necros

this is the HT package I have: http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer...td-dw820.shtml

I noticed in a lot of movies (whether it's DD or DTS 5.1), the center speaker seems a lot louder and I hear almost nothing from the front and back left and right speakers.. even if I turn center volume as low as it'll go and the rest as high as they go.. Are the other 4 speakers really just supposed to be there for effects and the occasional airplaine that flys across the room, or are they meant to be for like constant sound from all around you? I was under the impression it was supposed to be the later but I guess not.. still kinda new to all this HT stuff

Alan UK

Hi Necros...the front three speakers should be equal in volume. The real test is when music is playing...you should be able to hear that music coming from your left and right main speakers. Or when something happens on the far left or right of the screen you should be able to hear the sound coming from the speaker on that side. For example: In the Abyss when Hippy says "We just lost all the topside feeds"...you should hear that distinctly from the left hand speaker.

The rears are a bit different. Sometimes these speakers are just about ambience. But sometimes they give direction to the sound. ie...in Armageddon, the shuttles fly off to the left or right behind you.

It sounds like something is not quite right with your system, but I don't know what it is. Make sure you have read the instrucions for you DVD player and amp carefully and that you haven't got some kind of effect turned on that shouldn't be (I had psuedo surround turned on on my DVD player and wondered why everything sounded so poor).

It is also good to get a sound pressure meter and a test disc (such as Video Essentials) to set the volume of each speaker. You could even use the test tone that is usually included on the amp, though I don't think this is quite as accurate.

Hope this is of some help.
Alan

noleman

Yeah, it sounds to me like you need to get a SPL meter from radio shack and calibrate your speakers. It made a huge difference in my overall sound once I calibrated them. As Alan UK said you might want to get a test disc like Avia or Video Essentials to help you through the calibration process.

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Go Noles!
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Andy Kim

Hi Necros,
It could be one of two things:

1) you have the center volume up to high relative to the left and right. If so, then get an SPL meter.

2) you're mistaking volume for content. The truth is when watching a movie, more than 50% of the soundtrack will come out of the center speaker. If you were to watch a movie but unhook your center speaker, you will realize that the other speakers aren't too active compared with the center and that's normal.

Fhrx

I can only echo the other advice but I must say it's ( IMHO ) vital to get your speakers SPL matched.

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Regards...
Drinker of much Pepsi, trainer of Dingo's and Jack's Aussie Moonshine importer...
John 3:16