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[lovinthehd]

I'll have to revisit all the settings. It's a botched up mess, I believe.

One thing that will sound odd, AND IT IS, I'm not going to setup the 5.1 in a normal fashion. By nature, myself or others will be constantly moving, not sitting in a sweet spot watching a movie. The room also has some oddities like a full 20' wall of doors (storage behind) with a staggered ceiling --- 7' up front and 9' in the rear. The TV is in the front right corner (wall mounted) with the receiver next to it. I have the 2 CB-5's sitting on the 8' front workbench with the surrounds flanking each side of the workbench up higher near the ceiling. The sub is to the left of the workbench. So yes, the surround in the 5.1 is not a surround at all, but it does SLIGHTLY widen the front stage and creates some sound movement between the speakers that can be heard to add a LITTLE additional drama. I tested it by watching Jurassic Park and Ford Vs Farrari, and it actually sounded pretty darn good to MY ears. And no matter where I'm working from in the shop, it really doesn't matter because the sound is all coming from a single plane up front. And though had to believe, the Polk actually gave some pretty good low punch to add more drama.

I'll be listening to music 70% of the time, more than likely.

Weird, I know. :-O

Edit: Adding a very crude layout pic. The jagged line is the TV.

Well not the usual spot for surrounds . Different from mine in that I only have the LCR on the wall above my bench, have surrounds mid wall on the sides and rear surrounds mounted up high on the wall opposite the bench. My avr has a surround setting where I can play same content in both surrounds and rear surrounds and I usually use that plus rarely use 7ch content out there anyways. I toned down the center level quite a bit as when I'm sitting at the bench it works better for me and with the speakers spread around otherwise I get pretty enveloping sound and good sound no matter where in the shop I'm working. Are you using a surround mode or all-ch stereo or ?

 

[shubox56]

Are you using a surround mode or all-ch stereo or ?

More times than not, the 70% music-time is in Rock Arena mode unless I'm in the mood for instrumental (acoustic guitar, piano, or classical). When listening to a movie, I'm running Dolby surround.

 

[shubox56]

Maybe I should reconsider. Getting lazy in my old age.

EDIT: Where's your TV mounted if the center is above the bench? The TV is directly above the bench too?

 

[shubox56]

OK, Lovinthehd: I wrote down some of the settings, but I'm sure there are more that I missed. I've had different speakers over the years, and I have no idea why I setup things as they are. Anyway, here goes ---

System Setup:

• Speakers Config:
  • Front = Small
  • Center = Small
  • Sub = Yes
  • Surround = Small
• Bass:
  • Sub Mode = LTE+Main
  • LPF For LFE = 80 mz
• Crossover Freq:
  • Front = 100 Hz
  • Center = 100 Hz
  • Surround = 150 Hz
• 2 ch Direct Stereo:
  • Front = Small
  • Sub = Yes
  • Crossover = 40 Hz
• Auto Surround = On
• EQ/Manual = Used

If there is something else you would like to see, a different Denon setting, let me know.

EDIT: And for now, I added some older Energy Take 5 surrounds since I'm using Energy CB-5 fronts and center.

 

[lovinthehd]

Maybe I should reconsider. Getting lazy in my old age.

EDIT: Where's your TV mounted if the center is above the bench? The TV is directly above the bench too?

No, actually at one end of the bench with a shelf above it where an avr and a few music players reside, it's just a small set, just one I had hanging around for a long time (23" 720p LCD) and one in front of the bench doesn't work....got many tools on that pegboard there. For what I watch out there it works.

 

[shubox56]

No, actually at one end of the bench with a shelf above

I will be doing the same. I will add a corner shelf above the wall mounted TV to place the center. Right now I have the center sitting on a tall tool chest directly under the TV.

