willland Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 I don't know how it sounds but it sure looks good. Bill 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgtfreek Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 (edited) LOL. With those towers out on the wings now and the subs moved in it looks pretty cool. As soon as I moved those subs in and ran XT32 it dialed them back to -12, so they obviously picked up some gain and I had to turn them down and re-run. I just wish I could run them naked all the time, but this guy: And his sister are hellions Edited May 22, 2015 by gadgtfreek 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappydue Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 and ran XT32 hope you tried it in your actual seat this time instead of the table where no one sits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Decided to change the gear around and see how it sounds. Towers are 10.5 feet apart and 10.3 feet from MLP. I love the clean look of the front end, including the black audio AVR and the black subs. Visually that's exactly how I like my front end. I can't set mine up like yours because I have a wife to contend with so let's just be polite and say "some compromises need to be made." Those would be compromises by me, not her. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappydue Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Can't imagine why anyones wife on here wouldn't mind that pretty front end. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Can't imagine why anyones wife on here wouldn't mind that pretty front end. Yes, that's dead sexy... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgtfreek Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 (edited) and ran XT32 hope you tried it in your actual seat this time instead of the table where no one sits. Not yet, I am trying to ensure my loving wife gets the same SQ as me Decided to change the gear around and see how it sounds. Towers are 10.5 feet apart and 10.3 feet from MLP. I love the clean look of the front end, including the black audio AVR and the black subs. Visually that's exactly how I like my front end. I can't set mine up like yours because I have a wife to contend with so let's just be polite and say "some compromises need to be made." Those would be compromises by me, not her. Our deal is simple. She doesn't comment on, or mess (clean, move)) with any of that stuff. In return, I do not say anything about the crazy seasonal decorations than end up everywhere, including on my subs and towers. I can fully relate to WAF. Edited May 22, 2015 by gadgtfreek 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgtfreek Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 (edited) I don't know how it sounds but it sure looks good. Bill One thing I forgot to comment about is, Wed night I threw in Pacific Rim and cranked it. First loud usage since adding the center. It sounded good, but at times things seemed a little mashed up, or on top of each other. I am hoping airing out the fronts will separate it, if that is what I am hearing. Next real test will be American Sniper Sunday night. Edited May 22, 2015 by gadgtfreek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 I don't know how it sounds but it sure looks good. Bill One thing I forgot to comment about is, Wed night I threw in Pacific Rim and cranked it. First loud usage since adding the center. It sounded good, but at times things seemed a little mashed up, or on top of each other. I am hoping airing out the fronts will separate it, if that is what I am hearing. Next real test will be American Sniper Sunday night. That doesn't sound right at all. Was the movie playing in DTS-HD Master Audio? Usually DVD's and Blu Rays are identified correctly by AVR's, but I have found that streamed movies are hit and miss. Streaming services seem to be inventing their own science and the hardware companies are having to provide new flash updates to correct proprietary changes the streamers make. Also, I have found that some of the action movies are a barrage of overlapping sounds. They are mush just like a lot of music mastering now days. As they used to say back in the olden days of computers, crap in - crap out. Maybe the movie soundtrack of Pacific Rim is crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappydue Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Makes me sad you won't do the mlp. I assure you your wife probably wouldn't even notice the difference. She will enjoy it either way and at least one of you would get the sweet spot. Not neither of you are. Sad to have all that money wrapped up and not take full advantage of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgtfreek Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 (edited) Well, I have a plan there. I am going to order a certified Umik-1 mic from cross spectrum and get REW installed. Since I already have to do some level matching with XT32 bottoming my center channel out adjustment wise, I wanted a certified mic. So, once I get all that in, I can do some very accurate testing of XT32 results in the room. One experiment would be to see how performance is affected using the table vs my chair as the MLP. I also still think Audyssey sets subs too low, and this Umik will allow me to reliably test that Edited May 22, 2015 by gadgtfreek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgtfreek Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 Welp, spreading them out fixed it! Got XT32 run, level matched everything and watched some DVR's. Using CSI as an example for 5.1, the center sounds like it is coming from the screen. When the fronts are playing the same thing, they sound balanced, but when they aren't, you can tell where stuff is coming from. For example, at a police station, sirens were heard outside out of the front right while someone typing on a keyboard was clear as day out of the left. When in stereo, if I stand at the MLP, it actually sounds like the sound is coming from the screen, not the left and right fronts. Perfectly balanced. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgtfreek Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 Another example, center sounds are also more segregated from right and left, doesn't sound like it they are tripping over each other. In a jail scene there was some loud discussion in the center, and some jail doors opening and shutting in the left. Could be easily distinguished, while nothing going on in front right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 It seems you are the exception to the old equilateral rule. In fact, the things you bring up are good arguments against it in general. Separation of channels will work better if you actually desperate them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 So, once I get all that in, I can do some very accurate testing of XT32 results in the room. One experiment would be to see how performance is affected using the table vs my chair as the MLP. I also still think Audyssey sets subs too low, and this Umik will allow me to reliably test that I know mine is an unqualified opinion because I've never heard your setup, but I'm not so sure I would agree Audyssey sets the subs too low. Because I could see your pic with those two massive 15" subs front and center, I thought when I first saw them they might overpower the rest of your system. Remember, Audyssey sets up all the speakers relative to reference and your listening position, so I bet those dual subs can reach reference fairly easily, even compared to the RF-7's. Still, the # 1 complaint I hear about Audyssey is that it sets the subs too low, so you are in good company. I like to let Audyssey set up my speakers, then turn the sub back on and tune it to where it sounds good to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgtfreek Posted May 23, 2015 Author Share Posted May 23, 2015 I have a pretty nice SPL meter ($150), and I consistently find it always sets subs to 70db (thats with a -40dbfs signal) when they should be 75db. So I have been boosting them 5db. Ive read a lot of comments at AVS claiming the same, including some REW testing and some generic advice of boosting +5db by default. I had an Audyssey pro installer in my home 2 years ago and he actually went 7db over the initial cal, and said he find the same in most homes. Odd, but of course the audyssey folks will tell you that you are crazy I figure Ill sort this out once and for all when I get the certified Umik 1 mic and REW. We will see for sure then what Audyssey is setting the sub at. BTW, what I have been doing to level match my fronts to my center once XT32 is finished is, mark the MLP with tape and set the SPL meter there. I then adjust the fronts to output 75db when the center is, and the subs always send back 70. All I know is separating the fronts sounds great. There is a good separation, and when some deeper voices/center tones come thru, you can't tell they are droning thru the subs. I think with the subs being closer now helped hid that. I was watching Elementary a bit ago, and when Watson walked from off screen on the left to the center, stomping across a wood floor, it was like she walked from the left side of my room to the tv. Very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappydue Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) Curious as to if that 70 reading is per sub or combined as the pair? Edited May 23, 2015 by Scrappydue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 I have a pretty nice SPL meter ($150), and I consistently find it always sets subs to 70db I set each of my subs with an spl meter to around 62-64 db, so, what's low, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiey60 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Just curious, what tones do you guys use to set your sub level? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgtfreek Posted May 23, 2015 Author Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) Scrappy, that is both running at the same time. The D&M models with dual sub eq allow you to run adjust the tone independent or in unison, I always adjust with both going. For a test tone, I use the spears and musil version 2 blu-ray. It has -30dbfs signals for up to 7 channels, and then a -40dbfs for the LFE. When playing those, you should get 75db's on your meter. I have been told not using the internal tones is more accurate since the internal tones bypass some processing. Edited May 23, 2015 by gadgtfreek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.