Center channel volume changes. (1 Viewer)

[DanSm]

Depending on the DVD I'm watching, the dialog in the center channel is sometimes very low and so the volume is turned up. When there is an action sequence the other speakers kick in and it becomes very loud. Other times it's more equal.
Has anyone else experienced this, and if so can you offer any suggestions?

Thank you.

Dan

 

[AlanZ]

Do you have your center speaker calibrated to your mains?

 

[John Garcia]

It is quite common. It is often how the disc is mastered, not usually your setup. One thing you can try is setting the center a dB or two higher than the mains, though not to the point where it no longer blends seamlessly.

 

[DanSm]

Thanks! One more thing, in setting the channel levels I noticed;
The Front right was set to +15db and all others weren't at 0 db. So I set as;
FL = 0db
C = +2db
FR = 0db
SL = 0db
SR = 0db
SW = 0db

Does that look to be appropriate?

 

[Darren_N]

Dan,

Those settings really don't mean anything unless you calibrate. You need to get a hold of a Radio Shack sound pressure level (SPL) meter and a test disk (Avia, Video Essentials, Sound and Vision, etc.) and run test tones so you can match the levels coming out of your speakers. You could even use your receiver's test tones if you have to. The important thing is the level matching.

Run a search on speaker calibration and you should have all the information you need.

Regards,
Darren

 

[JeremyErwin]

It's only appropriate if the SPL level is constant.

One thing that I've notice is that even if you have a good center channel, the placement is critical. Be sure that the tweeter is aimed properly, and that any ports are not blocked. Otherwise, you could find that although the speaker is loud enough, its overall tone is muddy and unclear.