anyone with a onkyo 805 HELP!!

[jaysonbarnett]

I have an 805 with the speakers listed below and i just can't get the volume i want. Let me tell you what i have done so far, i ran audessey, then bought SPL meter and manually set the levels to 75db ( audessey was almost perfect at) and when i watch a movie i have to turn it up to -2 or +2 on the receiver. After about -10db there is not much of a difference in volume. I have read that this receiver does that to keep it from distorting and to save juice for peaks in movies but i do not know how how this works. My old onkyo HTIB receiver (505 i think) with the same speakers would pump music form the same DVD player loud. The volume on the 505 was at about 40 and now even when i turn up the 805 to +18 it is not even close to as loud. beleive me at +18 you still can talk in the room.Also is anyone pissed that for zone 2 you have to run RCA cables because you can't send a digital signal even though it turns off the rears and zone 2 is using the same signal it used for the rears.
__________________
Audio:
Onkyo :tx-sr805
Polk: rti8's
Polk: rti4's
Polk: fxi3's
Polk: csi'3
Velodyne: VRP 1200 (12inch sub)
Video:
Panasonic:TH-42PX60U 42"Plasma
Power Conditioner:
Monster Power: HTS 3600 MKII Home Theater
Dvd:
Panasonic: HD-A3 (better than Blue-ray)
Game Systems
WII
PS3

 

[jaysonbarnett]

also

I have another question. What kind of amp to run the rti'8s to go along with the onkyo 805. I this needed or am i just wasting money? I hear running another 2 channel amp would give me overall better sound. I this true?

 

[MDS]

At +18 you should be running from the room with your fingers plugging your ears.

There must be something with the dvd player settings that is attenuating the volume before it gets to the receiver or something with your choices in the setup menu for the receiver. Is IntelliVolume on and set to a large negative value?

Regarding the limitation of analog only sources for Zone 2, that is 99% of receivers. They'd need yet another DAC to support digital sources for Zone 2 and that would add to the cost.

 

[Nomo]

With those speakers my recommendation whould be to go with an amp. At least a 2 channel to take stress of the fronts away from the receiver.
Will it improve the sound? maybe.
More importantly, those Polks are taxing that receiver and possibly reducing it's life.
Take a look at the Emotiva amps.

 

[jaysonbarnett]

dvd player

I have the toshiba HD-A3 and the intellivolume is negitive. SHould i turn that up until i get good volume from the receiver?

 

[MDS]

More importantly, those Polks are taxing that receiver and possibly reducing it's life.

I hope that is not the case, I'm seriously considering the new RTi A series. When I upgrade my receiver though, I won't be going any higher than the 705 or 706 if it is released by the time I want to upgrade.

I have the toshiba HD-A3 and the intellivolume is negitive. SHould i turn that up until i get good volume from the receiver?

IntelliVolume allows you to set an offset between different inputs. So if the input you use for the cable box causes the sound to be much louder than the DVD input, you would set a negative number for IV so that when you switch from dvd to cable the sound doesn't jump to a much higher level. You should set IV at zero.

I would also check the values of the channel trims. If they are very negative, either because Audyssey set them that way or you did it manually when calibrating, you might need to increase the IV setting.

 

[Nomo]

I hope that is not the case, I'm seriously considering the new RTi A series. When I upgrade my receiver though, I won't be going any higher than the 705 or 706 if it is released by the time I want to upgrade.

As much as I like the sound of them, the Polk series are a tough speaker to drive. I don't have any specs to back me up on this but I believe they spend more time in the near 4 ohm range than just about any commercial speaker.
I'm bi-amping my monitors.
I do however have a 3k+ cubic ft room to fill and like to play it loud sometimes.

 

[PENG]

As much as I like the sound of them, the Polk series are a tough speaker to drive. I don't have any specs to back me up on this but I believe they spend more time in the near 4 ohm range than just about any commercial speaker.
I'm bi-amping my monitors.
I do however have a 3k+ cubic ft room to fill and like to play it loud sometimes.

Please do scare him. The RTi10 and RTi12 may be a little hard to drive but not the RTi8. They are rated 8 ohm nominal, 90 dB 1W 1M, does not appear to be a diffcult load at all, at least not to something like the Onkyo 805.

 

[Nomo]

I assume you mean "don't scare him"?

