Polk CSi-A6 Sounding Hollow????

MusikSource
MusikSource Posts: 44
edited June 2012 in Speakers
Hello all, I have recently purchaced and hooked up a new Csi-A6, while I am absolutly thrilled to see it sitting in its new home I find myself temporarily dissapointed.

Direct and to the point, the speaker sounds very hallow. I am powering it with a Onkyo TX-SR805. Can anyone advise me as to why I might be experiencing this and what if anything I can look at or do to fix this problem.

Thank you
Right or Wrong Just Offering My Oppinion!!!



Panasonic PT-AE1000U 1080p Projector
LG-BH200 Super Blu - Ray/HD Combo

Onkyo TX-SR805
2 Pair Polk Rti-8 Front & Rear
Polk Fxi A4
Polk CSi A6 Center

Sub’s Abstract ASXPRO10
Onkyo SKW-530
Post edited by MusikSource on

Comments

  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,008
    edited January 2008
    Do you have it set to small or large in the set up menu ?
    Have you been drinking?
    Is your left ear lower than your right ear?:)
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • MusikSource
    MusikSource Posts: 44
    edited January 2008
    I dont believe I have the option to set it to small just by frequency I believe and its set to full band. No alchohole and lol i believe both ears are pretty level.
    Right or Wrong Just Offering My Oppinion!!!



    Panasonic PT-AE1000U 1080p Projector
    LG-BH200 Super Blu - Ray/HD Combo

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    2 Pair Polk Rti-8 Front & Rear
    Polk Fxi A4
    Polk CSi A6 Center

    Sub’s Abstract ASXPRO10
    Onkyo SKW-530
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,008
    edited January 2008
    Wired up straight from the receiver?
    Did you do any speaker level calibrations or distance ?
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • MusikSource
    MusikSource Posts: 44
    edited January 2008
    Yes wired strait from the reciever, all calibrations were done by using the supplied mic that came with the 805. If I could just understand the specs for the speaker that is posted on polk I could probably figure out what Hz level to set it at. My options are Full band - 40hz up to 200hz any suggestions
    Right or Wrong Just Offering My Oppinion!!!



    Panasonic PT-AE1000U 1080p Projector
    LG-BH200 Super Blu - Ray/HD Combo

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    2 Pair Polk Rti-8 Front & Rear
    Polk Fxi A4
    Polk CSi A6 Center

    Sub’s Abstract ASXPRO10
    Onkyo SKW-530
  • MusikSource
    MusikSource Posts: 44
    edited January 2008
    I guess the best way to ask the question If I understand this correctly would be, what is or would be the best crossover frequency for the Csi-A6?
    Right or Wrong Just Offering My Oppinion!!!



    Panasonic PT-AE1000U 1080p Projector
    LG-BH200 Super Blu - Ray/HD Combo

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    2 Pair Polk Rti-8 Front & Rear
    Polk Fxi A4
    Polk CSi A6 Center

    Sub’s Abstract ASXPRO10
    Onkyo SKW-530
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,008
    edited January 2008
    Though I am not up to speed on onyko's set up guide,that center should be set to large,and the distance set in feet from your listening position.Whenever useing an auto calibration thing in an AVR,some tweeks are necessary by your good old fashioned ears.
    SAY WHAT?? Yeah,your ears!!Leave it at full band,whats the other speaks set at?
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • MusikSource
    MusikSource Posts: 44
    edited January 2008
    According to the Onkyo Manual it states that...

    "Specify full band for speakers that can output low-frequency bass sounds adequetly, for example, speakers with good sized woofers. for smaller speaker, select and specify a crossover frequency"

    Here where I am confused (sorry) You suggest keeping it a full band, however the Manual says "Full Band" is for speakers with large woofers. I'm dying here and I still have a hallow sound!
    Right or Wrong Just Offering My Oppinion!!!



    Panasonic PT-AE1000U 1080p Projector
    LG-BH200 Super Blu - Ray/HD Combo

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    2 Pair Polk Rti-8 Front & Rear
    Polk Fxi A4
    Polk CSi A6 Center

    Sub’s Abstract ASXPRO10
    Onkyo SKW-530
  • Ron Temple
    Ron Temple Posts: 3,212
    edited January 2008
    It could be a combination of room, placement and the auto/eq setting at the microphone position. Sometimes it's just wonky. Do you have a SPL meter? Manual calibration sounds like it's in order.

    Combo rig:

    Onkyo NR1007 pre-pro, Carver TFM 45(fronts), Carver TFM 35 (surrounds)
    SDA 1C, CS400i, SDA 2B
    PB13Ultra RO
    BW Silvers
    Oppo BDP-83SE
  • MusikSource
    MusikSource Posts: 44
    edited January 2008
    Unfortunatly I do not have a SPL meter nor do I know what that is. I am an idiot when it comes to this stuff.
    Right or Wrong Just Offering My Oppinion!!!



    Panasonic PT-AE1000U 1080p Projector
    LG-BH200 Super Blu - Ray/HD Combo

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    2 Pair Polk Rti-8 Front & Rear
    Polk Fxi A4
    Polk CSi A6 Center

    Sub’s Abstract ASXPRO10
    Onkyo SKW-530
  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 11,059
    edited January 2008
    I am an idiot when it comes to this stuff.


    Not an Idiot, you bought some good speakers, so maybe a tad confused.....
  • MusikSource
    MusikSource Posts: 44
    edited January 2008
    Thanks for the vote of confidence. Yes, very confused! I have read and read all the specs and just cant seem to get a grasp on things.
    Right or Wrong Just Offering My Oppinion!!!



