I overheard my AV installer say to his mate "this is the wrong type of room" which put a damper on my whole new AV set up! Your video has made me feel my AV can be part of my home now. Thank you for being with me on that.
Another thing I did was even after setting and dialing things in my front stage always played louder. I called the manufacturer and they had same experience and then looked further and noticed that the main stage is designed to be about 30% louder. So definitely make sure speakers are measured and dialed in. Love your videos, keep up the nice work. Have a blessed day/evening.
One thing that i don’t see many talking about is how your speakers response graph can affect your bass performance. If you have big holes in the midrange voices might sound a bit boomy for example, even if the subwoofer integrates well with the speakers. The biggest area that i’ve found affects it the most is the 300-600 Hz area. Big or small dips in this area will make your subwoofer sound more boomy even if it integrates well into the overall response in the speakers. Also i have noticed dips in the 150-250 Hz area make the speakers sound hollow which can make your subwoofer/ subwoofers sound underwhelming. That’s why i also recommend everyone doing single speaker measurments with REW aswell as i believe it is crucial to getting the best bass performance!
I am late to join your list. But started watching your videos. They are gold mines of knowledge. And it is fitting for people like who do not have the perfect room or the equipments. But your videos help us to improve our home theater experience. Hats off to you Sir. Bug Thank You.
Most people have their surrounds way too loud. What i like to do is to use gunfire that is panned to the surrounds along with plane flyovers. Once i get the levels set to where it blends from front to back, ill play tracks over and over dialing in delay. Once done, you'll find your surrounds anywhere from 2 to 4db below the mains and center for a good blend. Many movies have the surround channels recorded way too loud in the first place. Every once in a while, i like to go back and confirm my settings for reassurance keeping your ears tuned in. Great video and information, thanks!
@@Subwoofer101 well, i use scenes where i can focus on the details. If it's too much energy or too much stuff going on, it make it more difficult. I look for scenes that pan from front to rear. The latest movies for me is The Hunger Games Part 2, American Sniper, 13 hours and Lone Survivor. I use Deepwater Horizon for balancing bass but that one also has very aggressive surround information also. I use an SPL meter to get an average first with the test tone out of my Outlaw 976. You'll end up spending an entire weekend picking out scenes your ears pick up on and play over and over until you think you've got it. Once your done, I'll bet anything your surrounds will be at a minimum of 2db lower than what you originally calibrated for....
3:56 - LPCM is not a lossy format, actually it is uncompressed Linear Pulse Code Modulated basic audio, in your case it's 2.0 stereo, and that is why it is quite underwhelming on a nicely set up multichannel system as opposed to the DTS HD, since it has no dedicated LFE channel, and the center/surround is just upmixed from the stereo signal the best the AVR can do. Actually, if you compare the bandwith/channel of this LPCM track to the DTS HD (2.3/2=1.15 vs. 4.7/5=0.94) you actually can squezze in a little bit more info into the LPCM per channel. Anyways, on 2.0 systems the LPCM 2.0 may sound great, and you are correct, that on a multichannel setup the DTS HD sounds way better - but that is due to the studio surround mixing and dedicated LFE, in my opinion.
I bought myself a couple of months ago a denon 2600h together with some focal speakers. After the initial Audyssey calibration from receiver, the sound was "okay" but it felt rear heavy, so i wasnt very happy with it. I tried a couple of times to alter the Audyssey settings manually but it just didn't feel right. Yesterday I found that Auddysey has an app for mobile, I bought it, ran the calibration, reviewed and tweaked some settings and give it a go.... I used Black Hawk Down 4k/Atmos remastered for the first try. The track in the beginning of the movie was atmosferic with a distinct front for the singer's voice, and then when people were fighting on that food truck I just had a shock. Despite the fact I knew I was watching a movie, the multitude of angry voices in my room sent my brain into fight or flight mode. I just wasn't able to concentrate at the screen because my brain just wanted to locate and focus on those voices that were filling my room. In that moment I knew that this is how an Atmos speaker setup should sound like - REAL . I'm impressed with the calibration results.
your advice is always great.my system sounds awesome because of your videos. I don't own this blue ray but I am going to get it and give this a try. if it makes my setup sound better it will blow my mind.thanks for sharing another great hack. cheers brother.
If you have overly loud rears I would bet it’s your measurement method. You should show exactly how and where you place the mic for correction. I’ve setup many rooms just like that and when seated in the center seat where it was measured from, it’s good. With such a tiny space though, you don’t have more than one spot where the rear levels will be right. One seat left or right and you have cut your distance by more than 1/2. Just the way it is.
I did a video about how precise you have to be in small spaces. I'm not saying that there is no room for improvement in my room correction game, but I do take it pretty seriously. You are absolutely right about the seat issue, being that close is FAR from ideal, but trimming back the rear levels made everything blend quite nicely. Even from one seat to the next, it's not as bad as you might imagine. Way worse if I didn't trim the levels. It's a good point about room correction though, if you take samples too far apart, too high, too low (I try to place the mic exactly where my ears would be for the first sample) not enough samples, or doing it with noise in the background, the results can be messy. I had to re-run room correction in Vegas because helicopters ruined the bass curve.
The point is you didn’t make anything blend better. You simply turned it down closer to where it needed to be, if you were measuring right under the speaker. Now making the center seat too quiet.
Where do you think I took the samples? The driver's seat? 😅 The point of the video is that I reduced the levels even further than going "by the book". I'm not sure how you are able to judge whether I achieved a better blend or not. Pretty neat trick without even hearing it. Color me impressed.
As measured where I sit AFTER the Hack: 68-69 dB front stage, 62 dB rear height, 61 dB ear level surrounds, 59-60 rear channel. If they all matched, I could barely hear the front stage. It's truly unpleasant if they matched. It's not subtle. That's why it's a hack. It's against conventional wisdom. Going by the book sounds relatively terrible.
No I had the same issue after calibrating my surroundsound speaker the volume on the speakers were off a little so I had to adjust the volume level on all the speakers to get them dialed in at the same level.
