Center Channel Woes (long)

[Takeereasy]

I need some more help guys. This one is perplexing (and vexing) me.


My problem is that I am having a very hard time hearing the voices on movie soundtracks. I often have to turn the center up + 10db just so that I can understand what is being said and that the dialogue is intelligible. Voices just fade into the background unless I have the volume turned way up. This happens even when I have the subs turned off, bass turned way down, and it is chick flick night with the girlfriend (not just during explosions and car chases). I have an N Center II speaker that I am using for my Center Channel, I am running 12awg Cambridge Soundworks speaker wire (recent addition), and it is conected to my Sony Str-De1075 receiver. The speaker is about 18 inches from the wall. It is a rear ported speaker so is the 18 inches too much? The room is 9' by 10', 4 drywall walls, 2 bookshelves, utility grade carpet over concrete with 6' solid wood ceilings, one doorway and one tiny window. With the volume turned up the sound is ok, not great but ok. Also when I turn the db up on the center channel background noises being provided by that channel get turned up as well, so everything just doesn't blend well, if you know what I mean.

To try and correct the problem I have taken the following steps:

1. Tilted the speaker to more directly face the listening position- a very small improvement.

2. Switched out the n-center for a JBL EC35, and a friend's (oh so nice but not sure of the model) Monitor Audio center- no improvement although the Monitor sounded better, it still lost the voices in the hubub.

3. While I had the other centers at my house I swapped out the 12awg speaker wire for a dedicated center cable with I believe 10 awg & banana plugs that my friend uses for his Monitor.-things got a little clearer but no real improvement.

4. Experimented with different speaker placements- nothing improved for the center, but I did wind up moving my L & R speakers a bit.


Please provide suggestions guys. I know that my equipment isn't exactly premium, but everything sounds great except the center.

Is it possible that the problem is in the receiver? Could there be somthing causing the voices to get cancelled out? Ironically the one upgrade that I can't perform is the receiver, but I can get it looked at if it could be the problem. It was a gift from my girlfriend, and she bothered to learn how to use it to keep me happy. If I change it she will get very angry (funny, I never pictured myself being afraid of an angry tiny little 5 foot tall girl before I started dating one) and that is not good, no, not good at all.

Thanks in advance guys, and, Help me Obi-Wan You're my only hope.

 

[zumbo]

If there is no further option to make adjustments on the receiver, sounds like it's time to ditch the Sony. Will your friend let you try his receiver?

 

[Takeereasy]

He says I can take my speakers to his house and give them a whirl, but it's such an unfair comparison. The Monitor center speaker is in his bedroom attached to his "cheap" system. So I'd have to try it there, but he has a receiver worth more than my entire system running it. Thanks for the idea though, I do appreciate it.

I also forgot to mention that the receiver is under warrenty for over 4 more years, to be replaced by a 1000ES series if it gets deemed irrepairable. My girlfriend bought the extended warranty, something I never would have done.

 

[Jedi2016]

How are you exporting the audio from the DVD player? Digital, I hope?

I read this when I was browsing one of the DVD FAQs a while back.. Since most dialogue is unique to the center channel, if you're trying to listen to a two-channel system, the dialogue can sometimes be lost, since the reciever isn't actually getting a center-channel signal. If you're running digital, that won't be the case, though.

What movies? Bear in mind also that many movies are encoded with a very high dynamic range of audio. The louds parts are very loud, which can often make the rest of the film seem very "quiet", when it's actually not. In that instance, just turn up the volume, or use a dynamic range compressor if your reciever has it, to squeeze the audio down a bit.

Might also want to check the setups for the speakers... if the reciever thinks your center speaker is a lot closer to you than the left/right speakers, it may be reducing the volume to compensate.

 

[Takeereasy]

No go but thanks.

Thanks for the input Jedi, that was actually something I forgot to mention. I am running my DVD player via digital coax. I tried swapping out my Monster one for another by Interlink but no go. My DVD player doesn't support an optical link otherwise I would have tried that too.

The types of movies haven't mattered. I can be watching fried green tomatoes, (not literally) straining to hear a conversation when a board creaking or wind noises in the background drown out what is being said on screen. At higher volumes dialogue is intelligible, but we are talking true movie theatre volume, or even a little louder.

I have adjusted the speaker distances to try reflecting their actual distance, farther and nearer. I also tried dynamic range compression, even at max all I got was a flatter sounding movie, no real improvement to the voices. But still a good Idea, thanks.

