What is wrong with sound system?

[BeeBoop]

I have two rti a5s, a center channel csi a6, and an SVS sub. Now my center channel sounds extremely low, bad even. When I turn on my television sound from my Samsung TV, the entire system comes alive. This is leading me to believe that something is wrong with my center channel or maybe the receiver.

Any suggestions? I should probably add that the Denon 1913 was a year old when I purchased it used. Everything else was purchased new.

 

[DesiPower]

is it possible that somehow the center channel and sub-woofer input are swapped?

 

[BeeBoop]

is it possible that somehow the center channel and sub-woofer input are swapped?

No. Subwoofer is just one cable. The center has a black and red wire but I'll check just in case. BTW, this has been going on ever since my system was put together.

Edit
It's not the wires.

 

[DesiPower]

I meant the input, not the output. what are your sources and types of input? all HDMI? BRD player? please describe your system and connections in details.

 

[BeeBoop]

No player. All I have is the TV, receiver, Chromecast, and over the air antenna. Everything is connected to the TV. Nothing goes through the receiver. The receiver is connected to the TV by an optical audio.

 

[DesiPower]

Now my center channel sounds extremely low, bad even. When I turn on my television sound from my Samsung TV, the entire system comes alive.

Can you please explain this more clearly? when it is not working and when is it working?

 

[BeeBoop]

Can you please explain this more clearly? when it is not working and when is it working?

Do you think a recording would work? It's always working. The sound is just lower than all the other speakers. I tried to turn up the tone in settings but it doesn't help. I guess a better word is that it's not dynamic.

 

[tential]

What's your receiver displaying as the input I think is what he means?

Like sometimes my receiver will show that I'm only receiving 2.0 audio and my receiver is upmixing it to 5.1 which sounds bad. But then I get my receiver to realize i'm feeding it DTS audio and it comes alive.

How is it setup as well? You are using HDMI for everything right?

Chances are you have something setup wrong or your receiver isn't receiving hte right audio (or your center channel is busted).

FIRST thing I would check is ensure my center channel is working. I'd hook one single RtiA6 to the center channel and see if you are getting anything from it.

 

[BeeBoop]

I unplugged everything to test the center and it works. I even did a test tone and my center was picked up. I even turned my test tone up to 8db while left the other speakers at zero. I don't know how to tell if my receiver is set for 5.1 or 2.1. What I can do is go into manual settings to see if my receiver picks up all the speakers and it does. In the settings, my receiver sees my two towers, sub, and the center channel. There is a picture of all speakers that my receiver picks up. If my receiver doesn't pick up a speaker, it would not be displayed.

For input, I use TV Audio for everything I watch. TV audio is the button on the receiver remote that I use to get sound. The receiver is connected to the TV by optical audio, no HDMI.

Edit:
It's easier to hear people speak with my TV speakers on. It makes it more bright.

Edit:
My center is a CSI A6.

 

[fastman]

Have you used the Denon Audyssey microphone setup? It's easy and would tell you what's working and what's not.http://www.crutchfield.com/S-uRymqQJMPTf/learn/reviews/20051129/audyssey.html

 

[BeeBoop]

Have you used the Denon Audyssey microphone setup? It's easy and would tell you what's working and what's not.http://www.crutchfield.com/S-uRymqQJMPTf/learn/reviews/20051129/audyssey.html

Yes. It works. The sound is just not that great. I guess you could say that their is more ambient sound coming from cheap TV speakers than the CSI A6.

 

[tential]

Yes. It works. The sound is just not that great. I guess you could say that their is more ambient sound coming from cheap TV speakers than the CSI A6.

How'd you position the microphone? Can you explain how used it to setup audyssey? Is your receiver currently using those audssey settings?

 

[BeeBoop]

How'd you position the microphone? Can you explain how used it to setup audyssey? Is your receiver currently using those audssey settings?

I positioned the microphone at the position I will be sitting at when watching movies. In order to get the correct height, I put it on top of some pillows. The receiver is using most of those settings.

Does anyone know how I can turn the center channel volume up and only the center channel? I can't seem to figure it out on the Denon 1913. I believe if I could just manually turn up the volume of the center channel, it could fix everything.

 

[BeeBoop]

Okay, I might have figured out the problem. I'm not sure because I just changed the setting and haven't had time to really compare it. Will test it some more later to see if this fixed everything.

The problem I believe is that my crossover for my center channel CSI A6 was set at 100. I lowered it to 40. To my understanding, all frequencies above 40 will be picked up by the center channel? Do you guys think this is the problem? I'll test it some more later when I have more time but it seems to have made my center more bright, vibrant.

 

[tential]

Okay, I might have figured out the problem. I'm not sure because I just changed the setting and haven't had time to really compare it. Will test it some more later to see if this fixed everything.

The problem I believe is that my crossover for my center channel CSI A6 was set at 100. I lowered it to 40. To my understanding, all frequencies above 40 will be picked up by the center channel? Do you guys think this is the problem? I'll test it some more later when I have more time but it seems to have made my center more bright, vibrant.

Try 80 hz. 100 hz is a little high. But 40 hz is low. Shouldn't be an issue, especially if you aren't playing at high volumes, but I'd try 80 hz first.

As for the other thing, you did that completely wrong, hence why I asked (Don't worry, I did the same too and I didn't know.)