Incredible content. Will be getting dual PB-1000 Pros soon. In the meantime, I have a single DN8 sealed Sub and am playing around with the settings just to experiment. I do have an old Amp Denon AVR2805, which only has 1 sub woofer out. Planning to use splitter RCA cable to send the signal. In the AVR setting, for the Sub woofer, I see level as 0, +5, +10 and +15 as the only options. Per your strategy, do I set it to 0 or +5 as they would be the lowest possible settings? I was also able to set the sub woofer distance 3 feet farther than the Fronts. Finally, I’m boosting the gain on the sub woofer itself. Ideally, am I looking to hear a truly blended most natural sounding sound without any of the speakers or the sub drawing attention? Finally, my only source is thru Roku and the input goes into my TV a Sony Bravia from 2009, from which it goes into the AVR. Wondering if I’m losing signal quality because of this. Please let me know. Thanks for you time in advance. Your content just has super crazy depth. Keep BOOMING!!!
I also have the blu ray that you show. And indeed, simply fantastic sound and picture. Definitely recommended for everyone. And what you explain is certainly true. Thank you for this video. Greetings from the Netherlands Limburg Maastricht and above all continue with High-end.👂🏾👌🏾👍🏽😉
My rears aren't really top middles. If I label them for what they really are, surround height, I lose some ATMOS channels. Seems like an unnecessary Dolby issue, no problems with DTS:X. Thanks for your support!
Do you use Audyssey Dynamic EQ by chance?? DynEQ boosts surrounds 1.1dB for every 5dB you are under THX Reference Level. So if you are listening at -15dB MV DynEQ will boost the surround channels 3.3dB,this is enough to make them become very overbearing
Great video! I did the same thing that your doing. But what I did is I left what audessey did and I went to the options menu and hit channel levels. They were all set at 0 by default and I just turned them up and down according to the distance that the speaker is hitting my ear.
I should have mentioned that. The only problem is that it can change with the input. When I added +3 to a surround channel to test this, and switched inputs on the AVR, the adjustment was only for that one input. That can be very handy though, depending on what you are trying to accomplish. Using the "option method" seems to be input specific, while the speaker levels, using the "test tone method", works for all inputs. The "option method" allows you to hear it live rather than stopping the music, so I'm glad you brought it up. You could use it to get the levels right, then adjust the "test tones" accordingly. Thanks!
I'm using the music to judge the levels, not any sort of test pattern. If I measure it using the AVR test tones, it might be right on paper, but it's not right to my ears. White noise in the test tones is just that, noise. Using music gives me context. If I were to try to do this by ear with the test tones, I'd get a different, less desirable result. The music is like a road map. You have an idea of what to expect.
LPCM is not a compressed, 'lossy' audio file format tho . . . In fact that Blu-ray has some of the best two channel lossless audio compared to other live concert Blu-rays at the same sample rate as the 5.1 DTS-MA audio track. Both are sampled at 48kHz, 24bits. So not sure what you mean by saying the 2.0ch track isn't as good. Its every bit as good, it's just not as immersive as the 5.1 track for obvious reasons.
Thanks for pointing this out. I stand corrected, LCPM is lossless as well, but just in 2 channel, which doesn't showcase the amazing job they did mixing the surround channels, which is vital for this hack. It's harder to do with LPCM. Admittedly, I get tunnel vision when it comes to surround formats, it's gotta be ATMOS, True HD, DTS Master, DTS:X, Auro 3D, or IMAX Enhanced. If it's not of that caliber, it's just "less than" in my mind. As you mentioned, the difference between LCPM and DTS Master is remarkable. Frankly, I didn't give LCPM a second thought because it's nowhere near as good, the way I like to listen. It might be good for 2 channels, but doesn't compare when you have a full surround system. It really wakes up the concert. Thanks for catching this, I don't like to give incorrect information.
I tried this and it worked great but when I click the "option" button while using my Blu-ray player all the speaker levels are set to 0.0 db. Any suggestions?
Great review I use the Michael Jackson 4K video musical with DTXS and I was able to get all nine of my speakers dialed in to where the sound it’s almost equal to to my ear it sounds amazing
@@darthsterilethewise5547 no I don’t have a link, but it is the Michael Jackson this is it Blu-ray that you can get from Walmart or Amazon or Best Buy or any local movie store near you
@@darthsterilethewise5547 if you try to stream it, the audio quality may not be as good as the disc the Blu-ray disc you can probably stream it through Disney+ or Hulu or Amazon Prime Video but the quality the audio quality may not be the same as the Blu-ray disc. The Blu-ray disc is incredible.
Very important question: Is DynamicEQ turned on or off? If it’s on, it is known to pump up the surrounds by more than is generally desirable. Thanks for the vid(s)!
I was about to say the same thing, DynamicEQ as I noticed is on in this video, If your going to change the levels you should use the options menu on the denon remote and change there, not in the speaker main menu, the reason is that is mucks up the algorithm for Multieq, The only downside is that you have to do this for each source(hdmi) you are using, The plus you can customize each source to your liking, E.G In pc mode I don't want any back channels enabled just front soundstage I just turn down all back channels -12, In apple Tv I could apply your settings here and so on. A good app on Ios called DeRomote (Highly Recommend) which makes this process much easier can adjust in real time without fiddling with the Avr Remote and a great tool for messing around, I have a funny Config at the moment, Multi EQ =Aud DEQ = Off DV= light ]Tone Control = On Bass = 6db Treble = 0db
Why do you feel that it mucks up the Audyssey algorithm? I wouldn't think so, at least not in a negative fashion. Dynamic Volume might be the issue though, I really don't like it, but I could see it causing a problem if you use it. Dynamic EQ = good stuff, more bass at lower volume, but still sounds proper. Dynamic Volume = Not so good, kind of shrill and artificial. I don't need different levels between sources, so doing it across the board in the speaker menu works best for me. For sure, do what sounds best to you! The only thing that matters is that you enjoy your set up.
@@Subwoofer101 From what I researched and from tweaking around I found changing channel levels from the main manual settings alters the Audyssey algorithm and is best to use the options menu on the remote go to channel levels and alter from there, I agree DV can be artificial but does have its use For DEQ I find bass to be too bloated, was just watching Captain Marvel switching between both and prefer DEQ off, Multi EQ ON Tone Control On increasing the bass But like you said as long as you enjoy your set-up that's what matters and I respect you going against grain and trying alternate ways and by no means have I found the perfect settings, that's the fun part To be honest I'm kind of done with Audyssey and am saving up for a Diarc receiver, I'm not expecting miracles but will get a level of customization that you just don't get with Audyssey, REW has thought me a lot and would like to go further down this road Thank's for the great content and look forward to your videos
I think that the problem after audyssey set, it's that your sourraubd speakers aren't pint to you, so it doesn't get the sound level correctly. In my case it did a beautiful job.
Even if it's off axis, it still measures the decibel level from the speaker at the listening position. It really is a matter of differences in distance from one speaker to the next. If most of your speakers are roughly the same distance, you wouldn't notice it.
@@Subwoofer101 yeah, I know. My surrounds speakers are also really close to my sofa. When I watch a film alone, it's not a problem, but when we watch a film 3 or 4 people, 2 of them are next to a speaker. No ideal, but you need to enjoy your possibilities.
I would love to try your hacks but not sure where to start. I understand the front heights, centre speaker and subwoofer can be bumped up by a few DB? I now run all speaker levels to 75db, but would love to further tweak.
Hello, I just discovered your channel and really learning and enjoying. I'm a little confused on adjusting the levels for your speakers... I have a Marantz sr8012 ...What is the difference between the Channel Level Adjust under the Option menu on the remote and and the Levels adjustment under the Test Tone Start? If you compare the two they are completely different. Thanks so much!
Digital room correction eliminates the element of the human condition. Mics are more sensitive than the human ear. Furthermore the older we get the less sensitive our ears. The mics sensitivity never changes. In my case my hearing is less sensitive in my left ear. Manual correction is always necessary after running an auto room correction.
Love your videos man . Thx for sharing everything u do ! I have a marantz sr6013 a klipsch rp 450c center channel, klipsch 280 fa klipsch 250s surrounds and klipsch 160 rears & two 15" cerwin vega subs . Ran audyssey and I absolutely hated it . It sent my front center stage to large . And dumb everything down to -15 -17 and so on. It just didn't sound right to me. No bass ,highs were gone .
Check out my adjusting subs by ear hack, that should help. It also depends on which subs you're running. Most are shallow, meaning they taper off as it goes deeper. That can also make it sound boomy and overwhelming. With dual subs from the list (see video description) you can run a LOT more bass without overwhelming the other speakers. Regardless, turning down the AVR subwoofer level (on AVR first, then turn down the subwoofer gain on the subwoofer itself, if need be.) to taste will take attention away from the subs, allowing more mids and highs to come through.
Subwoofer 101 I have pa speakers that I use as subwoofers I don’t think they taper one is a Cerwin Vega CVX-21s and a El-36DP with two Cerwin Vega XLS-215 some Bose 301 v5 which might be my problem you are right about playing with the level and a equalizer can go a long way. Thank you for responding I also subscribed to you earlier for posting this video.
I really appreciate your subscription, which makes this even harder to say... PA subs are notoriously shallow. Super loud, I won't deny that, but not deep. Totally different design goals. Maximum loudness vs maximum depth. With any given bass driver, you can only have one or the other. Check out the list, and on the graph you will see how most subs respond, great from 40-80+ hertz, but they fall off under 30-40 hertz. Super common, and concert subs are all about the Max SPL, at the glaring expense of depth. The 301's aren't helping your cause either. I can't tell you how much I hate telling you any of that, but it's undeniable, side by side. This will sound impossible, but dual PB-1000's (300 watt, 10" subs) will *sound* deeper. Will they go as loud? Not by a mile, but they will absolutely produce a deeper sound. The subs on The List are super strong at depth, as deep as you can hear. It's a bottomless sound, as far as your hearing goes. It's a different ball game. So hopefully I haven't lost your subscription! The problem with shallow subs, easily 90-95% or more of consumer subwoofers, is the entire reason I started this channel. It's game changing. 2 identical, deep bass subs are what it's all about.
Subwoofer 101 what I use as subs go deep and not meant for consumer but professional use, the problem with that is I use a sound card to drive it all while it works ok not the best for this setup and I know the 301 are not helping we all do what we can at the time I also have a Klipsch RP-250C Center Channel Speaker, so all in all I have right now I have a 9.2 system with crown xls 1502 x3 and xls 2502 x1 although I plan on adding two more speakers and maybe eventually replacing the Bose what I have though most of it is not for a consumer for you cannot own this stuff if you rent too many would complain, I also have a direct box with phantom power changing the rca sub output to a balanced XLR connection. And I like music so I shouldn’t unsubscribe something alway new comes out that many don’t know about the more people you watch the more you learn
I have a question my subwoofer gain is set at 12 o’clock why is it that my AV receiver drops it all the way to -15 and I barley hear anything what recommend db volume should I set my subwoofer to on the av receiver been looking for the right answer ??
for the surround speakers that are too close doesn't dynamic EQ add a few more decibels? So if you just turned that off I feel like they would not sound so overbearing
Good evening my front stage is all klipsch speakers and my highest speakers SVS elevation, my question is I need to upgrade my center channel in your opinion wish center channel I should buy my budget max $500!!
Where do you mount your Atmos speakers? I currently have a 5.2 setup and are looking to add Atmos. It looks like your running yours at the top of the front wall. Would you suggest ceiling, front wall or on top of the front main speakers?
sound test 5.1 Test sOund subwoofer denon dht-s514 (LFE) has no sound. The others have their voices. when playing small subwoofer music / video (LFE). how to fix it or the solution. Thank you.
thank you I turn up front and turn down rears same for subsplus I don't have 4th wall or no acoustic treatment what a big deference audessuy had it wrong
Another great video I noticed when I click the signal information on my Yamaha RXV585 it says the format is PCM. Did I do something incorrect? Shouldn’t it say Dolby Atmos or what the audio signal is when I watch tv, 4K blurays.
First you have to use an HDMI cable to obtain Dolby Atmos this is the law in Home Theater. Second, if you have your Blu-Ray connected to your TV your TV has to have eARC to pass Dolby Atmos to your AV Receiver otherwise you only going to have Dolby Digital, and you have to enable in your Blu-Ray player and in your TV the eARC option and maybe in your AV Receiver also. But if you have your Blu-Ray player connected directly to your AV Receiver then you only need to go to your Blu-Ray player and enable the option Bitstream Direct (or something like that), then in your remote of your AV Receiver push the button that says Straight (if is not activated) then you are going to have Dolby Atmos.
