Hollow, tinny sound (but speakers wired correctly)

Jenny · 06-24-2004, 11:00 AM

Hello--

I'm a first-time poster and a relative newbie (yep-- I read the FAQ). I recently moved to a new house; when I set up the AV system, it became obvious that the sound was "off" and definitely not what it was before we moved-- a little hollow and at times very tinny, with very little bass. It's most obvious on a few cable TV stations (especially TBS), but favorite CDs and DVDs also sound off.

I know this is indicative of speakers which are out of phase, but they're wired up correctly. I tried reversing the red/black connections into one speaker to see if that put them back into phase, but it had _no_ effect on the sound. Is this a problem internal to the receiver-- the pre-amp maybe? (Hmph. I was planning to finally get surround sound speakers now that we've moved to the new place-- have I just blown that budget to replace the receiver?) I've also spent the last two evenings playing with the settings on the receiver, to no avail.

Here's the setup-- it's nothing fancy, nor is it very complicated:

Mid-range Sony A/V Receiver, about 3 yrs old
Mid-range Sony DVD player, also about 3 yrs old
Panasonic VCR, ~8 yrs old
Aiwa tape deck, ~15 yrs old
Sony Wega TV, ~ 2yrs old
2 Infinity bookshelf speakers, ~10 yrs old

The analog cable goes from the wall to VCR to TV; DVD video out directly to the TV via S-video; all audio signals routed through the receiver. Speaker wire is brand new-- ~10ft runs.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice-- The forum looks like a tremendous resource!

Jenny · 06-24-2004, 11:00 AM

Hello--

I'm a first-time poster and a relative newbie (yep-- I read the FAQ). I recently moved to a new house; when I set up the AV system, it became obvious that the sound was "off" and definitely not what it was before we moved-- a little hollow and at times very tinny, with very little bass. It's most obvious on a few cable TV stations (especially TBS), but favorite CDs and DVDs also sound off.

I know this is indicative of speakers which are out of phase, but they're wired up correctly. I tried reversing the red/black connections into one speaker to see if that put them back into phase, but it had _no_ effect on the sound. Is this a problem internal to the receiver-- the pre-amp maybe? (Hmph. I was planning to finally get surround sound speakers now that we've moved to the new place-- have I just blown that budget to replace the receiver?) I've also spent the last two evenings playing with the settings on the receiver, to no avail.

Here's the setup-- it's nothing fancy, nor is it very complicated:

Mid-range Sony A/V Receiver, about 3 yrs old
Mid-range Sony DVD player, also about 3 yrs old
Panasonic VCR, ~8 yrs old
Aiwa tape deck, ~15 yrs old
Sony Wega TV, ~ 2yrs old
2 Infinity bookshelf speakers, ~10 yrs old

The analog cable goes from the wall to VCR to TV; DVD video out directly to the TV via S-video; all audio signals routed through the receiver. Speaker wire is brand new-- ~10ft runs.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice-- The forum looks like a tremendous resource!

WadeB · 06-24-2004, 11:12 AM

Jenny,

Have you checked to make sure the reciever is in the correct processing mode? If is has any DSP type modes (ie "sports" "Movie Theater" and the like), maybe the wrong button got pressed. Those modes usually sound terrible, and many have a tinny sound like you described. Also, if your receiver has a second room mode check your Speaker A/B button which might be diverting power away from your speakers.

Just a couple of things of the top of my head.

Good Luck!

-Wade

WadeB · 06-24-2004, 11:12 AM

Jenny,

Have you checked to make sure the reciever is in the correct processing mode? If is has any DSP type modes (ie "sports" "Movie Theater" and the like), maybe the wrong button got pressed. Those modes usually sound terrible, and many have a tinny sound like you described. Also, if your receiver has a second room mode check your Speaker A/B button which might be diverting power away from your speakers.

Just a couple of things of the top of my head.

Good Luck!

-Wade

Jenny · 06-24-2004, 11:46 AM

Thanks Wade--

Yeah- that was one of the first things I checked. The receiver is definitely in the basic 2-channel mode, with B speakers off. Also, the TV's internal speakers are off with no effects turned on. (At first the internal TV audio setting was set to "Surround" which impacted sound quality coming out of the external stereo speakers...)

J

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Jenny · 06-24-2004, 11:46 AM

Thanks Wade--

Yeah- that was one of the first things I checked. The receiver is definitely in the basic 2-channel mode, with B speakers off. Also, the TV's internal speakers are off with no effects turned on. (At first the internal TV audio setting was set to "Surround" which impacted sound quality coming out of the external stereo speakers...)

J

Wayne A. Pflughaupt · 06-24-2004, 11:59 AM

Hi Jenny,

I’m going to hazard a guess that your new living room is larger than your old one? If so, there’s your problem. Larger rooms tend to make bass “disappear.” Add to that the fact that bookshelf speakers don’t put out much bass to begin with, and I can see why everything would sound “tinny.”

Your best bet will be to get a sub; you really should have one with bookshelf speakers anyway. But in the meantime, try dialing down the receiver’s treble control 2-3dB and the bass control up about the same. It probably won’t fully restore the sound to what you’re used to hearing, but it will certainly help.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Wayne A. Pflughaupt · 06-24-2004, 11:59 AM

Hi Jenny,

I’m going to hazard a guess that your new living room is larger than your old one? If so, there’s your problem. Larger rooms tend to make bass “disappear.” Add to that the fact that bookshelf speakers don’t put out much bass to begin with, and I can see why everything would sound “tinny.”

Your best bet will be to get a sub; you really should have one with bookshelf speakers anyway. But in the meantime, try dialing down the receiver’s treble control 2-3dB and the bass control up about the same. It probably won’t fully restore the sound to what you’re used to hearing, but it will certainly help.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt