!!!EQ Help needed Please!!!

[djpain75]

K, as far as setup goes for my HT system... I have gone thru the Avia disk and setup the display and the speaker balence with an SPL meter. My question is this...
For each channel i have 6 settings. A bass/mid/treb eq, and bass/mid/treb volume.
The range on all channels is as follows

Bass eq 100hz - 1.0khz
mid eq 500hz - 5.0khz
treb eq 1.0khz - 10khz

I also have a choice for small or large speakers of course. (right now on small)
So someone please tell me this...
If I set the bass at like say 100hz, does that mean that anything under 100 goes to the sub? What about the other eq's... are those high pass...or what. Im totally confused. Heeeelp heheh thanks guys

 

[j_garcia]

The EQ allows you to adjust the sound of the speaker within those ranges. IMO, this isn't something that should be done by ear and could get very complex. I'd leave them all at their default setting.

If you set your sub crossover to 100hz, then the answer is yes, but it's not exactly that simple. The sub will still get sound above that point and the mains will still get sound below that point. The crossover point is point at which each begins to be rolled off in it's respective direction. What is the lowest you can set the x-over point to?

 

[djpain75]

Those listed specs above are my "range" for the xovers. Also, they have no "default" setting unfortunatly. So lets say that for the 2 fronts... the Acoustech's ht-75's the freq response is "supposed" to be Frequency response of 35hz to 20khz (+/- 3 dB). Hmm, so what would i set these three crossovers at for those speakers? Like the bass of course would be a lowpass i would assume. But what about the mid and treb... Would the treb set at like (its lowest) 1.khz kill any freq's about that point? Or would it let the freq's thru over 1.khz??? Soooo confused. Of course the manual doesnt explain deek!

 

[j_garcia]

As far as I can tell, those are not crossovers, they are trims for the various bands indicated for a given set of speakers (front, center, surround), basically bass and treble adjustments. EQ = Equalizer, allowing you to tailor a specific frequency band, usually to offset a room response issue. If you aren't measuring and plotting the response of the entire audio band of each of your speakers, then I would not adjust these. I used to have a DE-815 back in the day and it had something similar. My recomendation (no offense) get a newer receiver.

 

[djpain75]

Cool, ive been wanting to upgrade anyway!!! So if i got a new receiver, those dont have all these extra un needed settings?

 

[j_garcia]

They're not unneeded, they're just more advanced features than most people are will actually use. The most recent receivers do have these functions, but they are set automatically by the receiver taking actual room measurements with a mic plugged into the receiver (or in the remote as the case may be). Otherwise known as "Auto-EQ" or "Auto setup" with names such as MCACC, MRAC, EZ-SET, etc...

 

[djpain75]

Great! Just sucks that Im left with all these settings and have no idea where to set them hmmmm Thanks for ya help Garcia =)

 

[fergusonv]

I feel as if I've answered this post before....
Take measuments of your speakers in your room either via a spl meter and spreadsheet or by using a roomeq tool with your spl meter as a mic. Once you know your response you can adjust accordingly

 

[djpain75]

Ok, so... where could i find this post (ive searched everywhere)?

 

[djpain75]

Mannn I found some room eq software but it looks like it will go totally over my head. Oh well, guess I'll just have to buy a new receiver heheheh Thanks for the help guys!!!

 

[fergusonv]

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18486

Post number #2

It's just a little ways down on this page

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

That receiver is very "tweakable." You can actually get the STRDE 925 to sound very good, but it could take weeks. It has a decent power supply and amp, believe it or not. It will overheat, so keep it ventilated.

I had helped a bunch of guys a few years back with a perfect eq setting on that thing. It really brought the speakers to life.

First off, get a tape measure and set the distances from your seated position. Next, set the crossover to 80Hz (Im trying to remember this stuff). Then what I recommend you do is get your favorite cd, sit down with your lcd remote (it has a killer remote), and play with the eq settings. Try the bass at 100Hz, the midrange at 1000Hz, and the treble at 4000Hz. boost them all the way, then cut them back to your preference. Do all this while listening to your favorite cd. Oh - and don't turn on the sub until you get your two front speakers sounding perfect. Once you get them dialed in, repeat the eq settings for the center and surrounds. Only then would I add the subwoofer. Much easier to add the sub after the rest of the system is complete.

The Avia disc does much of this for you, but it sets things flat. Many prefer peaks and valleys depending on preference/type of music. That's what makes that flexible Sony so nice.

 

[djpain75]

That receiver is very "tweakable." You can actually get the STRDE 925 to sound very good, but it could take weeks. It has a decent power supply and amp, believe it or not. It will overheat, so keep it ventilated.

I had helped a bunch of guys a few years back with a perfect eq setting on that thing. It really brought the speakers to life.