Physical copy, for certain. The digital version doesn't have DTS Master, which will be decoded to DTS X if you have the speakers and AVR for it. The sound and the surround channel participation is MUCH higher in DTS Master, vs watching it on Amazon. That said, if you can get it with full, lossless DTS Master, and not Dolby Digital 2, the digital copy might work. If you find a lossless digital version, please let me know.
I have Audyssey on my Nad Master Series HD2 processor I tried running it a few times and it always comes back telling me that I have certain speakers out of phase which I know to be wrong as I have already meticulously checked the wiring. This leads me to doubt the accuracy of room correction. Surely if It can’t tell if your speakers are in or out of phase then how can you trust it to make accurate corrections for your room? Likewise having to turn particular speakers up or down manually, to my mind this negates the whole point of using it. Personally I don’t think the technology is advanced enough at this point in time, the engineers who developed it need to do more work and make it more reliable.... thanks for the videos btw I very much enjoy the channel 👍
I understand the skepticism. One thing that can cause speakers to show the phase error is side firing woofers. The Ultra Towers give a phase error every time. The same thing that causes the phase error is also part of what makes it sound so good. Glad you enjoy the channel!
I have a Martin logan motion 40 for the front and the slim xl connected a Sonny receiver Str Dh 750 and i will upgrade soon.I don’t have a subwoofer but i am planning to get one from your recommendations.The problem is when i set the front speakers lever to 0db it doesn’t sound loud and nice.So i have both set to 3db.Is it safe to increase it more?The more i increase db louder it get and it sound nice too.Please any feed back will be appreciated.Thanks
Right on, if it works, it works. If it were me, I would reduce the other channels to keep the fronts at 0. Not a huge deal, I rarely take it over +1.0, but so long as you aren't getting noticeable distortion or anything, no biggie. Not every AVR is built the same, so it might not matter with one AVR, but matter with another. Trust your ears.
I appreciate you watching that. I saw a neuro optometrist, and for the first time in 18 years I was able to walk down a hall without pulling to one side. Getting special glasses in a few weeks, I feel like there is finally something that can be done. I don't expect a full recovery, but my vision will finally be corrected. I don't require any glasses to read the smallest line on the chart. It's not about that. Regular optometrist tested fine, the Nuero realized that I'm pretty messed up. PROGRESS!!
Cool video, had the same problem with mine denon 4500, but acually it wasent the level that was my problem, yes the rear sounded to loud, but audessey acually got the distance wrong on one of my rear speakers, so the fronts got out of phase. So manually adjusting the distance on the rears worked awsome, so the soundstage moved again to the front :) just try it :) works amazing
How wide was your sample circle? When doing room correction, it's important that no sample is further than 2 ft from the first, and most important sample. I used to have a pretty wide circle, placing the microphone in seats across the room. That could definitely cause a polarity/distance issue. It was messy. When you're adjusting the distance, you are changing the timing. Essentially, the distance settings could be labeled timing and delay, but for the normal user that would be really difficult to contemplate, let alone adjust. The goal is to have all of the sounds from each speaker hit the main listener at the exact same moment. So the speakers that are furthest away get the signal from the AVR first, while the speakers that are closest get the signal last. My distance hack basically puts the bass signal out "early" because I've increased the distance. That phase/timing shift reduces cancellations. It's possible that by adjusting the distance of your rear channels, you have introduced some cancellation, which could be perceived as shifting the sound stage to the front. I'm interested in what you think on that. If you adjusted to the exact physical distance, it's probably not the case. It might be worth running room correction again. Interesting though, I'm always game for coloring outside of the lines if it sounds good.
Correct. I always keep my mic about 1.5ft appart from the first calibration point. It dident have this problem with the fw before the imax update. After that it always misses the distance on my left rear speaker. If i checked the volume with the pink noise the rears already was 2db lower than the rest, but dident sound like that at all when playing a movie or music on all channels. Btw thanks for all your videos. Really helpful and love watching them
Sounds better than you might imagine. Better than I expected, honestly. Even the guys from SVS were surprised at how good it sounds. At about 12:30 in you can hear their thoughts. th-cam.com/video/-YPuBHNyPyc/w-d-xo.html
surrounds are too loud because you're using Dynamic EQ where Audyssey dramatically boosts lfe channel AND surround channels by almost 7 dB !! you shoould deactivate Dyn EQ if you listen near reference volume, or activate Ref lvl offset (10/15dB) to lower the surrounds and keep LFE boosted if you like over-bass
I know you love music 🎼 so am I and I believe you like movies too !! Check out my favorite James Bond Skyfall the sound effect mix very well and uncompressed!! Great movie 🎥
Over 3 minutes before you get to the point! Please stop wasting time on side issues! It isn’t a “Hack” it is tweaking Audyssey to your own personal hearing and taste. The frequencies and volume we hear varies from person to person, that is all.
I overheard my AV installer say to his mate "this is the wrong type of room" which put a damper on my whole new AV set up! Your video has made me feel my AV can be part of my home now. Thank you for being with me on that.
Better to build a theater around the room, than a room around a theater. Less expensive that way. 🙂
Textiles are always good too. Fewer echoes.
Another thing I did was even after setting and dialing things in my front stage always played louder. I called the manufacturer and they had same experience and then looked further and noticed that the main stage is designed to be about 30% louder. So definitely make sure speakers are measured and dialed in. Love your videos, keep up the nice work. Have a blessed day/evening.
One thing that i don’t see many talking about is how your speakers response graph can affect your bass performance. If you have big holes in the midrange voices might sound a bit boomy for example, even if the subwoofer integrates well with the speakers. The biggest area that i’ve found affects it the most is the 300-600 Hz area. Big or small dips in this area will make your subwoofer sound more boomy even if it integrates well into the overall response in the speakers. Also i have noticed dips in the 150-250 Hz area make the speakers sound hollow which can make your subwoofer/ subwoofers sound underwhelming. That’s why i also recommend everyone doing single speaker measurments with REW aswell as i believe it is crucial to getting the best bass performance!
I am late to join your list. But started watching your videos. They are gold mines of knowledge. And it is fitting for people like who do not have the perfect room or the equipments. But your videos help us to improve our home theater experience. Hats off to you Sir. Bug Thank You.
Most people have their surrounds way too loud. What i like to do is to use gunfire that is panned to the surrounds along with plane flyovers. Once i get the levels set to where it blends from front to back, ill play tracks over and over dialing in delay. Once done, you'll find your surrounds anywhere from 2 to 4db below the mains and center for a good blend. Many movies have the surround channels recorded way too loud in the first place. Every once in a while, i like to go back and confirm my settings for reassurance keeping your ears tuned in. Great video and information, thanks!