Do you think it is the receiver or could it be something else. I really am antsy about it being the receiver because the authorized Sony repair shop I'd have to use is notorious for taking for ever. I'd be without home theatre for maybe a month. Once You've had the experience you can't go back. TV on two tinny sounding speakers no way man.

 

[Nomo]

I had the identical issue with a Sony. This is the first time I've heard any one else complain about it. My only solution was to turn up the TV to supplement the center channel sound. I can't imagine it's something you want to hear but the solution may be to buy another receiver. The idea to try a friend's reciever is the best one short of that.
I can tell you that I got a Yamaha and the problem was solved.

 

[Jedi2016]

Could be a problem with that particular model. I've got a Sony STR-K750P, the center channel works just fine.

 

[Leprkon]

you might try setting your main speakers to "small" in the receiver set-up, since I think you said you had a sub. You might be sending too much signal to the mains if you have them set to large. If the mains are very efficient, they might be making much more sound than the center.

set on small, the signal will be a little better distributed, so you would be turning all the speakers up at the same time...

 

[Takeereasy]

Thanks guys.

Thanks for answering guys, It's nice to see that someone's listening.

Nomo Sony, I have been doing the same thing you did, suplementing the center channel with the TV volume.

Jedi, I bought my Sony because a buddy has a strde995, and it sounded geat to me. I still like the way his sounds, but knowing what his sounds like, despite the fact that it is a year older and a model below mine, is how I know something is wrong. To be honest though his receiver only really shines on 2 channel for music.

Leprkon, that is a great idea, and it did work a little. There is a noticable difference when I switched all to small. What do you think though, I've already tried everything everyone has suggested and only gotten a smal improvement. Should I take it in to the shop and have them test it out?

Thanks again guys, it was nice of you all to help.

 

[Leprkon]

I also have a 995 and I've noticed it seems to have a little trouble on the center with DTS. Can you tell us if you've been running DTS or Dolby Digital ? I don't seem to have the same problem with the digital.

you might take the "small" for the set-up one step further and see if you have the speaker distances set up weird.

 

[Takeereasy]

Please read the very last question at the bottom.

I always prefer to run it in DTS when I can, sounds much clearer, brighter, and louder on my receiver, but it seems that at least 75% of movies are only in Dolby Digital. Dolby seems more compressed, and again the vocals are harder to hear (only on my stuff, I have friends who swear Dolby sounds way better on their stuff).

I have got the distances to the speakers set up at the actual distance from the listening position. I have experimented with different distances, different dsp modes, speakers, everything.

This is my second dvd player, the first was a $600 US Onkyo DVD changer that I bought from a certain friend with lots of nice stuff. It didn't perform any better with the voice production than this one which is why I've ruled out the DVD player as the cause.

I am very frustrated. This receiver was still over $500 CDN when it was bought for me as a store demo. It was pretty darn close to a msrp of $1000 cdn when it was the new model. Did I get a lemon or is this the average quality of the Sony line of receivers that aren't in their ES lineup? I am bringing it in to get the once over at the repair shop. I'll eat the time without a receiver and the possible cost of the repair shop if nothing is wrong so that I can find out what the heck is going on.

Here is the question at the very bottom: Do receivers require tune ups every once in a while and if so could that be causing this problem? Not talking about cleaning, I mean tuneups

 

[Nick250]

Sounds to me like you do not have your basic speaker levels set up properly. Instead of turning your center speaker up, you may have to turn your other speakers down. The best way to get your individual speakers adjusted properly is to get a sound meter from Radio Shack and the Avia (sp?) test disk.

 

[Takeereasy]

Thanks for the suggestion Nick, and sorry it took me so long to reply. Recalibrating things is certainly the way to go I know. I do have one problem though. I can't turn up or down the db's on the front speakers the way I can the center, surrounds, and rear surround. That leaves me stuck turning everything else up or down in relation to the fronts. I am going to bite the bullet and take the receiver into the shop after Christmas. I have called and they have said that there is no charge for a diagnostic check, and that I am entitled to a free cleaning a year. I would take it in to the shop now, but, the nice lady on the phone said that it would be between two weeks and a month to get it back.


Thanks to everyone that took the time to try and help.

 

[Takeereasy]

Latest trouble

I have to wait untill after Christmas to put my receiver in the shop but now I really do believe that there is a major problem with this unit.

Now, every once in a while, when I turn on my receiver the sound will be coming out of the rear surround. Turning the receiver off/on fixes the problem. I have checked the wires and nothing is crossed, or touching. The really annoying part is that it is easier to make out voices on the rear surround than on the actual center.

Anyone have any Idea what is causing this?