I hardly wish to scare any one away. And I'm not completely familiar with the RTi series, and the comment was not meant for the fronts in particular. But the combination of all Polk is not a particularly easy load to drive.
Perhaps I'm over generalizing.

 

[jaysonbarnett]

"With those speakers my recommendation whould be to go with an amp. At least a 2 channel to take stress of the fronts away from the receiver.
Will it improve the sound? maybe.
More importantly, those Polks are taxing that receiver and possibly reducing it's life.
Take a look at the Emotiva amps."


Ok this brings my to my next question. I do want to get an amp to run the rti8's(fronts) what should i look for in an amp? does Total harmonic distortion play a role? Should i try to match this? The rti8's are 250 watts per channel what would be the amp to buy. I want the same or better than the onkyo. I think that would be dumb to have an amp not to the same quality as the onkyo. I am in the market so any help would be great. thanx in advance p.s. the monster power i have was a christmas gift.

 

[Alex2507]

p.s. the monster power i have was a christmas gift.

I've got one that I paid for. A couple of days ago I removed it from my signature so as not to advertise for the lying pricks.

Alex

 

[AVRat]

There is a setup issue somewhere in your system or a problem with the receiver. The 805 will power the RTi8s to excruciating level as will most mid-level receivers. What sort of volume do you hear when the tuner is used?

 

[Zetram]

I'd like to thread jack an ask. Would it be better to get a 2 or 3 channel amp w/ optimal power rating, or get a 5 channels amp, w/ lower per channel rating, and bi-amp the mains.

 

[Midcow2]

The Polk speakers have average efficiency of 90dB.

While these speakers are not high effiiency (around 100 dB) they are not low either (around 80dB). Remebr dB is a logrithmic scale and every 3 dB is a doubling in SPL efficiency. They are rated at nominal impedance of 8 ohms.

You old receiver, assuming 505, was rated at 75 w /channel in to 8 ohms

The new receiver 805 is rated at 130w /channel into 8 ohms. Now this is not twice as much becuase power is also logithmic. The power is in effect 13% more.

So if your previous AVR provided adequate then your new AVR should be more than adequate. What could be the problem:

(1) Settings on the new receiver are not correct
(2) New receiver is defective in thta it does not meet specs.
(3) Whisker short on speaker connection.

so solutions:

(1) Recheck your manual and setting ( probably not this)
(2) Do some 2-channel speaker tests. If still under warranty go to an authorized Onkyo service center and have them check.
(3) check and recheck speaker connections.

 

[jaysonbarnett]

There is a setup issue somewhere in your system or a problem with the receiver. The 805 will power the RTi8s to excruciating level as will most mid-level receivers. What sort of volume do you hear when the tuner is used?

if you mean the radio yes it is very loud just not anything else

 

[AVRat]

Some things to help diagnose your problem:

Is the “Audio sel” set to Auto, pg 70?
How do you have things connected?
Have you done all the digital assignments, pg 52?
Have you set all the HDMI control features in the receiver/sources if applicable, pg 48?
Are your sources set to output via Bitstream or PCM?
What are the channel levels set to, should be around 0dB, pg 90?

 

[jaysonbarnett]

AVRat

i will check all this when i get home tonight thanx all of you for your time.

 

[Hwypirt]

i will check all this when i get home tonight thanx all of you for your time.

Also make sure the mute is not on. At -20 on my 898, swat is taking up positions on the adjacent buildings!

 

[davo]

Also make sure the mute is not on. At -20 on my 898, swat is taking up positions on the adjacent buildings!

That's a pretty good point Hwypirt, the mute would be the simplest yet easiest thing to overlook.

I just got the Integra 7.8 and it is really loud. I was giving it a test run playing some SRV and I was thinking it was sort of ok, when I turned to the missus to comment about it. My lips were moving but she couldn't hear a thing. Hell, even I couldn't hear myself.

You gotta love QUALITY power.

P.S. I didn't bother with the audyssy level thing. Didn't care. You know how infatuation works.

 

[jaysonbarnett]

Got It

now i know what the problem is!!!! Last night i caught my roomate messing with the crossover (he had all croosovers to the speakers set to 120) and i asked him what he was trying to do and he said "get the tivo to work" Now i have it locked. He changed alot of stuff. At least i saw him or i would still be stumped.