Trouble hearing Dialogue

[joji]

Hi,
when I’m watching certain movies. I struggle to hear the actors talking so I have to turn the volume up very loud. But when gun fire or car chase etc. it is so loud I have to quickly turn the volume down dramatically. I have a pioneer SC-05, 2 definitive Technology SM-55. A deftech center speaker. And 2 small deftech surround sound speakers.i tried turning the center speaker volume up 5db. I barely helped.

would tower speakers help. Or adding a separate amp for the L&R channels?

thanks

 

[afterlife2]

That happens to a lot of people having to turn down the volume on loud sound effects. I suggest looking into a new center if the dialogue is so low on all the content you watch. I’d start with running a mic setup first and go from there if no improvement.

 

[ryanosaur]

There is a laundry list of items that can be gone through on this, ranging from Speaker choice to setup and beyond.
The FREE stuff, first:
How is your system set up in terms of speaker placement? Photos will help. (We are talking distance between speakers, Distance from Wall, Toe-In angle, Distance to LP; is your Center in a cubby, on a shelf, is the front baffle pushed back from the edge, is it aimed somewhere between your shoulders and ears?...)
Do you use your room correction? A Subwoofer?

The non-free stuff will involve conversation about upgrading your speakers.

 

[joji]

I hear the Elac debue center speaker at Best Buy. It sounded clearer to me then the deftech. But that room is acoustically extremely different then my living room, what do you recommend for a center speaker then.

 

[joji]

Here is a picture. I have a subwoofer crossed over at 80hz. Ignore wizard of oz. my daughter is watching it. I’m talking about the Matrix etc.

 

[ryanosaur]

While I will not pretend to be a fan of DefTech, Your first best option is to look at the questions I posed.

ELAC speakers are not necessarily a great solution, either. Also for a proper front soundstage, you want your Front 3 Speakers to match.

 

[ryanosaur]

Here is a picture. I have a subwoofer crossed over at 80hz. Ignore wizard of oz. my daughter is watching it. I’m talking about the Matrix etc.

Oh, no, everybody knows very well about the extreme demands of Dynamic Range that the Wizard's car chases and gunfire place on speakers!

 

[joji]

I have to do a room correction setup again. And see if that changes anything

 

[joji]

Does having a separate power amp for the L&R make a different compared to the pioneer SC-05? Or a separate amp for the def tech center speaker. I feel the def techs are muddy to begin
with. Maybe I should replace the LCR.

 

[Verdinut]

Hi,
when I’m watching certain movies. I struggle to hear the actors talking so I have to turn the volume up very loud. But when gun fire or car chase etc. it is so loud I have to quickly turn the volume down dramatically. I have a pioneer SC-05, 2 definitive Technology SM-55. A deftech center speaker. And 2 small deftech surround sound speakers.i tried turning the center speaker volume up 5db. I barely helped.

would tower speakers help. Or adding a separate amp for the L&R channels?

thanks

Did you try boosting the center channel level (Instruction Manual -Page 57)? You can boost the center channel and reduce left and right channel levels too to balance.

 

[ryanosaur]

Other than the choice of moving the center... off-center, nothing is glaringly standing out in that photo.

Important things to consider would be that speaker levels and distances measured by the room correction should be preserved. If you choose to turn off room correction, you should still use those measurements and levels.

Amps will not improve Sound Quality. This is a common myth. An Amp AMPlifies an electrical signal... it does not magically change that signal into something else... or at least it shouldn't. When used within their safe operating parameters, an Amp should not color or change anything about the signal.
Sound Quality is the domain of the Speakers.

There are still several questions asked above that will help in guiding you.

(Though my instict is that you should consider a proper upgrade for your Front 3.) (I just want to make certain that is the last option. We do love to spend other peoples money, here, but I don't want to be so capricious as that. Yet.)

 

[joji]

I think I am going to sell them and upgrade. I have a recording studio and I went from Yamaha Hs7 to Amphion One 15. Major difference. I was able to hear so much detail.

What do you guys recommend to switch to. I like Bowen Wilkens when I heard them but way to expensive.

I’m assuming I need speakers that emphasizes the midrange more.
The def tech seem very muddy in the low mids


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[Verdinut]

I think I am going to sell them and upgrade. I have a recording studio and I went from Yamaha Hs7 to Amphion One 15. Major difference. I was able to hear so much detail.

What do you guys recommend to switch to. I like Bowen Wilkens when I heard them but way to expensive.

I’m assuming I need speakers that emphasizes the midrange more.
The def tech seem very muddy in the low mids


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What is your planned budget on new speakers? Is your upgrade plan for the front channels only?

 

[joji]

Maybe $2000 for LCR Would towers help compared to book shelves


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[afterlife2]

JBL is running a sale on the 530 and center. I’ll look for the thread and link it. Also Canton is running a sale. Are you in the US?

JBL 5 Series on sale again

JBL is back on sale at the Harmon site. 590, 580, 530 are all on sale from 50% to 63% off https://www.harmanaudio.com/ho...id=home-audio&dwvar_STUDIO 580_color=Black-USA-Current#start=1 https://www.harmanaudio.com/lo...s/STUDIO+590.html?dwvar_STUDIO 590_color=Black-USA-Support...

forums.audioholics.com

 

[Verdinut]

Yeah, the JBL 590s are well rated. Ideally, you could install three of them at the front for a perfect sound stage. I'm not sure, but JBL had them on special at $999 each recently. Crutchfield say that they are discontinued and don't have any but if you can grab them while they are available somewhere else..

 

[Verdinut]

Either the Revel Concerta2 F35 or F36 would also be good contenders for your upgrade:

Revel Concerta2 F36 Tower Speaker Review

Ever heard the saying, "It's worth the wait?" Well, it's been years in the making but Revel has finally launched their highly-anticipated Concerta2 lineup. There's nothing entry-level about the Concerta2 F36 from the lauded high-end speaker manufacturer. The F36 tower is a 2 1/2 way...

forums.audioholics.com

 

[afterlife2]

If you got a subwoofer(model???) already I’d say stay with bookshelf. Here is a Canton review comparison from a cool member KEW:

Canton Vento vs Chrono SL (models with ceramic tweeters)

I just wanted to set the record straight on the difference between the Vento and Chrono SL models that have the Ceramic tweeter! I have both, the Vento 820.2 and the Chrono SL 536.2. These are bookshelf models which have the same driver complement except the Chrono has a 7" woofer while the...

forums.audioholics.com

 

[nbk13nw]

Does not look like there is room for the 590 pair. Btw, the are normally priced at $999 each. Sale price is 50% or more off that price. Same with the sales on the 580's, 530's and 520C. Sales come and go every few months.

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[Verdinut]

The OP was questioning about towers, so he would arrange to install some. IMO, tower speakers would provide a fuller mid-range which he has been missing with his current system. The center speaker should ideally be identical to left and right ones for good front sound stage.