Thanks! Which scenes do you find useful? I've tried doing this with action sequences, but haven't had as much luck.
@@Subwoofer101 well, i use scenes where i can focus on the details. If it's too much energy or too much stuff going on, it make it more difficult. I look for scenes that pan from front to rear. The latest movies for me is The Hunger Games Part 2, American Sniper, 13 hours and Lone Survivor. I use Deepwater Horizon for balancing bass but that one also has very aggressive surround information also. I use an SPL meter to get an average first with the test tone out of my Outlaw 976. You'll end up spending an entire weekend picking out scenes your ears pick up on and play over and over until you think you've got it. Once your done, I'll bet anything your surrounds will be at a minimum of 2db lower than what you originally calibrated for....
3:56 - LPCM is not a lossy format, actually it is uncompressed Linear Pulse Code Modulated basic audio, in your case it's 2.0 stereo, and that is why it is quite underwhelming on a nicely set up multichannel system as opposed to the DTS HD, since it has no dedicated LFE channel, and the center/surround is just upmixed from the stereo signal the best the AVR can do. Actually, if you compare the bandwith/channel of this LPCM track to the DTS HD (2.3/2=1.15 vs. 4.7/5=0.94) you actually can squezze in a little bit more info into the LPCM per channel. Anyways, on 2.0 systems the LPCM 2.0 may sound great, and you are correct, that on a multichannel setup the DTS HD sounds way better - but that is due to the studio surround mixing and dedicated LFE, in my opinion.
I bought myself a couple of months ago a denon 2600h together with some focal speakers. After the initial Audyssey calibration from receiver, the sound was "okay" but it felt rear heavy, so i wasnt very happy with it. I tried a couple of times to alter the Audyssey settings manually but it just didn't feel right. Yesterday I found that Auddysey has an app for mobile, I bought it, ran the calibration, reviewed and tweaked some settings and give it a go....
I used Black Hawk Down 4k/Atmos remastered for the first try. The track in the beginning of the movie was atmosferic with a distinct front for the singer's voice, and then when people were fighting on that food truck I just had a shock. Despite the fact I knew I was watching a movie, the multitude of angry voices in my room sent my brain into fight or flight mode. I just wasn't able to concentrate at the screen because my brain just wanted to locate and focus on those voices that were filling my room. In that moment I knew that this is how an Atmos speaker setup should sound like - REAL . I'm impressed with the calibration results.
your advice is always great.my system sounds awesome because of your videos. I don't own this blue ray but I am going to get it and give this a try. if it makes my setup sound better it will blow my mind.thanks for sharing another great hack. cheers brother.
I did notice the horn on track 19 was rather overwhelming in some speakers..probably will try your hack out..thanks for helping us out!,
If you have overly loud rears I would bet it’s your measurement method. You should show exactly how and where you place the mic for correction. I’ve setup many rooms just like that and when seated in the center seat where it was measured from, it’s good. With such a tiny space though, you don’t have more than one spot where the rear levels will be right. One seat left or right and you have cut your distance by more than 1/2. Just the way it is.
I did a video about how precise you have to be in small spaces. I'm not saying that there is no room for improvement in my room correction game, but I do take it pretty seriously.
You are absolutely right about the seat issue, being that close is FAR from ideal, but trimming back the rear levels made everything blend quite nicely.
Even from one seat to the next, it's not as bad as you might imagine. Way worse if I didn't trim the levels.
It's a good point about room correction though, if you take samples too far apart, too high, too low (I try to place the mic exactly where my ears would be for the first sample) not enough samples, or doing it with noise in the background, the results can be messy.
I had to re-run room correction in Vegas because helicopters ruined the bass curve.
The point is you didn’t make anything blend better. You simply turned it down closer to where it needed to be, if you were measuring right under the speaker. Now making the center seat too quiet.
Where do you think I took the samples? The driver's seat? 😅 The point of the video is that I reduced the levels even further than going "by the book".
I'm not sure how you are able to judge whether I achieved a better blend or not. Pretty neat trick without even hearing it. Color me impressed.
As measured where I sit AFTER the Hack:
68-69 dB front stage, 62 dB rear height, 61 dB ear level surrounds, 59-60 rear channel.
If they all matched, I could barely hear the front stage. It's truly unpleasant if they matched. It's not subtle.
That's why it's a hack. It's against conventional wisdom. Going by the book sounds relatively terrible.
No I had the same issue after calibrating my surroundsound speaker the volume on the speakers were off a little so I had to adjust the volume level on all the speakers to get them dialed in at the same level.
Incredible content. Will be getting dual PB-1000 Pros soon. In the meantime, I have a single DN8 sealed Sub and am playing around with the settings just to experiment.
I do have an old Amp Denon AVR2805, which only has 1 sub woofer out. Planning to use splitter RCA cable to send the signal. In the AVR setting, for the Sub woofer, I see level as 0, +5, +10 and +15 as the only options. Per your strategy, do I set it to 0 or +5 as they would be the lowest possible settings? I was also able to set the sub woofer distance 3 feet farther than the Fronts. Finally, I’m boosting the gain on the sub woofer itself.
Ideally, am I looking to hear a truly blended most natural sounding sound without any of the speakers or the sub drawing attention?
Finally, my only source is thru Roku and the input goes into my TV a Sony Bravia from 2009, from which it goes into the AVR. Wondering if I’m losing signal quality because of this.
Please let me know. Thanks for you time in advance. Your content just has super crazy depth. Keep BOOMING!!!
I also have the blu ray that you show. And indeed, simply fantastic sound and picture. Definitely recommended for everyone. And what you explain is certainly true. Thank you for this video. Greetings from the Netherlands Limburg Maastricht and above all continue with High-end.👂🏾👌🏾👍🏽😉
We have almost same set up. I have top middle and front heights and added rear surrounds.
Great video , I followed your advice numerous times.
My rears aren't really top middles. If I label them for what they really are, surround height, I lose some ATMOS channels. Seems like an unnecessary Dolby issue, no problems with DTS:X.
Thanks for your support!