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/90-re...thread-faq-post-51779-a-191.html#post14456895

I think it's on that page.
They recommend using a boomstick to do the setup.
I do NOT use audyssey without actually having the proper equipment to set it up. People get some odd readings off of it when they do what you did. I simply took the stock settings, and edited from there til it "sounded right". Ya, it's not perfect, but I was never one to want a flat response anyway. I don't like flat sounding speakers. I prefer my treble a little high (I think I'm losing hearing up there), and I love loud bass.
It's your choice, but I'd try starting from no EQ whatsoever, and EQ from there til you like it rather than EQ with Audyssey when you don't have the proper things to get it to be setup correctly anyway.

You can change the level of every speaker manually as well. It's in your level settings. Audyssey setup is supposed to do that, but if you set it up how you did it may have not gotten the correct readings. You can use your phone to get the correct level from each speaker. Extremely simple, sit at the main listening position, go into your level settings and it should give you some "staticy" noise. From there, you can levelmatch your speakers using any app on your phone that can tell how loud sound is. Also should be able to set the distance of your speakers from the MLP too, which should ensure sound hits your ears at the same time (which can change things a bit).

I listened to my speakers 1.5 years before actually setting these settings up. It definitely cleaned my sound up and improved my SQ.

 

[BeeBoop]

Now i remember why i hate doing this crap. I have to plug and unplug the HDMI every single time i change a setting. Every single time!

 

[tential]

Now i remember why i hate doing this crap. I have to plug and unplug the HDMI every single time i change a setting. Every single time!

I have no idea what you've done with your setup that requires that. I've never unplugged my HDMI or touched it once since I set it up. That should not be happening...

 

[BeeBoop]

I have no idea what you've done with your setup that requires that. I've never unplugged my HDMI or touched it once since I set it up. That should not be happening...

I can't see the UI without plugging the receiver into HDMI 1. I finally figured out how to navigate using the tiny screen on the receiver. I think it was the internet updated that helped the navigation menu out, maybe. I'm not sure what was included in the update.

My dialogue problem is finally fixed. The dialogue volume control was not available before the update so I think that was the problem. Not really sure because I messed with a lot of settings after the update. I turned on Audyssey EQ and that helped too. Audyssey EQ was actually on before the update but i turned it off to the other day, before the update.

 

[tential]

I can't see the UI without plugging the receiver into HDMI 1. I finally figured out how to navigate using the tiny screen on the receiver. I think it was the internet updated that I did that helped the navigation menu out. Maybe, I'm not sure what was included in the update.

My dialogue problem is finally fixed. The dialogue volume control was not available before the update so I think that was the problem. Not really sure because I messed with a lot of settings after the update. I turned on Audyssey EQ and that helped too. Audyssey EQ was actually on before the update but i turned it off to the other day, before the update.

Good to hear. I suggest reading that Audyssey EQ guide. Right now, your Audyssey EQ will be far from accurate if you simply set the mic ontop of some pillows.

 

[BeeBoop]

Good to hear. I suggest reading that Audyssey EQ guide. Right now, your Audyssey EQ will be far from accurate if you simply set the mic ontop of some pillows.

Thanks for the help. I'll do it when I have some free time. I'm just happy that the dialogue is much better now. I do however have a tripod. Think that'll do?

 

[tential]

Thanks for the help. I'll do it when I have some free time. I'm just happy that the dialogue is much better now. I do however have a tripod. Think that'll do?

Tripod, boomstick, etc.
I think that's what you're supposed to use according to the FAQ for optimal Audyssey setup.

 

[Raduque]

Everything should be connected to the receiver. It should be passing video through to the TV, not the TV passing audio through to the receiver, because TVs mangle the audio that goes through them. It compresses, downsamples and otherwise folds, spindles and mutilates the audio stream and spits out a cruddy 2.0 audio stream. Especially Samsung TV's, which only will give you 5.1 through the HDMI ARC and never over an optical S/PDIF TOSLINK.

You're doing your system injustice by running everything through the TV first.

Edit: Heck, I can't even get sound out of my Samsung 75" H6350 and into my receiver no matter what connection I use!

 

[hawtdawg]

There is the option to change the channel level somewhere in the menu. I have an AVR 591, which is basically the 2011 model 16xx series. If mine can change channel levels, then I'm sure yours can. Also, redo your Audyssey setup. Get a tripod to mount the mic on if you can, also, do more than 1 seating location, the version on my receiver wants 6 locations.

 

[SithSolo1]

I agree with Raduque: everything should go to the receiver first, then to the TV. This may not be the case anymore but in the past the optical out from TVs didn't always carry a 5.1 signal. Often it was only 2.0 or 2.1 even if the broadcast/movie was in 5.1

 

[BeeBoop]

Everything should be connected to the receiver. It should be passing video through to the TV, not the TV passing audio through to the receiver, because TVs mangle the audio that goes through them. It compresses, downsamples and otherwise folds, spindles and mutilates the audio stream and spits out a cruddy 2.0 audio stream. Especially Samsung TV's, which only will give you 5.1 through the HDMI ARC and never over an optical S/PDIF TOSLINK.

You're doing your system injustice by running everything through the TV first.

Edit: Heck, I can't even get sound out of my Samsung 75" H6350 and into my receiver no matter what connection I use!

If everything is connected to the receiver, would that mean I'd have to use two remotes in order to control the television? I have HDMI arc setup now and that allows me to view all my content from multiple sources by the use of one remote. It's a horrible experience having to carry around two remotes when i want to watch something. I can watch Vudu, Netflix, amazon, youtube, Chromecast, USB content, and my regular over the air shows from just one remote using arc.

Is there a huge difference in sound if i pass everything through the receiver? My tv is a Samsung 8550 series.