Looking to buy 2.1 system for my living room.

[afterlife2]

Did you adjust the Bass/Treble???

 

[jonnythan]

Sounds like you have a hookup or setup problem.

 

[zieglj01]

What are you listening to - and since you only have 2 speakers >
have you pressed stereo on the remote? Also, on the back of the
receiver, are your wires hooked up to the front right and front left
speakers? And, did you check the polarity of the wires?
Also remember, the sound will not be one dimensional - like the
TV speakers.

 

[Mkilbride]

Yes, the polarity is fine.

Stereo mode is on. I flicked through and tried Virtual, Direct, and Stereo, of which are available to me.

In speaker settings;

I have

Front & Left - Large

Surround Back - Off

Center - Off

Subwoofer - Off (Won't arrive til Monday)

There is no Bass & Treble setting. I checked extensively.

Not sure exactly if I'm explaining it right. I'm not a full fledged audiophile, so I don't know if it's normal, but it just feels like if I had two speakers and stacked them on top of each other and both were receiving different sounds.

I mean these do pack two drivers each, so that's probably it, but it sounds odd.

It's like playing Speech from one source and music from another. When switching to my TV Speakers, they kind of blend together. Sure, harder to hear the lyrics and the balance isn't quite right, but it feels more natural, like when you're at a party and turn on the music.

Rather than just adding music onto the video afterwards.

And yes, once I get my camera, I can show you how I have it setup, I set it up exactly like guides here, and video guides on YouTube showed me. As well as the receivers manual.

Here are two of them, online:

Denon AVR-1312 | Owners Manual
Denon AVR-1312 | Getting Started Guide

The "Getting Started" and ""Advanced Manual" that come on the CD.

 

[Grador]

Page 41, tone control. Also make sure that "resorer" is off, and try playing around with the dynamic range compression.

 

[zieglj01]

Yes, the polarity is fine.

Stereo mode is on.

Not sure exactly if I'm explaining it right. I'm not a full fledged audiophile, so I don't know if it's normal, but it just feels like if I had two speakers and stacked them on top of each other and both were receiving different sounds.

It's like playing Speech from one source and music from another. When switching to my TV Speakers, they kind of blend together. Sure, harder to hear the lyrics and the balance isn't quite right, but it feels more natural, like when you're at a party and turn on the music.

Also I sit abou 4-8 feet away from the TV, depending if I sit in my chair or lay on the couch. So I set the distance thingy in the receiver for 6 feet? That right?

I do not know the overall size of your room - however, I would not
sit close up front to towers. I would sit at least 8 ft back, and do
not set the receiver for 6 ft - set it to 8 feet. Towers are not made
for nearfield listening.

You also may be suffering from overall room reflections and cancellation.
This can effect/distort sound, and make some notes louder than others,
and can effect bass notes - such as boom and one note sounds. This will
also effect the overall soundstage.

Some simple things like rugs/carpet, curtains/drapery and hanging things
on the walls can help. Also, furniture and furniture placement plays a part.

 

[Mkilbride]

I do not know the overall size of your room - however, I would not
sit close up front to towers. I would sit at least 8 ft back, and do
not set the receiver for 6 ft - set it to 8 feet. Towers are not made
for nearfield listening.

You also may be suffering from overall room reflections and cancellation.
This can effect/distort sound, and make some notes louder than others,
and can effect bass notes - such as boom and one note sounds. This will
also effect the overall soundstage.

Some simple things like rugs/carpet, curtains/drapery and hanging things
on the walls can help. Also, furniture and furniture placement plays a part.

Well, the Digital Camera came early, here is a picture, albeit, not a good one, still getting used to it.

But you can see the layout.

 

[zieglj01]

Well, the Digital Camera came early, here is a picture, albeit, not a good one, still getting used to it.
But you can see the layout.

Can you also do a picture of the right side, and the back of
the room?

Also, when you clap your hands - how is the echo effect?

 

[Grador]

It also looks like the speakers are facing slightly away from you (center), though this could be an illusion. You can mess around with how much toe-in you have on the speakers, varying much they are angled towards you. This can have a fairly large impact on imagining.

 

[Mkilbride]

It also looks like the speakers are facing slightly away from you (center), though this could be an illusion. You can mess around with how much toe-in you have on the speakers, varying much they are angled towards you. This can have a fairly large impact on imagining.

It's just the angle of the picture.

I'll take a few more once the battery is done charging, one of my fathers friends is having a party tonight and I told him to take the Camera for pictures and whatnot.

They are facing perfectly forward and are an exact 5 feet from each other, I measured and made sure they were in the same spot.

What I may do is move the stand, TV, ect, everything over another foot or so...so that the left speaker is more in the room and less near the hall as you can see.

 

[zieglj01]

What I may do is move the stand, TV, ect, everything over another foot or so...so that the left speaker is more in the room and less near the hall as you can see.

I would not move it over too much - the stairway is not your friend.

 

[Mkilbride]

I would not move it over too much - the stairway is not your friend.

Gotcha.

Hope these help.

 

[afterlife2]

First of all the setup looks nice. The speakers take off the grills and sit back at least 8-9 feet away and sit in the middle of the speakers(I'm sure you know that). I am gonna wait till you get the speaker wires then make additional comments. I have not had a chance to look at your manual yet. I have a similar table that your remote sits on. So everything you listen to sounds bad? Also turn the speakers a bit in. Also keep the cabinet open when using the receiver. It needs air circulation.

 

[zieglj01]

The room is not the most friendly for towers - due to size, restrictions and
interaction > bad reflections, room bounce and some flutter echo can spoil
the performace. The Bostons are good speakers for their regular list price.