 

[lovinthehd]

OK, Lovinthehd: I wrote down some of the settings, but I'm sure there are more that I missed. I've had different speakers over the years, and I have no idea why I setup things as they are. Anyway, here goes ---

System Setup:

• Speakers Config:
  • Front = Small
  • Center = Small
  • Sub = Yes
  • Surround = Small
• Bass:
  • Sub Mode = LTE+Main
  • LPF For LFE = 80 mz
• Crossover Freq:
  • Front = 100 Hz
  • Center = 100 Hz
  • Surround = 150 Hz
• 2 ch Direct Stereo:
  • Front = Small
  • Sub = Yes
  • Crossover = 40 Hz
• Auto Surround = On
• EQ/Manual = Used

If there is something else you would like to see, a different Denon setting, let me know.

EDIT: And for now, I added some older Energy Take 5 surrounds since I'm using Energy CB-5 fronts and center.

Speaker settings are fine. I prefer just the LFE mode rather than the double bass LFE+Main myself, but might help out with your speakers/sub but its really about preference rather than accuracy. No sense in having the LPF of LFE set to 80, the usual content is only up to 120 anyways and no reason to limit it (it's just affecting what's in ".1" channel). Crossovers look reasonable but not sure what frequency range of your sub is either. Setting the crossover so low on 2ch doesn't make much sense with your sub, tho. So if you're using eq/manual, you're not using Audyssey at all right now. Try Audyssey and instead of the double bass use DynamicEQ and see if you like that way of reinforcing bass at lower volumes works better (and even then some bump up the sub trim level after Audyssey is run by 2-4 dB).

What are the distance and level settings? The EQ?

 

[TankTop5]

I’m jumping in with the least knowledge out of everyone on the post other than the OP so take my advice with a grain of salt. Your garage will never be a great sounding environment so something like the Yamaha NS-6490 would fill your garage very well and be easy on any receiver. Without significant acoustical treatment to the garage no speaker will sound great so why not go with a speaker that is good enough?

 

[shubox56]

Speaker settings are fine. I prefer just the LFE mode rather than the double bass LFE+Main myself, but might help out with your speakers/sub but its really about preference rather than accuracy. No sense in having the LPF of LFE set to 80, the usual content is only up to 120 anyways and no reason to limit it (it's just affecting what's in ".1" channel). Crossovers look reasonable but not sure what frequency range of your sub is either. Setting the crossover so low on 2ch doesn't make much sense with your sub, tho. So if you're using eq/manual, you're not using Audyssey at all right now. Try Audyssey and instead of the double bass use DynamicEQ and see if you like that way of reinforcing bass at lower volumes works better (and even then some bump up the sub trim level after Audyssey is run by 2-4 dB).

What are the distance and level settings? The EQ?

The distance setting are from the living room setup. Have not been changed since moving to the shop. The level setting for all speakers is set to zero except the corner center which I have set to 2. I set 4 of 5 at zero since they are all on the same plain. This for starters. That includes the sub. I have the sub Low Pass cranked to it's highest 160 level. The sub volume is set to 1:00 o'clock.

 

[shubox56]

I’m jumping in with the least knowledge out of everyone on the post other than the OP so take my advice with a grain of salt. Your garage will never be a great sounding environment so something like the Yamaha NS-6490 would fill your garage very well and be easy on any receiver. Without significant acoustical treatment to the garage no speaker will sound great so why not go with a speaker that is good enough?

If that's the case, the Energy CB-5's could be in the "good enough" camp.

 

[lovinthehd]

The distance setting are from the living room setup. Have not been changed since moving to the shop. The level setting for all speakers is set to zero except the corner center which I have set to 2. I set 4 of 5 at zero since they are all on the same plain. This for starters. That includes the sub. I have the sub Low Pass cranked to it's highest 160 level. The sub volume is set to 1:00 o'clock.

The distance settings may work, if the room layout was similar What are they, tho?

The level settings more depend on speaker sensitivity in relation to the other speakers as well as the distance from the listening position....so in your setup can go a few different ways probably.

More I think about it don't run Audyssey with your speakers in that setup....just continue manually but maybe get an spl meter to match levels between sub/speakers....as well as among speakers.

 

[lovinthehd]

If that's the case, the Energy CB-5's could be in the "good enough" camp.

