Speaker selection to correct a quiet centre

Hi everyone.
While I've been adjusting my av system for years, I didn't realize how complicated it can actually get.

I'm currently running a Denon x4300 with psb800 fronts, R15 rears, and a csi30 centre. After running the Audyssey calibration, I've adjusted the fronts down and the centre up and optimized it for dialogue, but it still not only sounds quiet, but soft, like there is no amplification. I'm not sure if I should be replacing the centre or if there is something else that I'm missing. I've tried to find out the difference between them all, but I see a t30 is available and I didn't know A) if it would make a difference or b) whether I should start matching them all to the same series. Admittedly, I have split up the Rm6750 as my first sub and my height speakers and use a Psb sub for the second subwoofer, but none of those seem to have any issues. Any help would be appreciated, even if it proves my inexperience with the equipment.

Comments

  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    Start with checking the easy stuff first. Check the connections to the center speaker. If your using bare wire, make sure none of the plastic/rubber coating on the speaker cable is caught inside the speakers post. Make sure you have the metal straps connecting the top and bottom post secured on the back of the speaker.

    What are the speaker levels set at, exactly ? Manually adjust the level , auto calibration can get skewed if you run it and the room isn't dead quiet, and I mean DEAD quiet.

    If you can't hear anything improve with the center after turning up the speaker levels, you may have a bad tweeter in it. For the time being, remove it if that's the case, and go into your settings and tell the receiver you have no center. That way it will get re-routed to the front left and right speakers and you'll at least be able to hear the voices again.
    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
  • Loyal1
    Loyal1 Posts: 5
    Ok, so I've gone through it all and the dialogue is turned up 12+ db as is the centre channel and the fronts I have turned down by 7.5 db, all to no avail. I popped the front of the csi30 off and it looks like a little finger may have deformed the tweeter. There doesn't appear to be any tears and I played with it to get it smooth again, but it's still quiet.

    So the question then is if I am to replace my centre, should I start to flip it all to the t series or move beyond it? Over time, my budget isn't a problem. I just want it to work.
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    edited January 2019
    Ok, if you have the center turned up to +12 with no sound, then something is wrong with the speaker itself. Providing you were playing something with 5.1 material, like a movie or digital broadcast.

    Just as a second test, you can hook up the center to the front left or right and see if you get sound....just to be sure.

    Until you get another center, CSIA5, would be nice or a Polk RT400i would be nice too and cheaper, just remove it and re-route the center channel info to the fron left and right by telling the receiver you have no center channel.

    ….and return the front speaker levels to around zero.
    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
  • Loyal1
    Loyal1 Posts: 5
    Thanks tonyb. I switched out the centre and it was still pretty quiet. I also had an old psb100sc that I tried and it sounds better in the centre and I know it's blown.

    I will check out your suggestions for a replacement.
  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,454
    Look on CL for a CSi-5 or A6
    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
    Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
    Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
  • Thank you. I found a Csi a4 for under a hundred bucks on Ebay. It's given me the itch to replace my speakers though.