2 channel 24bit pcm is also lossless :D you just switched from stereo to surround :D
Do you use Audyssey Dynamic EQ by chance?? DynEQ boosts surrounds 1.1dB for every 5dB you are under THX Reference Level. So if you are listening at -15dB MV DynEQ will boost the surround channels 3.3dB,this is enough to make them become very overbearing
Great video! I did the same thing that your doing. But what I did is I left what audessey did and I went to the options menu and hit channel levels. They were all set at 0 by default and I just turned them up and down according to the distance that the speaker is hitting my ear.
I should have mentioned that. The only problem is that it can change with the input.
When I added +3 to a surround channel to test this, and switched inputs on the AVR, the adjustment was only for that one input.
That can be very handy though, depending on what you are trying to accomplish.
Using the "option method" seems to be input specific, while the speaker levels, using the "test tone method", works for all inputs.
The "option method" allows you to hear it live rather than stopping the music, so I'm glad you brought it up. You could use it to get the levels right, then adjust the "test tones" accordingly. Thanks!
Why do you not run a test tone pattern with an SPL meter and not the receivers test on Pattern one that comes from a disc
I'm using the music to judge the levels, not any sort of test pattern.
If I measure it using the AVR test tones, it might be right on paper, but it's not right to my ears.
White noise in the test tones is just that, noise. Using music gives me context. If I were to try to do this by ear with the test tones, I'd get a different, less desirable result.
The music is like a road map. You have an idea of what to expect.
The sound mix so well in the Eagles concert you could hear every instrument 🎺 🎸🎻🎷🎶
Right? Definitely a band worth seeing if you ever get a chance.
LPCM is not a compressed, 'lossy' audio file format tho . . . In fact that Blu-ray has some of the best two channel lossless audio compared to other live concert Blu-rays at the same sample rate as the 5.1 DTS-MA audio track. Both are sampled at 48kHz, 24bits. So not sure what you mean by saying the 2.0ch track isn't as good. Its every bit as good, it's just not as immersive as the 5.1 track for obvious reasons.
Thanks for pointing this out. I stand corrected, LCPM is lossless as well, but just in 2 channel, which doesn't showcase the amazing job they did mixing the surround channels, which is vital for this hack. It's harder to do with LPCM.
Admittedly, I get tunnel vision when it comes to surround formats, it's gotta be ATMOS, True HD, DTS Master, DTS:X, Auro 3D, or IMAX Enhanced. If it's not of that caliber, it's just "less than" in my mind.
As you mentioned, the difference between LCPM and DTS Master is remarkable. Frankly, I didn't give LCPM a second thought because it's nowhere near as good, the way I like to listen. It might be good for 2 channels, but doesn't compare when you have a full surround system. It really wakes up the concert.
Thanks for catching this, I don't like to give incorrect information.
@@Subwoofer101 actually 7.1 LPCM is a thing....
I tried this and it worked great but when I click the "option" button while using my Blu-ray player all the speaker levels are set to 0.0 db. Any suggestions?
Great review I use the Michael Jackson 4K video musical with DTXS and I was able to get all nine of my speakers dialed in to where the sound it’s almost equal to to my ear it sounds amazing
I know this is late but, do you have a link to the Micheal Jackson musical?
@@darthsterilethewise5547 no I don’t have a link, but it is the Michael Jackson this is it Blu-ray that you can get from Walmart or Amazon or Best Buy or any local movie store near you
@@darthsterilethewise5547 if you try to stream it, the audio quality may not be as good as the disc the Blu-ray disc you can probably stream it through Disney+ or Hulu or Amazon Prime Video but the quality the audio quality may not be the same as the Blu-ray disc. The Blu-ray disc is incredible.
Very important question: Is DynamicEQ turned on or off? If it’s on, it is known to pump up the surrounds by more than is generally desirable. Thanks for the vid(s)!
Thanks! I like Dynamic EQ on and Dynamic Volume off.
I was about to say the same thing, DynamicEQ as I noticed is on in this video, If your going to change the levels you should use the options menu on the denon remote and change there, not in the speaker main menu, the reason is that is mucks up the algorithm for Multieq, The only downside is that you have to do this for each source(hdmi) you are using, The plus you can customize each source to your liking, E.G In pc mode I don't want any back channels enabled just front soundstage I just turn down all back channels -12, In apple Tv I could apply your settings here and so on.
A good app on Ios called DeRomote (Highly Recommend) which makes this process much easier can adjust in real time without fiddling with the Avr Remote and a great tool for messing around,
I have a funny Config at the moment,
Multi EQ =Aud
DEQ = Off
DV= light
]Tone Control = On
Bass = 6db
Treble = 0db
@@Subwoofer101 +1
Why do you feel that it mucks up the Audyssey algorithm? I wouldn't think so, at least not in a negative fashion. Dynamic Volume might be the issue though, I really don't like it, but I could see it causing a problem if you use it.
Dynamic EQ = good stuff, more bass at lower volume, but still sounds proper.
Dynamic Volume = Not so good, kind of shrill and artificial.
I don't need different levels between sources, so doing it across the board in the speaker menu works best for me.
For sure, do what sounds best to you! The only thing that matters is that you enjoy your set up.
@@Subwoofer101 From what I researched and from tweaking around I found changing channel levels from the main manual settings alters the Audyssey algorithm and is best to use the options menu on the remote go to channel levels and alter from there,
I agree DV can be artificial but does have its use
For DEQ I find bass to be too bloated, was just watching Captain Marvel switching between both and prefer DEQ off, Multi EQ ON
Tone Control On increasing the bass
But like you said as long as you enjoy your set-up that's what matters and I respect you going against grain and trying alternate ways and by no means have I found the perfect settings, that's the fun part
To be honest I'm kind of done with Audyssey and am saving up for a Diarc receiver, I'm not expecting miracles but will get a level of customization that you just don't get with Audyssey, REW has thought me a lot and would like to go further down this road
Thank's for the great content and look forward to your videos
I think that the problem after audyssey set, it's that your sourraubd speakers aren't pint to you, so it doesn't get the sound level correctly. In my case it did a beautiful job.
Even if it's off axis, it still measures the decibel level from the speaker at the listening position.
It really is a matter of differences in distance from one speaker to the next. If most of your speakers are roughly the same distance, you wouldn't notice it.
@@Subwoofer101 yeah, I know.
My surrounds speakers are also really close to my sofa.
When I watch a film alone, it's not a problem, but when we watch a film 3 or 4 people, 2 of them are next to a speaker.