The larger drivers in that Yamaha could be a benefit, tho....and its not a particularly large box nor very expensive.

 

[shubox56]

Here's some additional settings:

• Distance:
  • LF, RF & C = 6'
  • Sub = 8'
• Surround Parameters:
  • Room Size = Large
  • Effect Level = 10 (I think this is adding a lot of reverb to the sound?)
• Tone Control:
  • Bass = 6db
  • Treble = 4db
• Audio Delay = 0 ms

 

[shubox56]

FYI: I called the local vendor and cancelled the SVS Sub that was to be delivered tonight. I chickened out till I have a better grip on understanding what I have. I wasn't opposed to spending the $800, I just want to feel more confident in the purchase.

EDIT: Meaning, dial in what I have and see where I am. What I like and what I dislike. With a few tweaks, maybe the subpar Polk will be fine.

 

[lovinthehd]

FYI: I called the local vendor and cancelled the SVS Sub that was to be delivered tonight. I chickened out till I have a better grip on understanding what I have. I wasn't opposed to spending the $800, I just want to feel more confident in the purchase.

EDIT: Meaning, dial in what I have and see where I am. What I like and what I dislike. With a few tweaks, maybe the subpar Polk will be fine.

As a bassoholic I'm not understanding that at all But it is perhaps the practical route There's always DIY if ya got some woodworking tools in there....

 

[lovinthehd]

Here's some additional settings:

• Distance:
  • LF, RF & C = 6'
  • Sub = 8'
• Surround Parameters:
  • Room Size = Large
  • Effect Level = 10 (I think this is adding a lot of reverb to the sound?)
• Tone Control:
  • Bass = 6db
  • Treble = 4db
• Audio Delay = 0 ms

Probably as good as anything for distance (altho the sub may benefit from playing around with the phase control the distance/delay setting can achieve), but you might experiment with various distances to see how it affects the sound around the room.

Don't have those parameters for surround in any of my units, don't know.

That's quite a bump on bass/treble! I've never been a fan of heightened treble fan and in that reflective room I'd turn that to zero pretty quick I'd think. Does yours have a graphic eq option or just bass/treble?

 

[shubox56]

As a bassoholic I'm not understanding that at all But it is perhaps the practical route There's always DIY if ya got some woodworking tools in there....

Oh trust me, the sub is NOT removed from my consideration. But I believe it would be better to dial in what I have to see its max potential. THEN I can decide if the SVS is truly worth the dollars.

 

[shubox56]

Probably as good as anything for distance (altho the sub may benefit from playing around with the phase control the distance/delay setting can achieve), but you might experiment with various distances to see how it affects the sound around the room.

Don't have those parameters for surround in any of my units, don't know.

That's quite a bump on bass/treble! I've never been a fan of heightened treble fan and in that reflective room I'd turn that to zero pretty quick I'd think. Does yours have a graphic eq option or just bass/treble?

So the dialed in distance effects playback when setup manually?

I didn't see a graphic EQ. I'm not sure if the Denon AVR 1912 has that or not.

OK, I'll lower the treble db. What about the bass db?

 

[lovinthehd]

So the dialed in distance effects playback when setup manually?

I didn't see a graphic EQ. I'm not sure if the Denon AVR 1912 has that or not.

OK, I'll lower the treble db. What about the bass db?

The distance/delay setting is about getting sound to arrive at your ears simultaneously, but with the speaker arrangement and where you might be, the speaker distance probably doesn't make a great deal of difference once levels are set.

Pg 79 of your manual for graphic eq http://assets.denon.com/DocumentMaster/UK/AVR-1912E2_EA_ENG_CD-ROM_v00.pdf

Between the LFE+Main and the bass boost, might be a bit much. As long as you don't get unpleasant noises, tho.....

 

[shubox56]

I found a TON of different crossover info under the Audyssey setup area. Doesn't match anything I have seen elsewhere. I'm totally in the dark as to what is driving what on this receiver at this point. 5 to 7 years of dicking with it --- not knowing what I was doing. SIGH