What do you recommend changing in my audio system?

[FoxAdriano]

Hi, I have no experience, but I have good ears. I use the sound system to watch my documentaries. I do the video editing myself and there is a narrative voice in all of them. My audio system includes 2 tweeters, a central speaker (for vocals), a subwoofer and 2 rear speakers (which cannot be seen in the photo). I've marked with arrows the speakers I'm using and the Onkyo amplifier. My Bose audio system is 20 years old but I replaced the central speaker about 10 years ago and it cost me 100 euros. Unfortunately when I listen to my documentaries, the voice is not good. Yet if I listen to it with 2 cheap studio speakers, I hear an excellent voice because it is recorded with a mic. professional and by a professional speaker. I had thought about removing ONLY the central speaker and buying two studio speakers and leaving everything else unchanged. What do you think. Maybe I said something rubbish, but I'm only interested in hearing a good voice mixed with background music, but with this system I don't hear it well. But I'm satisfied with the music that comes out. What do you recommend me to do? I have a limited budget. Thanks for some info.

 

[Bobby Bass]

Hi, I have no experience, but I have good ears. I use the sound system to watch my documentaries. I do the video editing myself and there is a narrative voice in all of them. My audio system includes 2 tweeters, a central speaker (for vocals), a subwoofer and 2 rear speakers (which cannot be seen in the photo). I've marked with arrows the speakers I'm using and the Onkyo amplifier. My Bose audio system is 20 years old but I replaced the central speaker about 10 years ago and it cost me 100 euros. Unfortunately when I listen to my documentaries, the voice is not good. Yet if I listen to it with 2 cheap studio speakers, I hear an excellent voice because it is recorded with a mic. professional and by a professional speaker. I had thought about removing ONLY the central speaker and buying two studio speakers and leaving everything else unchanged. What do you think. Maybe I said something rubbish, but I'm only interested in hearing a good voice mixed with background music, but with this system I don't hear it well. But I'm satisfied with the music that comes out. What do you recommend me to do? I have a limited budget. Thanks for some info.

Don’t see a picture with your post. Got it thanks.

 

[fmw]

Speakers, including subwoofer.

 

[FoxAdriano]

Ho appena fatto così, grazie.

 

[Eppie]

Hi, I have no experience, but I have good ears. I use the sound system to watch my documentaries. I do the video editing myself and there is a narrative voice in all of them. My audio system includes 2 tweeters, a central speaker (for vocals), a subwoofer and 2 rear speakers (which cannot be seen in the photo). I've marked with arrows the speakers I'm using and the Onkyo amplifier. My Bose audio system is 20 years old but I replaced the central speaker about 10 years ago and it cost me 100 euros. Unfortunately when I listen to my documentaries, the voice is not good. Yet if I listen to it with 2 cheap studio speakers, I hear an excellent voice because it is recorded with a mic. professional and by a professional speaker. I had thought about removing ONLY the central speaker and buying two studio speakers and leaving everything else unchanged. What do you think. Maybe I said something rubbish, but I'm only interested in hearing a good voice mixed with background music, but with this system I don't hear it well. But I'm satisfied with the music that comes out. What do you recommend me to do? I have a limited budget. Thanks for some info.

That is not a bad idea actually. There are much better speakers now than those tiny Bose cubes and if the centre speaker has unclear dialogue you need to either replace it with something better or just use two good bookshelf speakers with no centre (this creates a "phantom" centre image).

The only issue you may have is the subwoofer. Is that a separate subwoofer that connects to the subwoofer pre-out on the Onkyo and the Bose cubes connect to the speaker terminals? If yes you can still use the subwoofer. If the Bose cubes connect to the subwoofer, than that is an integrated speaker system and the subwoofer may not be able to work as a stand-alone subwoofer and you would need to replace the speakers and subwoofer.

You can use just two good bookshelf speakers for now and yo have the option to add a better centre speaker later. Just remember to go into your Onkyo setup menu and turn off the centre channel speaker when you remove the centre speaker.

 

[FoxAdriano]

Thanks for your advice. Yes, the Bose cubes were connected directly to Onkyo. I said they were because I have already replaced it with the two new Elac ones, placing it at ear height and deactivating the central speaker. But if I'm honest my sound system has not improved much, but very little.