No ideal, but you need to enjoy your possibilities.
I would love to try your hacks but not sure where to start. I understand the front heights, centre speaker and subwoofer can be bumped up by a few DB? I now run all speaker levels to 75db, but would love to further tweak.
Hello, I just discovered your channel and really learning and enjoying.
I'm a little confused on adjusting the levels for your speakers...
I have a Marantz sr8012 ...What is the difference between the Channel Level Adjust under the Option menu on the remote and and the Levels adjustment under the Test Tone Start? If you compare the two they are completely different. Thanks so much!
Digital room correction eliminates the element of the human condition. Mics are more sensitive than the human ear. Furthermore the older we get the less sensitive our ears. The mics sensitivity never changes. In my case my hearing is less sensitive in my left ear. Manual correction is always necessary after running an auto room correction.
Love your videos man . Thx for sharing everything u do !
I have a marantz sr6013 a klipsch rp 450c center channel, klipsch 280 fa klipsch 250s surrounds and klipsch 160 rears & two 15" cerwin vega subs . Ran audyssey and I absolutely hated it . It sent my front center stage to large . And dumb everything down to -15 -17 and so on. It just didn't sound right to me. No bass ,highs were gone .
Good idea.
"This whole hobby is complex" haha..yea man. Only had to get a PhD in a/v tech, room correction, acoustics, and the list keeps growing
Good one. Pl make step by step AVR detail calibration video for small area say 120 to 150 feet.
What can you do if you have too much bass and want to bring out the mids and highs?
Check out my adjusting subs by ear hack, that should help.
It also depends on which subs you're running. Most are shallow, meaning they taper off as it goes deeper. That can also make it sound boomy and overwhelming. With dual subs from the list (see video description) you can run a LOT more bass without overwhelming the other speakers.
Regardless, turning down the AVR subwoofer level (on AVR first, then turn down the subwoofer gain on the subwoofer itself, if need be.) to taste will take attention away from the subs, allowing more mids and highs to come through.
Subwoofer 101 I have pa speakers that I use as subwoofers I don’t think they taper one is a Cerwin Vega CVX-21s and a El-36DP with two Cerwin Vega XLS-215 some Bose 301 v5 which might be my problem you are right about playing with the level and a equalizer can go a long way. Thank you for responding I also subscribed to you earlier for posting this video.
I really appreciate your subscription, which makes this even harder to say...
PA subs are notoriously shallow. Super loud, I won't deny that, but not deep. Totally different design goals. Maximum loudness vs maximum depth. With any given bass driver, you can only have one or the other.
Check out the list, and on the graph you will see how most subs respond, great from 40-80+ hertz, but they fall off under 30-40 hertz. Super common, and concert subs are all about the Max SPL, at the glaring expense of depth.
The 301's aren't helping your cause either.
I can't tell you how much I hate telling you any of that, but it's undeniable, side by side.
This will sound impossible, but dual PB-1000's (300 watt, 10" subs) will *sound* deeper. Will they go as loud? Not by a mile, but they will absolutely produce a deeper sound.
The subs on The List are super strong at depth, as deep as you can hear. It's a bottomless sound, as far as your hearing goes. It's a different ball game.
So hopefully I haven't lost your subscription! The problem with shallow subs, easily 90-95% or more of consumer subwoofers, is the entire reason I started this channel. It's game changing. 2 identical, deep bass subs are what it's all about.
Subwoofer 101 what I use as subs go deep and not meant for consumer but professional use, the problem with that is I use a sound card to drive it all while it works ok not the best for this setup and I know the 301 are not helping we all do what we can at the time I also have a Klipsch RP-250C Center Channel Speaker, so all in all I have right now I have a 9.2 system with crown xls 1502 x3 and xls 2502 x1 although I plan on adding two more speakers and maybe eventually replacing the Bose what I have though most of it is not for a consumer for you cannot own this stuff if you rent too many would complain, I also have a direct box with phantom power changing the rca sub output to a balanced XLR connection. And I like music so I shouldn’t unsubscribe something alway new comes out that many don’t know about the more people you watch the more you learn
I have a question my subwoofer gain is set at 12 o’clock why is it that my AV receiver drops it all the way to -15 and I barley hear anything what recommend db volume should I set my subwoofer to on the av receiver been looking for the right answer ??
for the surround speakers that are too close doesn't dynamic EQ add a few more decibels? So if you just turned that off I feel like they would not sound so overbearing
I have found that moving your microphone back a little in the seating position achieved the same result.
Good evening my front stage is all klipsch speakers and my highest speakers SVS elevation, my question is I need to upgrade my center channel in your opinion wish center channel I should buy my budget max $500!!
Where do you mount your Atmos speakers? I currently have a 5.2 setup and are looking to add Atmos. It looks like your running yours at the top of the front wall. Would you suggest ceiling, front wall or on top of the front main speakers?
sound test 5.1
Test sOund subwoofer denon dht-s514 (LFE) has no sound. The others have their voices. when playing small subwoofer music / video (LFE). how to fix it or the solution. Thank you.
thank you I turn up front and turn down rears same for subsplus I don't have 4th wall or no acoustic treatment what a big deference audessuy had it wrong
Lpcm isn’t lossy. It’s actually uncompressed 2 channel like a bought CD.
good video. i had to do the same thing with my system.
Another great video
I noticed when I click the signal information on my Yamaha RXV585 it says the format is PCM. Did I do something incorrect? Shouldn’t it say Dolby Atmos or what the audio signal is when I watch tv, 4K blurays.
First you have to use an HDMI cable to obtain Dolby Atmos this is the law in Home Theater. Second, if you have your Blu-Ray connected to your TV your TV has to have eARC to pass Dolby Atmos to your AV Receiver otherwise you only going to have Dolby Digital, and you have to enable in your Blu-Ray player and in your TV the eARC option and maybe in your AV Receiver also. But if you have your Blu-Ray player connected directly to your AV Receiver then you only need to go to your Blu-Ray player and enable the option Bitstream Direct (or something like that), then in your remote of your AV Receiver push the button that says Straight (if is not activated) then you are going to have Dolby Atmos.
Love the wall art above the TV!
Can i use the digital version or is it better to get the physical copy?
Physical copy, for certain. The digital version doesn't have DTS Master, which will be decoded to DTS X if you have the speakers and AVR for it.