Need to remember that TV speakers are small and not real powerful. They
have a smaller and restricted radiation pattern - and will not interact with
the room like the towers. The towers do have bigger drivers and have more
power, and are designed to radiate forward and to the sides, and they are
interacting with the room size and enviorment.
Some simple things may help to get you better sound. Need to add carpet,
or rugs to the floor. Need to add drapes, or your special treatment to the
window by the stairs. Also, need to try and hang some pictures and things
on the walls. And maybe try to make some DIY fabric treatment, and place
them in frames to hang on the walls. And remember, towers are not made
for near-field listening > need to sit back for the chance and opportunity, to
have a more balanced soundstage.

 

[GranteedEV]

One thing I'm really not like so far is how the music plays.

Like the dialog plays and then the music and it feels forced...I dunno what the proper audio term is, but the audio doesn't match the dialogue. It feels like they're playing from different speakers and not calibrated to match, like when you have a center Speaker and turn the volume up beyond the front Left & right Speakers.

I'm guessing what I am saying is, the Boston speakers I got do very well when it's either Dialog or Music, but when you combine the two, they sound mis-matched.

The levels don't seem to match. I don't know if the Subwoofer will help with this, but yeah, hmm.

I may end up getting a Center specifically for Dialogue.

I realize that it's difficult to describe, but do you mind just trying to explain it to us again? Does the dialogue just seem too loud relative to the soundtrack or vice versa?

For starters though it would be nice if you could pull those towers forward in front of the TV/TV stand. The other issue I see is that your couch is flush against the back wall - the reflection off of that wall will most certainly be offense and it would be nice if you can reduce its effect somehow.

Beyond that, it may be that you've got a defective speaker or that you're just unaccustomed to large swings in dynamic range. Definitely get things sounding good in stereo before you jump into other purchases (IE that center).

 

[zieglj01]

If you can not bring the towers forward, then try to push the TV stand back.

"I have them about a foot and a half away from the wall. So as to line up with the TV, so they aren't ahead of it, but at it's side,
and I put them about 3-4 inches from the TV. I can't really put them more than a foot and a half or so away from the wall or they'll
be in the way of, you know, my front door."

 

[afterlife2]

Also check audio delay that may be the reason you are getting a delay and not a good sych with the dialogue. You can control that via Remote or setup.

 

[Mkilbride]

Also check audio delay that may be the reason you are getting a delay and not a good sych with the dialogue. You can control that via Remote or setup.

Audio delay is not on. Nope.

Take off the black grills? Really? But that makes them blend so well with the darkness.

Can't really sit dead center from the TV, you know, due to the logistics of the room. I do move it there sometimes though. Couch isn't exactly flush against the wall, it's about two inches from touching the wall.

Why move them forward?

Then the light of the TV will reflect off them...and it'd be incredibly annoying. I put them like that so the light doesn't touch them.

And if my room isn't friendly to towers, then I'm kinda annoyed as the suggestions went from me going Bookshelf to Towers


------------

Lastly, the most important part.

No, they do not sound awful. They sound good, they sound alot like my Father's Stereo speakers, which I guess means they are working right...his are some Sony's from like 1995, HST-221 or something. As a treat, I'll take a picture of his System and upload it.

It's just that it feels...hmm. Like, the audio plays from a different speaker and so does the dialogue...but see, since it's the same speaker, even with dual drivers...I dunno.

The sound just isn't "uniform"? I suppose the right word would be.

It sounds like I'm putting music to dialogue myself...err, adding it in, after the fact, as I mentioned in an above post, rather than transitioning into it.

And yes, once that Wire arrives, I plan to switch it out, I mean, never know, I literally found it hanging on the walls in a spare room.

There is a Carpet in the room...and there are some paintings. I can add some towels to the other windows, sure. (Do you know how expensive drapes that have the same effect as towels are? Try 40$ a pop. I think 3-4$ towels serve just fine)

Cabinet is open, it doesn't close lol. Yes, I worried about the heat as well, my PS3 put off massive amounts of it, but there is a whole in the back, for all the wires and such you know...but I could always open it up more. Stand is pretty poorly made as well, so that factors in.

Ah, I think I answered all questions for now.

 

[zieglj01]

No, they do not sound awful. They sound good, they sound alot like my Father's Stereo speakers, which I guess means they are working right...his are some Sony's from like 1995, HST-221 or something. As a treat, I'll take a picture of his System and upload it.

The sound just isn't "uniform"? I suppose the right word would be.
It sounds like I'm putting music to dialogue myself...err, adding it in, after the fact, as I mentioned in an above post, rather than transitioning into it.

There is a Carpet in the room...and there are some paintings. I can add some towels to the other windows, sure. (Do you know how expensive drapes that have the same effect as towels are? Try 40$ a pop. I think 3-4$ towels serve just fine)

It would be interesting to know what sources you are listening to,
that do not sound right.

Thanks for posting a picture of your Father's Stereo.

And I have been known to use some special towel treatments.

 

[Mkilbride]

It would be interesting to know what sources you are listening to,
that do not sound right.

Thanks for posting a picture of your Father's Stereo.

And I have been known to use some special towel treatments.

TV...mostly. Others are Blu-Ray rips or so with DTS, or AAC, or FLAC. Decoded via PS3Media server. Those actually sound pretty good.

However, general TV audio, at times, can just sound odd. It feels like the balancing isn't right...I turned Dynamic Compression to Medium, seems to help it seem warmer and more natural. Still. I guess I got a lot to learn about my Receiver, though it's options are incredibly basic...I mean there's very little in the GUI I'm able to change.

Input Source I put Sat/ Cable,
Output Source I have it set to TV, ect.

Not much I can really change.

Also, one annoying thing is when I go to watch a show on Demand, suddenly I get a no signal thing and have to press exit and keep retrying and randomly it will work.

Maybe I should connect the Cable Box directly to the TV instead?