Crossover settings on Denon AVR-S750H after Audyssey (1 Viewer)

[marter]

Kinda new at this so forgive me if this has been addressed. I've read the Denon manual, several Audyssey FAQs and manual, and I think I'm doing it correctly. However I am confused by the settings the Denon uses after running Audyssey. I assume since there's a gap in the crossover set for my speakers vs. my sub that I have a gap in my audio output.

My front, center and surround speakers (5.1) are NHT SuperZero and SuperCenter (the original version, purchased in 2002) which have a manufacturer's spec of 85Hz to 25KHz. They are sitting on the wood entertainment cabinet below the wall mounted TV. My sub is an SVS 25-31 PCi rated at 25-100Hz. I set the crossover on the SVS to 120Hz and the gain at 10:00. I set the Denon to LFE (not LFE+mains).

The Denon is setting my crossovers based on the results from Audyssey (multiple times) as follows:

• Front 150 to 180 depending on placement
• Center 150 to 180 (originally had 110 to 120 but the center was placed near the wall instead near the front of the cabinet)
• Surround 110 consistently (they're ceiling mounted angled down so not moving)

I would assume based on these setting that I'm missing audio between 120Hz (100 based on the sub rating?) and 150Hz to 180Hz in the fronts and center, right? I know the Audyssey FAQ says it's ok to raise the crossover but never lower it manually. Is this a room environment issue or placement? A speaker issue? Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

 

[JohnRice]

I set the crossover on the SVS to 120Hz and the gain at 10:00.

I'm guessing you're referring to the LPF for LFE setting? That's a whole separate setting, and 120Hz is generally correct, with any system. There is no gap, because if your fronts are at 150Hz, that means the sub is automatically set to crossover at 150Hz.

There are multiple things going on, and it's a little involved to explain.

 

[marter]

I'm guessing you're referring to the LPF for LFE setting? That's a whole separate setting, and 120Hz is generally correct, with any system. There is no gap, because if your fronts are at 150Hz, that means the sub is automatically set to crossover at 150Hz.

There are multiple things going on, and it's a little involved to explain.

So no gap in audio, that's good to hear. I'm admit I'm underwater here.

So if it's rated at 25-100Hz +/- 3dB, does that mean the quality of audio it's handling between 100 and 150Hz is degraded?

It's labeled "Crossover" on the back of the sub but I've seen it referred to as a low pass filter. It has a switch to disable it; should I leave it enabled or disable it on the sub?

Thanks John. I tend to look for things to worry about that don't need worrying about.

 

[JohnRice]

It's labeled "Crossover" on the back of the sub but I've seen it referred to as a low pass filter. It has a switch to disable it; should I leave it enabled or disable it on the sub?

Thanks John. I tend to look for things to worry about that don't need worrying about.

Disable that on the sub itself.

 

[JohnRice]

We do need to take a look at the setting Audyssey set, but that will have to wait until I get home from work.

 

[marter]

We do need to take a look at the setting Audyssey set, but that will have to wait until I get home from work.

Thanks John. Appreciate your help.

 

[JohnRice]

The problem is, 150-180 Hz crossover is getting pretty high. That's largely due to the fact the NHTs are minimonitors. Meaning they have very little low frequency capability, so the sub crossover has to be set rather high. This will cause the sub to be more easily localized, as in, directional sound will come from the sub, which is far from ideal. The sub can also get sloppy sounding. You can try lowering the crossover to 120Hz to see how that is. This is just a limitation of tiny speakers. With larger speakers, like the 6" Debuts you can set it to 100-120 Hz, which is just better all around.

 

[marter]

The problem is, 150-180 Hz crossover is getting pretty high. That's largely due to the fact the NHTs are minimonitors. Meaning they have very little low frequency capability, so the sub crossover has to be set rather high. This will cause the sub to be more easily localized, as in, directional sound will come from the sub, which is far from ideal. The sub can also get sloppy sounding. You can try lowering the crossover to 120Hz to see how that is. This is just a limitation of tiny speakers. With larger speakers, like the 6" Debuts you can set it to 100-120 Hz, which is just better all around.

Thanks for the response. First thing I did was disable the crossover switch on the sub, and it seems like it improved the sound. Not sure if it should or not, but my perception is that it did. I'll go with that. I ran Audyssey again, and the Denon set the front and center crossovers at 180Hz.

I watched a couple episodes of Yellowstone which to me has a great soundtrack; rewatched several sections at different crossover settings to get a direct comparison. To be honest, it sounded pretty good at 180, better at 150, but it seems like a good compromise at 120. Think I'll stick with that for now, and keep my eye open for some options. Overall I'm happy with breathing some new life into a 20 year old investment. Actually they sound damn good. I'm happy. For now.

Appreciate the help.

 

[JohnRice]

You might be confusing things. The frequency dial on the sub is disabled if you've set the switch to "disable". I'm talking about the frequencies Audyssey set in the receiver. Sorry I wasn't more clear.

 

[marter]

You might be confusing things. The frequency dial on the sub is disabled if you've set the switch to "disable". I'm talking about the frequencies Audyssey set in the receiver. Sorry I wasn't more clear.

So was I. Once I disabled the crossover using the switch on the sub, I was doing manual adjustments in the Denon setup. I think we're on the same page.

 

[JohnRice]

OK, I think 120 is a good one to try.