The sound and the surround channel participation is MUCH higher in DTS Master, vs watching it on Amazon.
That said, if you can get it with full, lossless DTS Master, and not Dolby Digital 2, the digital copy might work. If you find a lossless digital version, please let me know.
I have Audyssey on my Nad Master Series HD2 processor I tried running it a few times and it always comes back telling me that I have certain speakers out of phase which I know to be wrong as I have already meticulously checked the wiring. This leads me to doubt the accuracy of room correction. Surely if It can’t tell if your speakers are in or out of phase then how can you trust it to make accurate corrections for your room? Likewise having to turn particular speakers up or down manually, to my mind this negates the whole point of using it. Personally I don’t think the technology is advanced enough at this point in time, the engineers who developed it need to do more work and make it more reliable.... thanks for the videos btw I very much enjoy the channel 👍
I understand the skepticism. One thing that can cause speakers to show the phase error is side firing woofers. The Ultra Towers give a phase error every time. The same thing that causes the phase error is also part of what makes it sound so good.
Glad you enjoy the channel!
DTS HD-Master CRUSHES Dolby, regardless the form of Dolby.
I have a Martin logan motion 40 for the front and the slim xl connected a Sonny receiver Str Dh 750 and i will upgrade soon.I don’t have a subwoofer but i am planning to get one from your recommendations.The problem is when i set the front speakers lever to 0db it doesn’t sound loud and nice.So i have both set to 3db.Is it safe to increase it more?The more i increase db louder it get and it sound nice too.Please any feed back will be appreciated.Thanks
Right on, if it works, it works.
If it were me, I would reduce the other channels to keep the fronts at 0. Not a huge deal, I rarely take it over +1.0, but so long as you aren't getting noticeable distortion or anything, no biggie.
Not every AVR is built the same, so it might not matter with one AVR, but matter with another. Trust your ears.
Subwoofer 101 Thanks a lot for the reply
You’re correct the best concert and sound “the eagles “
Yeah, that disc is amazing. Thanks for backing me up!
Subwoofer 101 I’ve seen your video that you suffer from a concussion !! I hope you’re feeling better 🙏
I was listening to that with Dolby surround when I should have been using neural x
I appreciate you watching that. I saw a neuro optometrist, and for the first time in 18 years I was able to walk down a hall without pulling to one side.
Getting special glasses in a few weeks, I feel like there is finally something that can be done.
I don't expect a full recovery, but my vision will finally be corrected. I don't require any glasses to read the smallest line on the chart. It's not about that. Regular optometrist tested fine, the Nuero realized that I'm pretty messed up.
PROGRESS!!
Subwoofer 101 I wish you the best
Cool video, had the same problem with mine denon 4500, but acually it wasent the level that was my problem, yes the rear sounded to loud, but audessey acually got the distance wrong on one of my rear speakers, so the fronts got out of phase. So manually adjusting the distance on the rears worked awsome, so the soundstage moved again to the front :) just try it :) works amazing
How wide was your sample circle? When doing room correction, it's important that no sample is further than 2 ft from the first, and most important sample.
I used to have a pretty wide circle, placing the microphone in seats across the room. That could definitely cause a polarity/distance issue. It was messy.
When you're adjusting the distance, you are changing the timing. Essentially, the distance settings could be labeled timing and delay, but for the normal user that would be really difficult to contemplate, let alone adjust.
The goal is to have all of the sounds from each speaker hit the main listener at the exact same moment.
So the speakers that are furthest away get the signal from the AVR first, while the speakers that are closest get the signal last.
My distance hack basically puts the bass signal out "early" because I've increased the distance. That phase/timing shift reduces cancellations.
It's possible that by adjusting the distance of your rear channels, you have introduced some cancellation, which could be perceived as shifting the sound stage to the front. I'm interested in what you think on that. If you adjusted to the exact physical distance, it's probably not the case.
It might be worth running room correction again.
Interesting though, I'm always game for coloring outside of the lines if it sounds good.
Correct. I always keep my mic about 1.5ft appart from the first calibration point. It dident have this problem with the fw before the imax update. After that it always misses the distance on my left rear speaker. If i checked the volume with the pink noise the rears already was 2db lower than the rest, but dident sound like that at all when playing a movie or music on all channels. Btw thanks for all your videos. Really helpful and love watching them
Nicely done. Great info there my friend
Thank you! Appreciate you stopping by!
I live in a caravan and I also have an extremely expensive setup, $60,000+ AU to be exact.
Nice, I left you a comment! Great song by the way!
That sounds amazing would love it if you had the time or interest to make a vid on your setup.if not totally would understand.
Is this in a trailer?
If you want some bluray concert recommendations
Ayreon into the electric castle
Any Devin Townsend
It's not a goddamn hack. It's an adjustment. It falls under the category of no shit Sherlock Holmes.
What is the best crossover setting for denon 4500
Should be answered on the subwoofer 101 set up and hack videos. Do you mean crossover settings for speakers? Or the crossover setting for lfe?
Whats that Giant thing over yout tv?
Looks like a bike frame
Its like having a Stereophonic Surround system in a closet !
Sounds better than you might imagine. Better than I expected, honestly. Even the guys from SVS were surprised at how good it sounds.
At about 12:30 in you can hear their thoughts.
th-cam.com/video/-YPuBHNyPyc/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for the awesome info! Great info! Keep it coming.
Thanks!
surrounds are too loud because you're using Dynamic EQ where Audyssey dramatically boosts lfe channel AND surround channels by almost 7 dB !! you shoould deactivate Dyn EQ if you listen near reference volume, or activate Ref lvl offset (10/15dB) to lower the surrounds and keep LFE boosted if you like over-bass
I know you love music 🎼 so am I and I believe you like movies too !!
Check out my favorite James Bond Skyfall the sound effect mix very well and uncompressed!! Great movie 🎥
Show.
Once you have used Dirac...Audyssey needs to up its game - its being left behind
Does Dirac resolve this issue? I do need to check it out.
Hi
👍🏻
Yo room is too small
Myth.
How do people take a 3 minute fix and turn it into a god damn 12 minute video...
Over 3 minutes before you get to the point! Please stop wasting time on side issues! It isn’t a “Hack” it is tweaking Audyssey to your own personal hearing and taste. The frequencies and volume we hear varies from person to person, that is all.