its been awhile... Can i get a sub? (1 Viewer)

[ChrisWiggles]

You shouldn't be missing anything, but the caveat is you MUST make sure you know what your processor's bass management is doing, i.e. make sure you have subwoofer set to OFF, and mains to large, and everything else to small (assuming you are looping the speaker level sub connections in the mains). That way all the 5-channel's bass along wiht the LFE will be sent to the mains, which is where your sub is connected.

This can be a useful way to hook things up if you can't use a subwoofer in two-channel direct mode via the regular subwoofer output. Some receivers are like this, and in order to utilize the sub output on stereo inputs, you need to engage bass management, which is another set of digital conversion and processing which may degrade the signal.

 

[ChrisBee]

Many thanks Chris.

Would I be thrown off the forum if I admitted that I use only a high quality stereo amplifier, 2 x stereo floorstanders and a 16-46? :b
The sub was bought primarily for music reproduction. Speakers are running full range. Sub "input" high level terminals (L+R). Crossover/Filter set to 40Hz.

My rather cryptic questions were aimed at discovering how much I was missing on deep bass peaks on film with my simple stereo + sub system compared with a 'real' AV/LFE system.

My present technique on films is simply to crank the gain to 12 o'clock and bathe in ~90dB SVS quality bass. The dialogue averages a comfortable 70-75dB on the stereo speakers. All figures are from the listening position in a 30ft x 17ft room.

No real surround effects of course but enormous fun. The PCi could probably handle even higher peaks with a judicious increase in gain. If I was brave enough!

Thanks again for your patience

ChrisBee

 

[Michael Reuben]

You may indeed be missing something, but not for the reasons you thought.

If you're using a 2-channel system to play 5.1 soundtracks, I presume you're letting the DVD player downmix those tracks to 2.0 (unless the disc also contains a dedicated 2.0 track). The mixdown in the DVD player usually omits the LFE track. So while your equipment may be fully capable of reproducing those sounds, you still aren't getting them.

M.

 

[ChrisBee]

Thankyou for that valuable information Michael.

I haven't even invested in a DVD player yet. I'm still enjoying films on video. :b

Not having an AV receiver I have no immediate need for multi-channel HT capability from DVD. So I have been putting off buying a DVD player.

From what you say, a DVD player would not automatically offer the (subwoofer) dynamic advantages I would have hoped for should I decide to move into this new format.

Regards

ChrisBee

 

[ChrisWiggles]

Nope! I, at this point in time, still use 2 speakers and a 20-39. And my speakers aren't even floorstanders. My HT is still under construction. I don't even have a TV. Or any type of DVD player (yet, again, my computer is under construction, or that's what I keep telling myself...guh gotta get started w/that too... )

I'm not sure if dvd players downmix the LFE, I sort of had always assumed they did. But I will say that the bass on VHS tapes is pathetic in comparison to the bass on DVD mixes from my somewhat limited experience. If you're only watching tapes, get a DVD player. They are cheap, and the PQ is definitely better to boot.

 

[ChrisBee]

Thanks again Chris.

Better bass with DVD? I wish somebody had told me that before! Time to break the piggy bank! (again)

ChrisBee