What are your speaker levels under AVR?

[fast fred]

Hello all

Was wondering if you all can share what levels you have your speakers at.

I ran Audyssey xt 32 several times but didn’t like the sound at all I was getting from my SVS 5.1 setup.

Am I in the minority with setting my Prime center at +7.5db? I just can’t hear vocals very well for some reason and that really helps.

I have the other small speakers set to 0db.

My sub is at +1. Wasn’t getting enough umph from Bass.

Anyhow I assume it’s fine to adjust each individual speaker even after running the audyssey??

Cheers

 

[lovinthehd]

The setting from Audyssey will be a relationship to the listening position (your mic position(s) ). What do you mean you didn't like the sound? With what settings like Dynamic EQ or Dynamic Volume or ? What speakers/subs setup? What were the specific settings suggested by your avr and Audyssey (unfortunately your avr may override the Audyssey recommendations when using a sub). Many do raise sub level to taste a bit after running Audyssey, a boost of 2-4 dB isn't unusual at all. Be specific about what's going on, even how you ran Audyssey....

 

[fast fred]

It just sounded flat. No impact or wow with action movies or music

When I boosted the center and the sub it got better

 

[ichigo]

Do you have your speakers under the TV? Cone and dome speakers are usually pretty sensitive about vertical axis placement. Unless you are running coaxial drivers, it might help to lean back the speakers by placing something underneath them to angel them upwards to alleviate any dips in the crossover region, which is often in the critical vocal range.

 

[fast fred]

The setting from Audyssey will be a relationship to the listening position (your mic position(s) ). What do you mean you didn't like the sound? With what settings like Dynamic EQ or Dynamic Volume or ? What speakers/subs setup? What were the specific settings suggested by your avr and Audyssey (unfortunately your avr may override the Audyssey recommendations when using a sub). Many do raise sub level to taste a bit after running Audyssey, a boost of 2-4 dB isn't unusual at all. Be specific about what's going on, even how you ran Audyssey....

Here’s what I did:


After Audyssey calibration in the Marantz:

Change all speakers to Small.
Change all crossovers to 80 Hz.
Change the subwoofer mode to LFE
Set Audyssey Dynamic EQ to ON.
Set Audyssey Dynamic Volume to OFF.

 

[fast fred]

Or it might be time to upgrade that Prime to the Ultra Center !

 

[lovinthehd]

Here’s what I did:


After Audyssey calibration in the Marantz:

Change all speakers to Small.
Change all crossovers to 80 Hz.
Change the subwoofer mode to LFE
Set Audyssey Dynamic EQ to ON.
Set Audyssey Dynamic Volume to OFF.

Did you run all mic positions to begin with and in what pattern? Why did you change subwoofer mode to LFE after running Audyssey (and assume you had it as LFE plus main?)....not sure if that does anything odd but can't remember ever starting off with anything but the LFE setting....

 

[fast fred]

No it’s on just LFE

 

[lovinthehd]

No it’s on just LFE

I meant what it was set at when you ran Audyssey rather than change it afterwards......I've always set that first.....don't know if it would change anything tho. You using DynamicEQ along with the various Reference Level Offset settings for music vs movies?

 

[fast fred]

I meant what it was set at when you ran Audyssey rather than change it afterwards......I've always set that first.....don't know if it would change anything tho. You using DynamicEQ along with the various Reference Level Offset settings for music vs movies?

Yes

 

[lovinthehd]

It just sounded flat. No impact or wow with action movies or music

When I boosted the center and the sub it got better

Are you using the flat/music or reference/movie reference Audyssey setting? Why would there particularly be impact or wow by running Audyssey? It really doesn't do that...so maybe its just your expectations.

 

[Pogre]

I think almost everyone here adds 2 - 6 dB to subs after calibration and depending on the material I might go from leaving it where Audyssey set it to as high as a 6 dB bump for my center. That's pretty normal. I wouldn't replace my center channel over having to bump a few dB. Especially if things are sounding better. As far as what my avr sets the rest of the trim levels to, as long as nothing is really out of whack I don't worry about it.

The reference level offset HD is referring to has a pretty noticeable effect on the application of MultEQ when set to 0 and is much less noticeable at 15.

 

[Pogre]

Where are you making trim adjustments after setup (options > channel level adjust - or audio > subwoofer level adjust - or speakers > manual setup > levels)? Or are you doing a combination of all 3?

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Did you move the center to the front of the cabinet yet? Might be diffraction issues. Sorry if I missed it...
To me, +7.5 on the center is insane, but if it works... I can also see why you’d like Deq as audyssey sets subs to where they sound light. I built a house curve with my minidsp so I don’t use Deq.

 

[lovinthehd]

Did you move the center to the front of the cabinet yet? Might be diffraction issues. Sorry if I missed it...
To me, +7.5 on the center is insane, but if it works... I can also see why you’d like Deq as audyssey sets subs to where they sound light. I built a house curve with my minidsp so I don’t use Deq.

What did Audyssey set the center at, tho? I never bump up my center, just not needed.

 

[PENG]

Regarding the issue of the center speaker being set to +7.5, assuming the left and right are also SVS Primes, it would help if we see see a photo of how it is placed relative to the TV, the left, right speakers and the main listening position.

It just sounded flat. No impact or wow with action movies or music

When I boosted the center and the sub it got better

That could be just another case where you speakers were getting some room reinforcement that got leveled off by Audyssey; and you are one of those who actually prefer some bass bumps at certain frequencies to flatter and/or smoother bass response. As Pogre mentioned, feel free to increase the level for the subwoofer by a few dB and see if you like it better.

 

[Pogre]

Regarding the issue of the center speaker being set to +7.5, assuming the left and right are also SVS Primes, it would help if we see see a photo of how it is placed relative to the TV, the left, right speakers and the main listening position.



That could be just another case where you speakers were getting some room reinforcement that got leveled off by Audyssey; and you are one of those who actually prefer some bass bumps at certain frequencies to flatter and/or smoother bass response. As Pogre mentioned, feel free to increase the level for the subwoofer by a few dB and see if you like it better.

Yeah, I missed the 7.5 dB bump to the center. That's pretty extreme.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

What did Audyssey set the center at, tho? I never bump up my center, just not needed.

I don’t remember seeing that number. Iirc, fast Fred has the white cabinet that we trying to get him to remove the doors from. The CC was pushed to the far rear of the cab.

I never bump my center either. If anything I like it at 75 or 73. I HATE when everything is weighted in the center channel. Raising it also raises al the other CC sounds too so Ime it doesn’t do much for dialog ineligibility, it just makes the CC noisier.

 

[lovinthehd]

I don’t remember seeing that number. Iirc, fast Fred has the white cabinet that we trying to get him to remove the doors from. The CC was pushed to the far rear of the cab.

I never bump my center either. If anything I like it at 75 or 73. I HATE when everything is weighted in the center channel. Raising it also raises al the other CC sounds too so Ime it doesn’t do much for dialog ineligibility, it just makes the CC noisier.

I seem to remember on-wall l/r speakers and a center set back on that cabinet, yes.....

 

[PENG]

Yeah, I missed the 7.5 dB bump to the center. That's pretty extreme.

I don't think he told us what Audyssey set the levels to. The +7.5 dB might have been the level he manually adjusted to.. He actually said in post#1: "Am I in the minority with setting my Prime center at +7.5db? I just can’t hear vocals very well for some reason and that really helps."