need help bad concerning 5.1 surround receivers

[torn speaker]

I'm not much of a movie person; I prefer to hear mostly live musical concerts. All I ever heard is how great 5.1 dts or dolby digital 5.1 surround is. That may be true when it comes to movies, but when I'm hearing music I want total tonal (bass and treble) control including the ability to hook up a graphic equalizer. The day I received my 5.1 surround receiver I was totally impressed with the tonal control in stereo mode (especially in the area of treble), but was shocked in the surround mode by a dull lifeless sound. I have good speakers. This receiver which is not top of the line but decent was purchased several years ago. I thought by now there would have been progress in this area, but everyone I talk to tells me even the best receivers out there still only offer tonal control in stereo mode. Is this true? Please anyone if you know this to be untrue let me know what is available. I don't need George Lucus deciding for me what sounds best. Thanks

 

[jcPanny]

EQ capabilities of Receivers

Many mid-fi receivers these days offer internal EQ capabilities. Due to the number of channels (7.1) and lack of tape loop type connections it is difficult to connect an equlizer external to the receivers.
The good old tone controls you describe allow manual boost or attenuation of one or two specific frequency bands.

New recevers have parametric EQ capability programmed into their DSPs. Multiple bands can adjust any frequency by any amount on any channels. This is often used in conjunction with a microphone to automatically measure the speaker distances, volume levels, and EQ the system. In most cases, the goal is to compensate for the room and produce a flat frequency response across the audible spectrum.

From what I have read, the Denon AudesyMultiEQ system is probably the best out there whith Yamaha a close second.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I'm not much of a movie person; I prefer to hear mostly live musical concerts. All I ever heard is how great 5.1 dts or dolby digital 5.1 surround is. That may be true when it comes to movies, but when I'm hearing music I want total tonal (bass and treble) control including the ability to hook up a graphic equalizer. The day I received my 5.1 surround receiver I was totally impressed with the tonal control in stereo mode (especially in the area of treble), but was shocked in the surround mode by a dull lifeless sound. I have good speakers. This receiver which is not top of the line but decent was purchased several years ago. I thought by now there would have been progress in this area, but everyone I talk to tells me even the best receivers out there still only offer tonal control in stereo mode. Is this true? Please anyone if you know this to be untrue let me know what is available. I don't need George Lucus deciding for me what sounds best. Thanks

If what jc said is not enough since you want a playback system equivalent to a recording studio, you need a different setup.
You need a processor, the number of speakers you think will meet your needs, preferably all the same so it has the same tone timber throughout, at least a 30 band EQ in each channel, amps to each channel. Room acoustics is in order as that can make a system lifeless no matter what you do.

 

[tbewick]

I don't really understand what your problem could be. Is your room acoustically treated? The tone controls, if that is what you are referring to, will be applied across all the channels in surround mode. They are only able to make crude adjustments based on your listening environment and the automatic EQ's offered by some recievers would be more effective. Personally I'm not too fussy about sound quality and make do with tone controls. You could try enabling cinema/THX EQ as these are designed to broadly compensate for the fact that you are not listening in a dubbing theatre. I've certainly found cinema EQ effective in removing the excessive brightness of film soundtracks.

In DTS mode, you should get sound quality approaching, if not exceeding, that in a cinema. Unless you have a very large room with acoustical treatment, I can't see that you will get much improvement buying separates.

 

[torn speaker]

Just like it crisp!

You guys are making this way to complicated; I'm not looking for perfect equalization and all that. I'm a drummer who loves to hear the snap of a snare drum and the high pitch of cymbals. As I already alluded to bass is not a major concern with the surround, but my titanium tweeters are not as crisp and sweet as when their in the stereo mode. It is as simple as that, and it has nothing to do with my room because both modes are played in the same room! I don't know why this is so hard to understand. I have read the reviews of people much more knowledgeable than me that have made this same complaint!

 

[zumbo]

I am a drummer too. I know what you mean about sound. It's your speakers. I have my bass and treble set to 0.
If you don't think 5.1 makes a difference, pop in a concert dvd & switch between 5.1 and stereo on the dvd player while the concert is playing. You will find out real quick.

 

[torn speaker]

Ready to give up!

I am a drummer too. I know what you mean about sound. It's your speakers. I have my bass and treble set to 0.
If you don't think 5.1 makes a difference, pop in a concert dvd & switch between 5.1 and stereo on the dvd player while the concert is playing. You will find out real quick.

Zumbo, at least you recognize that there is a major difference in sound between 5.1 and pcm stereo, but I am not impressed by the speaker you are showing here. I just don't think its to much to ask to incorporate the same tonal control pcm stereo enjoys into 5.1, but nobody on this forum seems to get it.!