First off, get a tape measure and set the distances from your seated position. Next, set the crossover to 80Hz (Im trying to remember this stuff). Then what I recommend you do is get your favorite cd, sit down with your lcd remote (it has a killer remote), and play with the eq settings. Try the bass at 100Hz, the midrange at 1000Hz, and the treble at 4000Hz. boost them all the way, then cut them back to your preference. Do all this while listening to your favorite cd. Oh - and don't turn on the sub until you get your two front speakers sounding perfect. Once you get them dialed in, repeat the eq settings for the center and surrounds. Only then would I add the subwoofer. Much easier to add the sub after the rest of the system is complete.

The Avia disc does much of this for you, but it sets things flat. Many prefer peaks and valleys depending on preference/type of music. That's what makes that flexible Sony so nice.

Question, on the Avia disk... is there something in there for audio eq tweaking? I always just did the vido tweak, then the level tweak with the spl meter then called it good. That dvd isnt put together too well and its hard to move around in there. Thanks for the advise and I'll try to check that out this weekend!!! YOUR A LIFESAVER MANNN!!!! Tkx again... It is a nice receiver... I only have to turn it up like 1/4 of the way up. Really clean loud and defined. Hard to upgrade when its sooo good now. I did have to get it serviced a few months back. Something burnt out and it stopped working alltogether. It was still under an ext. warranty so its all good.
Now im just waiting for it to kick it and ill prolly get a nice 7.1 system =)

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

The avia disc will help you flatten out the Hz response based on your room. It won't tweak your eq though. Once you use the disc, go back in and tweak the eq. If you still have muddy bass, drop the midbass down lower. The midrange is pretty muddy on that receiver, so setting it at 1kHz really helps. You really need to take the treble past 2.5kHz to get rid of that awful brightness issue. I would take mine between 3-5kHz.

Oh, one more thing. I somewhat remember 5.1 channel stereo sounding better than any of the dsp modes with regular tv. For some reason, there's a better S/N ratio on that unit with 5.1 stereo.

A step from your unit to a 7.1 won't be as big a jump as you think. You really get nice separation from 5.1. You need a huge room for 7.1, and even then, the 6/7th speakers don't kick in all that often. Your unit should last you through the few HDMI changes. Wait until HDMI 1.3 is out before you start your upgrade search. May be a year or two. That unit has pretty decent power, and a slick remote - but it gets HOT, and heat spells issues with solder joints. Keep it cool, or even add a mini pc fan over the unit.

 

[djpain75]

the pc fan is a good idea... was already thinking that ... but how to power?

Tell me this about those settings. When you say take the treb to 2.5 or above...does that cut out all the highs above that setting. I dont quite get what those settings do? I have mine setup for AFD (auto format decode) and no sound fields, so that its as close to untainted as possible. I like the 5.1 and agree that 6 or 7 channels wouldnt make that much of a diff in a small room such as mine. But dolby logicII would be nice for the sub channel.
Where on that disk do i go to set the hz for the room?

 

[djpain75]

oh by the way... I was born in Kettering OH =)

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

the pc fan is a good idea... was already thinking that ... but how to power?

Tell me this about those settings. When you say take the treb to 2.5 or above...does that cut out all the highs above that setting. I dont quite get what those settings do? I have mine setup for AFD (auto format decode) and no sound fields, so that its as close to untainted as possible. I like the 5.1 and agree that 6 or 7 channels wouldnt make that much of a diff in a small room such as mine. But dolby logicII would be nice for the sub channel.
Where on that disk do i go to set the hz for the room?

No, when you set the treble to 2.5kHz, it's a rolloff effect. You'll still get treble to 20,000, but it focuses more on 2.5kHz (as opposed to 1kHz - the lowest setting). If you take it up to 5kHz, you'll miss out on a lot of dialogue. It all depends on the type of tweeter you have (horn, soft dome, etc...)



AFD is like Denon's Pure Direct. No equalization. IMO, every room needs some. If you're a pureist, that's fine. But room modes aren't perfect, and no one has an anechoic chamber they life in. So some Hz need boosted, some cut.

DPLII isn't all that great. It tries to create a true DD 5.1, but steals sound away from the mains and shuffles it to the rears. I've never been a big fan of taking 2ch material and splitting it up electronically into 5 or 7. If you've got a true 5.1 DD or DTS dvd, use DD or DTS, never DPLII. Now DTS Neo 6 is a little better, but it's still meant to take 2 ch material and split it up.

I'm a fan of setting up a system manually, without mics and discs. I do agree the avia is a godsend for video, but audio - a tape measure and a well recorded cd do as much as the latest audio calibration discs.

 

[djpain75]

ok sweet, thanks again for all the helpl Gotta try some of that stuff out...!!!!
I'll have in a few days a new front soundstage. The fronts and the center will have horns for tweets... so i might set the treb to what?

 

[mulester7]

ok sweet, thanks again for all the helpl Gotta try some of that stuff out...!!!!
I'll have in a few days a new front soundstage. The fronts and the center will have horns for tweets... so i might set the treb to what?

.....set it to what pleases DJPain....you might want to start with flat, and you'll probably be done with it at flat, using horns.....

 

[ragged]

Lemme know how those acoustechs sound. I plan on getting the same.