 

[lovinthehd]

Not sure what you call "studio speakers"....or what specific models you're talking about for your gear (always best just to list the make/model of all gear in the system).

 

[FoxAdriano]

"studio speakers", sorry , maybe it is not correct words. I mean I have my project on the Ediud timeline and I have 2 monitors. They are good but cheap speakers. I listen a enough good voice. It's not a great voice coming out of the speakers but I hear it well.

 

[lovinthehd]

"studio speakers", sorry , maybe it is not correct words. I mean I have my project on the Ediud timeline and I have 2 monitors. They are good but cheap speakers. I listen a enough good voice. It's not a great voice coming out of the speakers but I hear it well.

Might still be better to know what specific speakers, as well as the rest of the gear that you have, or are considering. I have no idea what an Ediud timeline is, though!

Voices can be difficult, though to get right in speakers, though it could also be placement and your room.....

 

[FoxAdriano]

Typing error, I mean Edius, sorry but I'm so tired. I would like to stop otherwise I get stressed.

 

[lovinthehd]

Typing error, I mean Edius, sorry but I'm so tired. I would like to stop otherwise I get stressed.

Still have no idea what that is....hope you can relax....here it's the Thanksgiving holiday, and a time not to be stressed (except at the stomach/pants interface).

 

[yearsleyp]

Thanks for your advice. Yes, the Bose cubes were connected directly to Onkyo. I said they were because I have already replaced it with the two new Elac ones, placing it at ear height and deactivating the central speaker. But if I'm honest my sound system has not improved much, but very little.




I've been diving deep into the world of audio systems lately, and I'd love to share some insights with you. Firstly, consider upgrading your speakers to ones with a higher wattage for a richer sound experience. Additionally, investing in a quality amplifier can significantly enhance audio clarity. Don't overlook the importance of room acoustics – strategically placing acoustic panels can make a noticeable difference. Also, explore advanced equalization settings on your audio source for personalized sound tuning. For detailed guidance on optimizing audio for video editing, I stumbled upon this informative article: https://www.movavi.com/learning-portal/final-cut-pro-windows-alternatives.html. It covers software alternatives that can complement your audio editing experience. Hope these suggestions help elevate your audio setup! Feel free to ask if you have specific questions.

Thanks for the information!

 

[Eppie]

Thanks for your advice. Yes, the Bose cubes were connected directly to Onkyo. I said they were because I have already replaced it with the two new Elac ones, placing it at ear height and deactivating the central speaker. But if I'm honest my sound system has not improved much, but very little.

Would be nice to know what model of Elac you purchased. Then we can research if those speakers perform well in the vocal range for better speech discrimination.

 

[FoxAdriano]

I have just bought Elac Debut b5.2. I'm using them now. I'm listen them in Stereo. I put them at ear level, but the narrative voice hasn't improved much. Just a little.
Maybe do I have to configure my Onkyo TX-NR545 but I am not expert. For example I entered into its Menu and I saw these options.
The entries are:
1) Should Music OTP be ON or OFF?
Should ACCU EQ be ON or OFF?
thrn I saw:
Subwoofer +2
Center 0
PM LOW OFF
C SPEAD OFF

 

[lovinthehd]

I have just bought Elac Debut b5.2. I'm using them now. I'm listen them in Stereo. I put them at ear level, but the narrative voice hasn't improved much. Just a little.
Maybe do I have to configure my Onkyo TX-NR545 but I am not expert. For example I entered into its Menu and I saw these options.
The entries are:
1) Should Music OTP be ON or OFF?
Should ACCU EQ be ON or OFF?
thrn I saw:
Subwoofer +2
Center 0
PM LOW OFF
C SPEAD OFF

Don't know what Music OTP is....I tried searching the manual for OTP but nothing came up...don't know what PM Low Off means either.

Did you use the microphone to setup the avr using AccuEQ to begin with? It might be helpful to setup the basic sub/speaker relationship....but overall seems to get poor marks as a room correction solution generally.

 

[FoxAdriano]

I don't know how I can use the mic to setup AVR. I'd like to config. AccuEQ, please, tell me what OI have to do please. I'm inexperienced in the technique and I didn't understand how to do it from the instruction booklet.

