Setup question on bass management

[MDS]

In general, bass frequencies are non-localizable; ie your ears cannot tell the direction from which the sound originated. There is still some debate as to what frequencies and I've read white papers from Dolby Labs that claim that frequencies as high as 120 Hz are still non-localizable, which probably not coindidentally is why the LFE track is band-limited to 120 Hz.

Bass, being low frequency, has a very long wavelength and the more sources reproducing the same signal at different locations in the room the more chances you have for cancellation. Then again, the same setup can enhance bass if the speakers are placed appropriately. So I don't think you can make a general statement that multiple identical speakers is good or bad. However, if you have multiple low-bass capable speakers then the need for a dedicated subwoofer is greatly reduced.

If the engineeers at Skywalker Ranch say 5 identical speakers is best I'd take their word for it but keep in mind that their room is vastly different than your typical living room HT where I think multiple identical speakers is rarely feasible or even desirable.

 

[Nick250]

The setup is a good solution for the stated intent of having the subs active in 'direct' mode. Unlike Denon receivers which blur the distinction between the true meaning of Direct (or so I have read) most receivers will not utilize the sub in direct mode because if it did it wouldn't be direct (no processing), now would it?

MDS, are you saying that subs are actually active to some degree in pure direct or that Denon takes the sub out of the loop completely, but still does some processing in pure direct? I am guessing you mean the latter. The former easy to check out on my 3806 and I will, but I suspect you mean the latter. To the OP: In either case it's like buying a speaker, use it the way it sounds best to you.

Nick

 

[AVRat]

Nick, on pgs. 94,95 of the manual you’ll see charts that say the sub is usable in the pure direct modes so the only processing going on is bass management. I’ll try and see if I get a redirected LFE signal on my 5800 this weekend.

 

[MDS]

Denon allowing the sub to be used in Direct mode is just something I've seen people say on many forums but I don't own a Denon and can't verify it.

Direct is supposed to mean no processing at all - just straight to the amplifiers - so in my mind it isn't true to the definition of direct if the sub is active in direct mode.

 

[Nick250]

Nick, on pgs. 94,95 of the manual you’ll see charts that say the sub is usable in the pure direct modes so the only processing going on is bass management. I’ll try and see if I get a redirected LFE signal on my 5800 this weekend.

Really, I thought other wise. I rarely use pure direct on the 3806 and just assumed it was the same as on other receivers. IE no sub. Thanks for the catch.

Nick

 

[Nick250]

Nick, on pgs. 94,95 of the manual you’ll see charts that say the sub is usable in the pure direct modes so the only processing going on is bass management. I’ll try and see if I get a redirected LFE signal on my 5800 this weekend.

I just did a listening test since the manual is ambiguous to me. The 3806 sits right is next to the receiver which made it easy to push the "pure direct" button on and off and on and off. There was no question that the sub is off in pure direct mode. None at all.

A guess is that the manual is trying to convey that you can go into setup and modify the "pure direct" settings so it includes the sub.

Nick

 

[jcPanny]

Got it. Thanks. Another question. Apparently at Skywalker ranch, they experts there use B&W 802's for all main channels. Is this considered ideal ?

It is likely that the listening rooms at the ranch are specifically dimensioned and utilize acoustics treatments for proper acoustics. They have sophistocated processing or EQ equipment available.

Not exactly representative of your typical bedroom or basement converted to a HT. And just because they have full range speakers does not mean they are running full range. The "ideal" setup may vary depending on your room, your listening preferances, and your ears.

 

[AVRat]

OK, in testing this weekend on my 5800 anyway, the Denon does redirect the LFE (.1) signal to the main L/R when no sub is present and the sub is being used in “pure direct” mode.

I used an LFE signal off the DVE disk to test for the redirection. And I used a single 30 Hz tone w/ speakers set to small to confirm sub use in “pure direct” mode.