How to Tweak my Speakers

[BobSD]

My friend took me to visit someone he met through his business, to hear his setup. I was so impressed how he got the max out of his speakers using using DAC, jitterbug-not sure what it is really called, and a equalizer.

What I would like to concentrate on first is the equalizer. He was using an out side one, I would like to try the one in my receiver. I will put the numbers down because I am not sure where the highs began and the mids take over its all in the same grouping.

its starts at 25Hz, 40, 63, 100, 160, 250, 400, 630, 1000, 1600, 2500, 4000, 6300, 10000, 16,000. I have heard some of these ranges are out of human hearing?? It is soooo confusing, I have always had it set to flat, when you can go + or -, wow where does one began. Is there a chart one came refer to??

One last point of interest, (I know my speakers are better then his) But, My speakers sound better All ranges cystal clear)then this guy's speakers at low volume that is you can hear the refrigerator comes on, But when this guy ups the volume to real live at the jazz club level, his sounds better, mind become slightly muddy compared to his? Thanks Bob

 

[AVRat]

I lost track Bob, what gear are you currently running?

 

[selden]

Superficially, with no other information than what you've provided, I'd be concerned that your receiver/amp is underpowered for the speakers and room size, perhaps resulting in clipping and other distortions when the volume is turned up.

The next thing that occurs to me is to suspect that your room may need some "treatments"; in particular, something to absorb the audio reflections at their first reflection points.

Please provide a list of exactly what equipment and speakers you have, along with a scale diagram of the room, showing where windows, doorways, speakers and seating are located, plus whatever treatments (including shelving and curtains) currently exist.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Maybe his room has better acoustics than your room?

 

[BobSD]

I think you answered my question, acoustics! That must be why mine sounds so much better at low volume. One of my walls close to the left speakers is almost all window, all the way down to the floor, my dogs love it they can see out. But I have full length drapes, and close them when playing music. I have cathedral ceiling, and the room is fairly large, like 21' X 27', the speakers are 11' apart and the listening area is 13' on center of the front towers. Speakers are about four feet away from the front wall. The walls are hard, but carpet floors. The wall behind me is four feet back of me.

I have an Integra 7.8, 130 watts at 8 ohms, 150 watts @ 2 channel

So I was wondering how one would even began to set an equalizer graph? Just for experiment sake?

 

[mtrycrafts]

I think you answered my question, acoustics! That must be why mine sounds so much better at low volume. One of my walls close to the left speakers is almost all window, all the way down to the floor, my dogs love it they can see out. But I have full length drapes, and close them when playing music. I have cathedral ceiling, and the room is fairly large, like 21' X 27', the speakers are 11' apart and the listening area is 13' on center of the front towers. Speakers are about four feet away from the front wall. The walls are hard, but carpet floors. The wall behind me is four feet back of me.

I have an Integra 7.8, 130 watts at 8 ohms, 150 watts @ 2 channel

So I was wondering how one would even began to set an equalizer graph? Just for experiment sake?

If that Integra has a built in auto EQ feature, should be in the manual, use that setup. Otherwise, you would need either some on line software and mic to go with it, an Real Time analyzer, or an spl meter like the Radio Shack analog one with an correction table for it and a test CD with sine waves that covers the EQ's bands.
I believe the AH home page has some tutorials at the AH college tab?
Unless Your speakers are a difficult load for the receiver, you should have enough.What you may need is some acoustic treatments on some of the other walls.

 

[jostenmeat]

I think you answered my question, acoustics! That must be why mine sounds so much better at low volume. One of my walls close to the left speakers is almost all window, all the way down to the floor, my dogs love it they can see out. But I have full length drapes, and close them when playing music. I have cathedral ceiling, and the room is fairly large, like 21' X 27', the speakers are 11' apart and the listening area is 13' on center of the front towers. Speakers are about four feet away from the front wall. The walls are hard, but carpet floors. The wall behind me is four feet back of me.

