I've really had it with too low voices...

[Rash]

Can't take it anymore.... I'm fed up with my theater system.. The Voices in movies are always to low, and special effects and action scenes are always too loud.....

This is my setup

Pioneer VSX-82 amp on 5.1 channels
PS3 Blue ray or Harman Kardon DVD 37
Axiom Epic 60-500
Soundproof 2000 cubic feet room.
Tried all playing modes on amp, tried changing channel levels, all movies are recorded on DTS (blu-ray anyway)..
Still can't fix the problem..

It's at a point where you can't hear the voices but the explosions are too loud.. so you gotta jerk around with the volume level all the time..

GRRRR


I have played with dynamic range on my DVD player, wich makes it a little better, but on the PS3, it is really pathetic... and in played around with my centre speaker angle... still not better...

What are my options..( other than throwing everything out the window...)..


Thanks all for opinions..

 

[Rash]

And dynamic range on the PS3 was on automatic..

Soo..

what's the problem??

 

[MinusTheBear]

Sounds like a calibration issue. Do you have a SPL meter. It is the only way to ensure that your system is level matched. If you are doing it by ear, your settings will not be accurate.
A properly calibrated system makes all the difference in the world.

 

[rnatalli]

Get a receiver with Audyssey Dynamic Volume. Problem solved...

 

[Rash]

Thats about the only thing i didn't do: the automatic calibration with the microphone...

but went through all specs: speaker distance, speaker size, MACC, independent speaker level,, x-over for the sub... ...


will try the microphone, but can't see what more it will do..

 

[Rash]

Get a receiver with Audyssey Dynamic Volume. Problem solved...

Any examples to suggest??

 

[Adam]

If you used an SPL meter to set the speaker levels, then the microphone probably won't improve on that part. However, I've been happy with the MCACC auto equalization. I highly recommend running that auto set-up with the microphone. Be sure to go back in and set your speakers back to "small" (if you want them that way), as the auto routine tends to set them to "large."

 

[rnatalli]

Any examples to suggest??

Here's a way to find receivers with Dynamic Volume:

http://www.audyssey.com/j/products?t=5

 

[SVT CAMR]

Thats about the only thing i didn't do: the automatic calibration with the microphone...

but went through all specs: speaker distance, speaker size, MACC, independent speaker level,, x-over for the sub... ...


will try the microphone, but can't see what more it will do..

You mentioned everything except for equalizer settings on each speaker.
Do you have that on your Amp?

 

[the grunt]

Really all you should have to do is turn up the level of your center channel so it sounds odd that didn’t work. If you haven’t calibrated your system with an SPL meter or the receiver’s auto-calibration function then the center channel might be way to low and you just haven’t tried turning it up enough.

If your center speaker is flush with your screen try pulling it out a little and see if that helps.

If this is happening mostly with Dolby PLllx or DTS NEO:6 check for a setting on your receiver (it‘s called “dimension“ on my denon) that spreads the center channel out to the mains when using music mode. If it’s set high enough then much of the center channel information is played through the mains which might be why raising the center channel volume isn’t helping much.

Sometimes loud explosions and other noise will start to drowned out voices even if you turn up the center channels level very high.

 

[tom67]

Some good avice by others, but the ultimate problem is that is just the way the world of real sound is....trumpets, explosions and freight trains are just very loud. Sound engineers know that that and adjust to a large extent. For example, if two people were standing near the tracks when a train passed you would not be able to hear them at all from 20 feet away....on a DTS film you can to some extent. I adjusted the equalizer on my Yamaha to spike the voice range to please my wife for a time on movies. I also throttled back on the dynamic range. I gave up since I had to readjust when I listened to a DVD music disc....my personal answer is to tell the wife "dont watch a DVD movie if you cant handle the predictable occasional discomfort realistic sound".....otherwise, watch a cable movie with limited dynamics.....I share your pain and gave up the constant screwing with settings....

 

[chas_w]

I've had good luck with the Audyssey dynamic volume feature. I use the DAY setting on my Denon receiver which retains most of the dynamics while gently decreasing the loud moments and keeping dialog boosted nicely even at low volumes.

 

[Patrick_Wolf]

Can't take it anymore.... I'm fed up with my theater system.. The Voices in movies are always to low, and special effects and action scenes are always too loud.....

Action scenes are supposed to be loud... Unless they're so loud it's causing you discomfort/pain. I think the dynamics on BD are generally going to be higher than DVD as well.

 

[Rash]

I'll start over with the MACC auto setup... and see.. when i listen to each channel outpout individually, the centre is louder by comparaison to the others... it's at +8 db vs others.. it's at 1-2 inchs from wall (i'll change that.)...
Thanks for input.. i'll do more tests...

 

[Patrick_Wolf]

Another test you could try is disabling the center channel so the center mix is sent to the L/R speakers. You may not like this idea, but it's only a test.

 

[iwantsomepie]

My parents have this issue aswell, albeit with a different setup...
Anybody else have any ideas?

 

[lsiberian]

Upgrade your center channel

1. Make sure the center actually works.

2. Most center speakers suck. Get a good one. Preferablly it shoudl be the same speaker as your LR channels.

Make the center speaker hot. I always boost it by 4 db(this is where a difference is actually noticeable)

Sound proof doesn't mean much to us. We need to know what it's soundproofed with and how. It's likely LFE is overpowering your room. I suggest you crank the crossover on you receiver up to 100hz. This helps in lots of rooms. Make sure you place subwoofers with a crawl test.

 

[basspig]

Hmmm... explosions are about 150-160dB in reality. If they're not playing back at that level, then of course the dialog is going to be too soft!

My complaint is that most movies have too LIMITED a dynamic range. There is little element of surprise when it's all compressed down to fit a 40dB aperture. Movies are improving, but I suppose this is a compromise to keep the pain level of the audience down.

When I went to see the last showing of Miss Saigon on Broadway in Dec 2000, they used a real pistol in the suicided scene, and it was LOUD. I wish movie dynamics were that good. The gunshot was a good 50dB over everything else.

If you're going to experience a movie, may as well make it realistic.

 

[CraigV]

Rather than starting a new thread, I’ll post some of my observations here. As others have suggested, level matching is important for proper playback. Also, try the idea of setting the 2 front speakers to “phantom” mode – that is, in the receiver setup, tell it there is no center speaker. Watch a clip of a film you’re familiar with both ways, and see what, if any, difference there is. As others have suggested, it may just be that the scene was engineered in a manner to drown out voices with other sounds.

My situation is this – I employ the “phantom” approach, which for the most part works fine. I have noticed though on certain cable channels, and even during certain commercials, the “center” voice is very low. In the case of a current Mr. Goodwrech commercial, the voice is barley audible. Likewise, I was watching a James Bond flick on universal HD yesterday, and the voices were almost unintelligible. The preamp indicated the soundtrack was coming through in (and played back in) Dolby Digital. Any ideas what gives there?

Movies from my BD player are fine, but I do use the analog output, and in the setup on the player, I told it there was no center channel speaker.

 

[tcarcio]

I have a Pioneer Elite and it works fine so you more than likely do not need a new reciever as some have mentioned and the mcacc works quite well so if your test tones are working fine then check which mode you have it in. Switch from stereo to thx and so forth to see if it changes. If you are useing a Blu ray or dvd player put the Pioneer in stream direct or standard.