Qustion on AVR's Music volume VS dialog volume

naturallight · October 2011

I am now moving my 50" plasma into a larger room that i could put an HT system in. My problem is, when i watch pretty much any DVD Blueray or not, I have to sit with the volume control in my hand. The music is always 3 times louder then the dialog, so i'm constantly turning up and down the volume, so i don't get blasted with the music.

Do any/ or all of the new AVR's auto compensate for the difference in volume? Is there even such a thing? or do you pretty much still have to sit with the volume control, and your just going to get blasted with more and bigger speakers?

Thanks for any info on this.

naturallight · October 2011

OK..let me put it this way. I don't know ANYTHING about HT systems. Right now all i have is the 50" TV and a Blueray player. So everything i hear is out of the TV speakers.
Now whats important to me in movie's is the Dialog..NOT the backing music. As it stands right now, for pretty much 90% of DVD's i put on. I have to turn up the volume to hear the dialog...then i get blasted by the music....which i have to turn down. Some DVD's are worse then others in this respect.

If you go with a somewhat decent AVR..... can you correct any of this mismatch between the dialog, and backing music????

PrazVT · October 2011

So right now - you're just using the TV speakers for audio right?

naturallight · October 2011

Correct....I'm an old 2 channel guy. My RTi 12's sit down in my dedicated "stereo" room. For TV ....thats it, just what is built into the TV..Nothing more. I have no clue as to how these AVR's work....the problem i have now is i have to constantly raise or lower the volume as i get blasted with music..then can't hear the Dialog...which for movie's...at least to me is the important part.

naturallight · October 2011

OK..maybe i'm not saying this right....

I have NO HT system...the only sound i get is out of the Panasonic TV..that is hooked up to a Blueray DVD player.

Now OLD movie's such as Major Dundee....the dialog and the backing music..are not that far apart. New DVD's such as Harry Potter...the Music seems to be 3 times louder then the dialog...hence..I have to constantly adjust the volume, so as NOT to be blown away by the music.

Now on these new AV recievers....is the dialog put on the center channel, maybe? Can you control any of this volume? Can you adjust the dialog volume VS the music volume...to any degree??

To me, in a movie....the dialog is the important part..NOT the backing music.

If i can't get the dialog to be close to the backing music....an HT system would seem like a waste of time..if i have to sit there and keep turning it up or down..just to hear whats going on.

Joe08867 · October 2011

With the use of AVR's the dialog is mostly in the center channel and the music and background are done by the other speakers.

There is still a lot of dialog through the stereo speakers and there is still music and sound FX that go through the Center but usually you hear dialog a lot better without having to change the volume every scene.

I have been there before it sucks.

naturallight · October 2011

Joe..are you saying an HT system is worth while....or your still sitting there with the volume control in you hand and still have to do the same thing..crank it up or down??????

Joe08867 · October 2011

I am saying an HT system is more than worth while. The difference is quite extraordinary and really immerses you in the movie.

naturallight · October 2011

Joe..considerme..a very old ****..have no clue about HT....
Pretty much all i want to know is.....well lets take these darn Harry Potter DVD's.....

Can I hear the dialog..without my ears being blown up with the music..when they stop talking....these DVD's seem to be the worst with Dialog..VS Music volume.
If thats the case..then maybe i should get an HT system....if NOT the case, and you have to play with the volume control thru the whole movie.....then the HT thing is completely lost on me, and i don't see a reason why you should really have one..except for strait volume.

Pretty much the point of the movie..or any movie..is the plot or dialog....if you can't hear it...makes no sence. If the backround music is 3 times higher then the dialog...makes no sence..at least to me.

falconcry72 · October 2011

So let me get this straight... you're saying that the dialogue is at a lower volume than the music is? And you have to adjust the volume because the the music is so much louder? Is this correct? :question:

naturallight · October 2011

Yes..and thats pretty standard on any film....the music is there to give that certain feel....but when it's 3 times the volume..it's abusive...and has to be turned down. So when you get blasted with music..you have to turn it down..when it gose back to dialog...then you have to turn it up again..to hear what there saying.

Thats pretty stock film production..but the volume difference WAS...not abusive in old films....new films...it is.

Glowrdr · October 2011

Have you tried just turning on the compression (Probably Night mode) - this is exactly what this is designed for. Granted, you aren't getting the full range of sound - but by design it keeps everything "together". Most players have it built in, and almost all receivers - no matter which side of the spectrum - will have this feature as well

kcoc321 · October 2011

Glowrdr has a good point, and also how is the BlueRay set up, audio wise?
If you have it set up as 5.1 or 7.1 it is trying to send the dialogue/ center channel info to a mystery speaker. You would 'think' it would know you don't have a center channel on your tv, but I bet it doesn't account for that.
I noticed this last night I was playing with different center channels and comparing them to just running in 2-channel mode, On my AVRr. When I switched it, in surround while not having the center hooked up, I could hear the dialogue faintly, but the rest of the sound track was much louder. I would have had to turn it up to hear the dialogue, I bet I would have the same issue you are having.
Try setting the audio output on your BR player to 2 channel output and see what it sounds like.
You also might try running the L/R audio outputs to the TV audio inputs and see if that makes any difference....
Good luck

naturallight · October 2011

Thanks, did not even know there were settings on the Blue ray. I will look into this. Thanks again.

Joe08867 · October 2011

johnsmith reported,

Glowdr, good call on the player setup option.

I figured that had been tried but then again not everyone knows you can do that kind of stuff..

ken brydson · October 2011

If you're not looking for a full HT setup maybe look into a Surroundbar. I'm demoing the 6000 right now and it's pretty impressive.

naturallight · October 2011

I looked thru this manual...most of it is greek to me, but it seems there is no "stereo" setup, or selection for 5.1. It's hooked up with an hdmi cable. The only thing you can do is put on that compression setting. Which may work to equalize the sound. But after talking to the wife..seems she has trouble hearing dialog even when i turn it up.

So i think an HT system is in order, where i can control the center channel volume.
This is what i came up with...I'm not looking to spend big bucks here just to make the Video veiwing a more pleasant thing.

Yamaha RX-V471BL receiver puts out about 105watts per channel @8 ohms
Center- Polk CS10
Rear- Polk R150's

I have an old set of large Advents, which the woofers were redone. They work perfect and get very loud. I would use those for the front mains.

I don't feel i really need a sub...I don't need to get blown out of my chair on every cannon shot or explosion. Just set the fronts to large and let the Advents take care of it.

I'm not sure this is a great match of speakers, but i think it's worth a try.
Any thoughts on this setup????

Glowrdr · October 2011

It will be questionable with the Advents - I'm pretty clueless about what matches and what doesn't. If you're just looking for something simple, just to enhance the sound from the standard TV audio - how about something like this?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290147

It's a step up from getting a cheapie HTiB, as you're getting real speakers, and a real AVR. For $150 I don't think it would be such a bad thing at all. Unfortunately as stated before, I know nothing about matching, the Advents, or even the R150's to say if you're on the right track.

Qustion on AVR's Music volume VS dialog volume

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