I have an Integra 7.8, 130 watts at 8 ohms, 150 watts @ 2 channel

So I was wondering how one would even began to set an equalizer graph? Just for experiment sake?

You never really answered AVRat's question. IIRC . . . you have ML hybrid electrostats and Def Tech bipolars, maybe?

If the former, and you intend to use Audyssey, these speakers, coupled with room interaction, can lead to funky results, particularly with phase. Some of these ML models actually have the woofer purposely out of phase with the panel, believe it or not, for better integration. Your backwave from the stat IS out of phase. The strength of this reflection to the calibrating mic might also make for funky results. Ideally, you would significantly treat your front wall. Drapes are nice, but definitely not broad band by any means. Lastly, 4 feet from the back wall is decent, but in your room, you could further increase that distance.

So, large dipole radiators can really energize the reflections in your room. I'd very strongly consider treating your space with significant amounts of broadband absorption.

With bipolar speakers, the "backwave" is in phase, but depending on the delay and strength of the reflection . . . I don't know how funky the results might be.

 

[BobSD]

Thanks jostenmeat, for correcting me and you do remember me, I do have the Def 7001s for my Fronts, and I just added the paradgm C5 for my center speaker. I do have a sub-W the depth i, and def surround. My ML, speakers have there own amp, and pre-amp setup and they sound as good to me as I would ever want so I need not adjust anything with them.

I am thinking of tweaking my center speaker only to complement whats coming out of my Def's fronts. I know using auto EQ features or spl meter would work in most situations, but for me I have ear problems so a balanced set up may not be ideal. Like I have slight hearing lost in the right ear and high range lost in the left ear.

So I boost the volume on the right and enhance the highs so very slightly on the left and the defs sound great. But the center speaker, I would like to brighten up the highs and a little for the mid range, and reduce the low because the defs really have that covered. So I thought dealing with the equalizer may be the answer? What do you think? Oh and as for playing loud, I very seldom do that so maybe the room acoustics I can delay, but I am sure it would improve the over- all!

 

[jostenmeat]

My friend took me to visit someone he met through his business, to hear his setup. I was so impressed how he got the max out of his speakers using using DAC, jitterbug-not sure what it is really called, and a equalizer.

Well, he's your friend. Ask him what he was using, and see if he will help you set something up.

its starts at 25Hz, 40, 63, 100, 160, 250, 400, 630, 1000, 1600, 2500, 4000, 6300, 10000, 16,000. I have heard some of these ranges are out of human hearing??

16khz is too high to hear for many people who have put on some years, but I bet you can hear up to 10khz, and if not, most definitely 1000.

It is soooo confusing, I have always had it set to flat, when you can go + or -, wow where does one began. Is there a chart one came refer to??

Why don't you take a hearing test, and have them tell you at which freq points you cannot hear as well?

But the center speaker, I would like to brighten up the highs and a little for the mid range, and reduce the low because the defs really have that covered. So I thought dealing with the equalizer may be the answer? What do you think? Oh and as for playing loud, I very seldom do that so maybe the room acoustics I can delay, but I am sure it would improve the over- all!

To handle the EQ for the center only, well, you'll need an EQ for the center only. You'll likely need separates to do that.

Otherwise, to share my own experience, having the xover point higher than my mains was beneficial. Even if its definitely larger than your average center speaker, it still can't handle below 80hz well, and when it tries, it seems to muffle the freq's it could do well otherwise. It's possible that this is floor interaction, or as a combination with speaker limitations. I have significantly treated the floor of the HT, however. Anyways, what's the center xover at, and how does it sound when you raise it?

I don't like the idea of mismatching center to mains, however.

One of the biggest issues with center speakers, for many setups I see, including my own, is compromised placement. If, say, it's on shelving very low, with TV on top of stand, see if you can scoot TV back some, to allow speaker to be on top, at the lip. While not really possible with the shape of your center, some people actually place their TV right on top of the center speaker.