    Panasonic PT-AE1000U 1080p Projector
    LG-BH200 Super Blu - Ray/HD Combo

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    2 Pair Polk Rti-8 Front & Rear
    Polk Fxi A4
    Polk CSi A6 Center

    Sub’s Abstract ASXPRO10
    Onkyo SKW-530
  • GlennJames
    GlennJames Posts: 29
    edited January 2008
    I don't have my setup installed yet, but I have been doing a lot of reading ;-) According to the AVSForum FAQ for the 705:

    7. Audyssey detects all my speakers as Large/Full Range. Should I leave it that way?

    The Onkyo implementation of Audyssey MultEQ XT has a known issue with the threshold at which it detects a speaker as Large, making any speaker with significant output below 60Hz read as such even if it is a small bookshelf speaker. Unless your speaker's -3dB point goes down to at least 35Hz, do not leave it set to Large.

    8. Okay, so what crossover settings should I use for my speakers then?

    The crossover is a gradual shift of sound from the speaker to the subwoofer, meaning it needs a little bit of room to transition from one to the other. A good guideline is to look up the frequency response of your speaker and find its lowest frequency (or the point where it drops off -3dB), then add about 20Hz to that to use as the crossover setting. That said, the crossover's slope (i.e. how quickly it transitions) is pretty steep, so you might be able to get away with adding as little as 10Hz to your speaker's lowest reproduceable frequency. Start with 20, then tweak to preference to get the best transition.


    The lower -3dB on the CSi A6 is 55Hz, so start with 70-80 as your cutoff.
  • targac5
    targac5 Posts: 10
    edited January 2008
    I just received my CSi A6 yesterday and hooked it up this morning. Mine sounds really full. On page 10, the manual states, "Basic Center Channel Speaker hookup diagram. Set Center Channel to 'small' in your receiver's Bass Management settings." Directly under that line, it differentiates between the CSi 4 and CSi A6 by referring to the 4 as "Small Center Channel"" and the 6 as "Large Center Channel"; however, the line above seemingly applies to both. I have mine set to small and it sounds great.
    Polk Audio RTi A7s (front), CSi A6 (center), RM2000IIs (rear), DSW PRO 600 (sub); Sony Grand WEGA KDS-R60XBR2 60" SXRD display; Sony STR-DA80ES receiver; Sony PS3; Pioneer Elite CLD-79. Click here to view my System Showcase.
  • MusikSource
    MusikSource Posts: 44
    edited January 2008
    Now were getting somewhere. Thank you gentlemen!
    Right or Wrong Just Offering My Oppinion!!!



    Panasonic PT-AE1000U 1080p Projector
    LG-BH200 Super Blu - Ray/HD Combo

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    2 Pair Polk Rti-8 Front & Rear
    Polk Fxi A4
    Polk CSi A6 Center

    Sub’s Abstract ASXPRO10
    Onkyo SKW-530
  • WilliamM2
    WilliamM2 Posts: 4,781
    edited January 2008
    Audyssey also applies equalization to each speaker. Try listening with Audyssey on and off and see which you prefer.

    On my 885, I don't really care for the sound Audyssey produces. I leave it off. I have read that many find the need to run it several times, experimenting with the mike placement for to get good results, I have not had the time to do this yet.
  • Boneman
    Boneman Posts: 1
    edited January 2011
    If the speaker is new it will take a week or 2 of use to break in. Just make sure your settings and wires are hooked up corecttly. Then after 3 weeks if you still feel that way. You bough a speaker whose sound you do not like. Its too early to judge what you are hearing when the speakers are not fully broken in.
  • mufsoman
    mufsoman Posts: 632
    edited January 2011
    I agree with boneman that you need to let it break in. Be patient and re-evaluate in a couple weeks (depending on your usage). It should be set to small. Also, where is it located? Do you have it on top of a cabinet or in a cabinet? Centers located in a cabinet can have a hallow echo sound due to acoustics. Mine is in a that type of setup. I'm currently using some suspended ceiling tiles to test acoustic treatments and have improved the center channel sound.
    Parasound HCA-2003A & 2205A
    Front: Rti12's
    Center: Csi A6
    Side surrounds: Polk Rti A1's
    Atmos: Mirage Nanosats
    APC H15
    Power cords by Pepster, Morrow MA4 IC's, AQ Midnight, AQ Chocolate HDMI's[/SIZE]
    The rest is TBD.
  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,093
    edited January 2011
    Set it to "Small" at 80Hz & call it a day.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
  • Adam001
    Adam001 Posts: 1
    edited June 2012
    I just purchased the polk csi a6 speaker and am having the same issue as you with regard to the dialogue and overall sound not being as 'punchy' as the description of the speaker led me to believe. I have almost the same set-up as you with Onkyo and the audyssey set-up. I was wondering what you ended up doing to resolve the issue of your center channel???

    thanks
  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited June 2012
    I think you need a breakin period. I had the csi5 and bass was great, are you sure 100% you have not crossed the polarities? It can also be the cal too like the other said to run again and try out diff placements. I ran ARC on my anthem and moved the center speaker just a little and it sounded garbage after I did it so run run run and run the cal again
  • Inspector 24
    Inspector 24 Posts: 1,308
    edited June 2012
    There should be some sort of menu that shows you the results of the calibration. If the calibrated distance is drastically different from the actual distance, or from the L/R speakers (assuming similar distance) that can cause some odd sound.

    I suggest this because I've done a lot of auto and manual calibration with my Yamaha, and every now and then it places the RF speaker at 9.5' when it should be at 9' That 6" of difference in calibration makes a HUGE difference in how it sounds, especially in stereo!

    Playing with the speaker distances manually, changing the center channel by .5' makes an equally large difference. The sound will go from solid and full to hollow and seemingly echoey. Same for the EQ settings, I prefer the sound of my own EQ settings to what the AVR says it should be.

    Case in point, like others have said, your ears are the best judge!
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