sounds fine using the tube.

For TV what do you guys use? i.e. PLII movie, music, game, Neo:6 etc etc?

Either way just the center deffenty does not sound right.

Kex

Whateverer wrote: »

... Either way just the center deffenty does not sound right.

The CS400 is a serious center! What front speakers are you using? What AVR (just so we know)?

ohskigod

try hooking up the cs400 to one of your main speaker wires and see how it sounds (when the system is off of course)

just thinking of ways to troubleshoot.

if your in a surround mode and listening to something that doesnt put much to the center, then I can see how you might be thinking what your thinking.

Whateverer

Well I swaped a front with and center to try the center on a main channel and it sounds much more normal. This would lead me to belive its just whats beeing givin to the center but the main I swaped with the center sounds normal.

So now I'm even more confused. Center speaker sounds fine when used as a main but not when used as a center but at the same time a main sounds fine when used as a center.

Any one have any ideas about what could be going on here?

Kex

Whateverer wrote: »

... Center speaker sounds fine when used as a main but not when used as a center but at the same time a main sounds fine when used as a center. ...

There are those that maintain that any center is an unhappy compromise because the tweeter is squeezed between two drivers in a horizontal alignment. Some would further maintain that the best centers are either phantom centers (none at all) or a third front speaker used as a center (not always practical due to the height of large bookshelf speakers or towers).

Perhaps your current setup is exacerbating the proclaimed inadequacies of center channel speakers. How do you normally position your center channel, and how did you position the main speaker you just used to test the output on the center channel? Also, did you possibly tighten the jumper on the binding posts (could it have been loose before you did the test)? In this case, your center may sound better now than it did before, since the jumper is no longer loose.

ohskigod

try something simple, like running your center about 3-4 db's hot and see what it sounds like. when I first got into home theater, I seemed to have a tendency to have my center too low.

did you actually calibrate the system? if your center is off, it can effing destroy your front soundstage. try bumping up the center as I said. you might have to spring for a sound meter and calibration disk if your reciever doesnt have it built in (something I LOVE about my Outlaw 990)

Kex

Auto-calibration is great, IMO (when it works properly). I'm still wondering what fronts you are using though, since the CS400 is a pretty big center, and frequently gets turned down for me, rather than up, during calibration (and I don't find it quiet at all ... especially with PLxII).

Whateverer

Kex wrote: »

There are those that maintain that any center is an unhappy compromise because the tweeter is squeezed between two drivers in a horizontal alignment. Some would further maintain that the best centers are either phantom centers (none at all) or a third front speaker used as a center (not always practical due to the height of large bookshelf speakers or towers).

Perhaps your current setup is exacerbating the proclaimed inadequacies of center channel speakers. How do you normally position your center channel, and how did you position the main speaker you just used to test the output on the center channel? Also, did you possibly tighten the jumper on the binding posts (could it have been loose before you did the test)? In this case, your center may sound better now than it did before, since the jumper is no longer loose.

The center is off to the right a bit and sits higher then the mains, The bottom the center is about 1" below the top of the mains. When I tested the center channel with a main I just swapped the left main and center wires so center sounds where coming from the left main in its normal place. I switched the wires at the receiver end and after putting everything back it sounded the same.

ohskigod wrote: »

try something simple, like running your center about 3-4 db's hot and see what it sounds like. when I first got into home theater, I seemed to have a tendency to have my center too low.

did you actually calibrate the system? if your center is off, it can effing destroy your front soundstage. try bumping up the center as I said. you might have to spring for a sound meter and calibration disk if your reciever doesnt have it built in (something I LOVE about my Outlaw 990)

Raising the center volume doesn't seam to help any. My receiver doesnt have any kind of auto calibration and I don't have an spl meter so I just set the rears to what seamed to match.

Kex wrote: »

Auto-calibration is great, IMO (when it works properly). I'm still wondering what fronts you are using though, since the CS400 is a pretty big center, and frequently gets turned down for me, rather than up, during calibration (and I don't find it quiet at all ... especially with PLxII).

I'm using RT2000p's as the fronts. Its only the highs that seam to be to quiet, There's tons of mid bass.

Whateverer

After further testing Ill have to take back what I said about it sounding fine when on a L/R channel. The first time I tested I think it was just to close to my right main.

So now to me it seams like it would be the tweeter but is it possible for a tweeter to make sound but still be bad? There is no burning on the inner part of the tweeter that's in the plastic facepiece, Not sure what its called.