 

[MrBoat]

Hi, I have no experience, but I have good ears. I use the sound system to watch my documentaries. I do the video editing myself and there is a narrative voice in all of them. My audio system includes 2 tweeters, a central speaker (for vocals), a subwoofer and 2 rear speakers (which cannot be seen in the photo). I've marked with arrows the speakers I'm using and the Onkyo amplifier. My Bose audio system is 20 years old but I replaced the central speaker about 10 years ago and it cost me 100 euros. Unfortunately when I listen to my documentaries, the voice is not good. Yet if I listen to it with 2 cheap studio speakers, I hear an excellent voice because it is recorded with a mic. professional and by a professional speaker. I had thought about removing ONLY the central speaker and buying two studio speakers and leaving everything else unchanged. What do you think. Maybe I said something rubbish, but I'm only interested in hearing a good voice mixed with background music, but with this system I don't hear it well. But I'm satisfied with the music that comes out. What do you recommend me to do? I have a limited budget. Thanks for some info.

How does normal conversation carry in your room. From the thumbnail (doesn't show up in the expanded picture) I see a shiny floor with a postage stamp sized rug in the middle, although while audiophile trendy looking from an aesthetic concern, it can be a train wreck with regard to sound. Typically, people with shiny rooms end up needing a lot of expensive acoustic treatments on walls, ceilings and elsewhere while trying to avoid having furniture in room.

Sterile rooms void of clutter and cozy furniture would cause me to switch to headphones. I can usually tell the first moment I walk in and speak, what type of challenge the room is going to be. Another trick is to bounce a rubber ball in there to hear what it sounds like. If the room is too lively, the ball bounce will have a ringing echo having like a sound of a spring. If it returns more of a thud that dies quickly, a better chance at better sound. Do you find yourself quieting your voices trying not to sound shouty in normal conversation?

I used to install carpet and hardwood/ceramic floors. We would get a customer that would want all carpet removed to replace with either the wood that was under it, new wood, or ceramic tiles. The moment we removed the existing carpet and furniture, the sound of the room change drastically. From a normal, pleasant cozy space to an echo chamber. One did not need any blind test to notice this difference because the contrast was very immediate and would often startle the customer into speaking in nearly a whisper comparatively.

 

[Trebdp83]

Funny, second Bose Acoustimass setup to pop up here lately. Remove every piece of it and just use the Elacs and that Yamaha subwoofer. It looks like the YST-SW012. It won’t move mountains but might add a little bump.

Place the Elacs an equal distance from each side of the TV. This may be difficult based on the pictures in the first post. Make it happen. In the Onkyo settings, select a speaker configuration of 2.1. Turn the Volume knob on the subwoofer to the seventh dot, starting from the 0 dot.

Now, if you have the microphone for the Onkyo, it looks like a little hockey puck, plug it into the front of the receiver and follow the on screen instructions by AccuEQ. It will measure the room and speakers capabilities and adjust them accordingly to the best of its abilities, though AccuEQ is not nearly as capable as some state of the art room correction software. Post your results.

This is a basic recommendation based on the equipment in use and the challenges of the room. A proper editing studio would require an entirely new space and equipment. But, you can improve on the current setup with some placement and settings changes.

 

[FoxAdriano]

Thanks for your suggestions. I attach a pic where you can see the location of my Elacs. I have also 2. floor rugs, one large and one small. Then who are the curtains on the right and 2 fabric sofas. Under the speakers I often have a carpet panel.
I never make a AccuEQ test with microphone. I don't find the original mOnkyo mis. Is it important this test?

 

[Trebdp83]

That is a very nice room and a great fireplace. Without the setup mic, you cannot make use of AccuEQ. But, you can set it up manually.

To do a quick setup, go into Speaker Settings and set Speaker Channels to 2.1, Subwoofer Yes, Bi-Amp No, Powered Zone 2 No, Front 80Hz, LPF of LFE 120Hz.

The room looks a bit long so try setting the distance of the Front speakers and Subwoofer to 12ft/3.60m. Again, this is just a quick try out.

If the sub doesn’t seem loud enough or is too loud, turn the Subwoofer Level UP or DOWN accordingly using the Quick Menu in the receiver settings. Press the Q button on the remote controller to access it. Scroll down to Audio section and select it. Then, select Subwoofer Level.