Dialogue questions on DefTech 9040 or 9060 center

[johnner1999]

Question on the BP9040 and CS9040 or CS9060…

looking at these front stage options - will be a dedicated home theatre use.

biggest concern is dialogue volume and type of sound. Do these produce a warmer fuller dialogue in movies. Or do these provide a more “accurate” flatter sound? Example do voices sound large . And would the powered sub of the cs9060 do that better?

thank you
John

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I think as with any Center speaker, with certain contents, you’ll need to boost the Center level a few dB.

Some contents have good dialogue levels, some are just bad. So just change the Center levels as needed per contents.

I think in general, the bigger the Center speakers, the better for more dynamics.

 

[cpp]

I think as with any Center speaker, with certain contents, you’ll need to boost the Center level a few dB.

Some contents have good dialogue levels, some are just bad. So just change the Center levels as needed per contents.

I think in general, the bigger the Center speakers, the better for more dynamics.

I agree, and if your AVR has , "Dynamic Volume" or " dialog adjustment " I would turn that on and try it.

 

[TLS Guy]

I think as with any Center speaker, with certain contents, you’ll need to boost the Center level a few dB.

Some contents have good dialogue levels, some are just bad. So just change the Center levels as needed per contents.

I think in general, the bigger the Center speakers, the better for more dynamics.

You seem to give that advice to raise the center channel level often. However that is not a good idea. It unbalances the sound stage and ruins the acoustic balance.
Good centers do not need boosting, if they do they are deficient. All speakers should be properly balanced in a good set up and then left alone. I have never had to boost a center. Dialog is clear in my AV room and in our great room system. When my wife is using her system in the evening, I can hear every word on the upstairs landing, and she does not play it loud.

The real issue is too many awful centers. I admit their design is a heavy lift, but it is possible to design superb center speakers.

 

[Trell]

You seem to give that advice to raise the center channel level often. However that is not a good idea. It unbalances the sound stage and ruins the acoustic balance.
Good centers do not need boosting, if they do they are deficient. All speakers should be properly balanced in a good set up and then left alone. I have never had to boost a center. Dialog is clear in my AV room and in our great room system. When my wife is using her system in the evening, I can hear every word on the upstairs landing, and she does not play it loud.

The real issue is too many awful centers. I admit their design is a heavy lift, but it is possible to design superb center speakers.

The times I increase the center channel level is generally due to bad mixing where the dialogue is way too low.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

You seem to give that advice to raise the center channel level often. However that is not a good idea.

So if the original source BD has low Center dialogue level, your GOOD advice is what? Buy new speakers? Oh, that’s a great advice. Buy new speakers every time the sound mixer screws up.

And if the sound mixer screws up and turns down the Atmos levels, your good advice is what? Buy new Atmos speakers?

You need a reality check.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The times I increase the center channel level is generally due to bad mixing where the dialogue is way too low.

Oh, no. That’s a very bad idea. The mixing is never bad. It’s your speakers.

 

[Trell]

Oh, no. That’s a very bad idea. The mixing is never bad. It’s your speakers.

That is not @TLS Guy was writing nor his intended meaning, in my opinion. As I recall he has commented upon poor mixing several times.

 

[lovinthehd]

Your description terminology doesn't mean much to other than yourself most likely. Besides, different positioning in different rooms will be a major factor, let alone people's desired eq/tone control....gets really hard to compare with descriptions. Why do you want these speakers particularly? We see a lot of problems with these DefTecs with the powered woofers (its a stretch calling it a sub).

 

[TLS Guy]

So if the original source BD has low Center dialogue level, your GOOD advice is what? Buy new speakers? Oh, that’s a great advice. Buy new speakers every time the sound mixer screws up.

And if the sound mixer screws up and turns down the Atmos levels, your good advice is what? Buy new Atmos speakers?

You need a reality check.

I have not encountered that problem. Since I set this system up a little over three years ago, and carefully calibrated it, I have not changed the center volume once, I have not found a need to do so.

In the previous location, once I got to the final iteration of the center speaker, I don't recall having to adjust the center volume. There were only two iterations of the electronic crossover to the main left and right speakers. Basically once whole system reached its optimal state, I do not have cause or need to meddle with it.
I will say that the center speaker did give the most trouble to get right, and that was also true of the in wall system downstairs. As I said before center speakers are not easy. Everyone knows the human voice better than any instrument. The center has to produce natural speech without embellishment. Any problems in a center speaker draw you attention more than in any other speaker.

As an aside, I was in the local Comcast store a couple of days ago, to replace yet another piece of their junk. As usual they kept me hanging around for a significant length of time. I was watching a big screen Sony LED TV, with not an outstanding picture.

However, the real shocker was the DENON HEOS sound bar. The one below.

Dialog was pretty much undecipherable and it was not very quiet. I thought that someone must have worked round the clock to produce such a poor sounding device. I'm certain that must have required hard work to get it that bad. I now find out they cost over $800.00!

In many ways, we really are sinking very low.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I have not encountered that problem. Since I set this system up a little over three years ago, and carefully calibrated it, I have not changed the center volume once, I have not found a need to do so.

In the previous location, once I got to the final iteration of the center speaker, I don't recall having to adjust the center volume. There were only two iterations of the electronic crossover to the main left and right speakers. Basically once whole system reached its optimal state, I do not have cause or need to meddle with it.
I will say that the center speaker did give the most trouble to get right, and that was also true of the in wall system downstairs. As I said before center speakers are not easy. Everyone knows the human voice better than any instrument. The center has to produce natural speech without embellishment. Any problems in a center speaker draw you attention more than in any other speaker.

You have not seen every content out there, only selective contents.


I don’t change my center levels either. I also watch selective high quality contents, most are 4K ATMOS.

But there are some contents with poor sound mixing. They do exist. So in these cases, people just need to temporarily adjust the center level.

 

[lovinthehd]

FWIW I don't raise center level generally, just not needed. I wouldn't want to take it too far out of swing with L/R, but for pure dialog movies that would make little difference.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I just raise the MV…

 

[lovinthehd]

I just raise the MV…

For especially dialog driven movies this is a great solution

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

For especially dialog driven movies this is a great solution

Right?!?! It’s basically that same thing in that case. I don’t trim speakers for a particular soundtrack. It’s wrong… lol

 

[lovinthehd]

Right?!?! It’s basically that same thing in that case. I don’t trim speakers for a particular soundtrack. It’s wrong… lol

Somewhat like all those concerned now over "distance" vs actual calculation of speed of sound....if its still proportional what difference does it make?

 

[TLS Guy]

You have not seen every content out there, only selective contents.


I don’t change my center levels either. I also watch selective high quality contents, most are 4K ATMOS.

But there are some contents with poor sound mixing. They do exist. So in these cases, people just need to temporarily adjust the center level.

I'm sure there are lousy mixes out there. There are always people around who will make a fist of anything.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Somewhat like all those concerned now over "distance" vs actual calculation of speed of sound....if its still proportional what difference does it make?

Yep.

 

[johnner1999]

I agree it’s ideal to have all speakers equally adjusted and not boosted.

but I’m not an audiophile and kinda prefer to hear the dialogue as robustly as possible without being the only track obviously. Than be zeroed in.

Not saying I’m correct at all.

 

[Cos]

There are definitely bad sound mixes out there. I remember seeing Tenet in a high end Dolby Atmos Theater wising I had a remote that could select a "close caption" option for the screen. One of the worst mixes of dialogue for any newer film I have (not) heard.

Fast forward, when I redid my speaker setup and added my new center channel. I put Tenet on and could actually understand the people talking. I called my dealer to say I was happy with my choices. I did not even have to adjust the center level outside my initial setup.