Sound Effects are drowning out the dialog (1 Viewer)

[Gunfighter]

Good morning. Is anyone having issues with the sound effects drowning out the dialog? I have two different 5.1 systems and they're both doing it. Any help would be much appreciated.

Yamaha RXA-680
Floors - Polk S55
Center - Polk S35
Sub - XT12
Surround - Sonance (in-wall)

Denon AVR E300
Floor - Klipsch - RP500f
Center - Klipsch - RP500c
Sub - Klipsch - SPL100
Surround - Atlantic Technology

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Just increase the center channel level a few dB. If that doesn’t get satisfactory results, then try increasing the center-channel EQ a few dB in the 1-2kHz range.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[JohnRice]

Did you run any calibration? As Wayne said, you can raise the level of the center channel, as well as lower the level of the surrounds. I do find that the calibration level that's technically correct gets the surrounds a little high and the center a little low.

 

[Todd Erwin]

Did you run any calibration? As Wayne said, you can raise the level of the center channel, as well as lower the level of the surrounds. I do find that the calibration level that's technically correct gets the surrounds a little high and the center a little low.

I usually use the calibration settings as a starting point, then adjust from there, usually raising the levels on the center and lowering the surrounds.

 

[Gunfighter]

I did run the calibration and used that as a starting point before I adjusted. It appears that I am getting too much sound effects in my Center Channel. As I turn the volume up, in hopes of hearing the dialogue, the sound effects fight against the dialogue. And then when the sound effects go away, I’ve got people screaming at me from the center channel. I’ve double and triple checked the connections and everything is good. I tried lowering the floors and raising the center but I was at a difference of 10db’s and that didn’t make any sense. That and I wasn’t getting anything from my floors.

 

[John Dirk]

Odd this would be happening with two separate systems, using different equipment at that. I'd level match the speakers in each system to the standard 75dB with a SPL meter. If that doesn't fix things it might be some sort of DSP setting messing with things.

 

[JohnRice]

I did run the calibration and used that as a starting point before I adjusted. It appears that I am getting too much sound effects in my Center Channel. As I turn the volume up, in hopes of hearing the dialogue, the sound effects fight against the dialogue. And then when the sound effects go away, I’ve got people screaming at me from the center channel. I’ve double and triple checked the connections and everything is good. I tried lowering the floors and raising the center but I was at a difference of 10db’s and that didn’t make any sense. That and I wasn’t getting anything from my floors.

Something is configured or connected wrong. You should never get peripheral sounds like that from the center.

I assure you, something is set up wrong.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Something is configured or connected wrong. You should never get peripheral sounds like that from the center.

I wonder what the input source is. Depending on how everything is set up, if he’s routing things through the TV to the receiver for example, it may be flattening a multichannel signal into 2.0, which the receiver is then doing its own ProLogic thing to, which could be the cause of all that channel leakage. Or it could be sources that aren’t truly 5.1, or if it’s a disc, it may be one that defaults to a non-5.1 track.

 

[Gunfighter]

I wonder what the input source is. Depending on how everything is set up, if he’s routing things through the TV to the receiver for example, it may be flattening a multichannel signal into 2.0, which the receiver is then doing its own ProLogic thing to, which could be the cause of all that channel leakage. Or it could be sources that aren’t truly 5.1, or if it’s a disc, it may be one that defaults to a non-5.1 track.

The Polk system is with a Sony TV and the Klipsch is with a projector. Both systems are run through the receivers. The only time we listen to music on either system is when we use a Roku app or DirecTV’s on demand music. I agree that something is wrong, I just can’t figure it out and it’s frustrating the hell out of me. There has to be a feature or setting that I need to select or de-select. I can get really close to the center speaker and the dialogue sounds like it is at the same level as the sound effects.

I would really, rather not upgrade anything because both systems are relatively new (with the exception of the Denon AVR). Everyday, the Sonos Arc becomes more appealing.

 

[JohnRice]

When you watch something, what does the display on the receiver say is the sound format? Ex: Dolby Digital, DTS…

Don‘t ever use the sound “modes” that modify and usually completely screw things up. A 5.1 setup doesn’t need any modification.

 

[JohnRice]

Give us every detail of how everything is connected. Since both systems are doing the same thing, it seems clear there is a fundamental misunderstanding of how surround systems are set up, and the same mistake was made on both of them.

 

[JohnRice]

I would really, rather not upgrade anything because both systems are relatively new (with the exception of the Denon AVR). Everyday, the Sonos Arc becomes more appealing.

Yeah. Because ARC is so famous for being flawless.

 

[John Dirk]

Just noticing you started this [virtually identical] thread back in August of last year. What gives?

Floor Speakers are washing out the Center

Good morning. I have a question about my Floor Speakers washing out my Center Channel. Below is what I have, so that you have an idea of the equipment. Denon AVR 300 Floors - Polk S55 Center - Polk S35 Surround - Sonance (in-wall) No subwoofer Yamaha RXA-680 Floor - Klipsch - RP500f Center -...

www.hometheaterforum.com

 

[Gunfighter]

When you watch something, what does the display on the receiver say is the sound format? Ex: Dolby Digital, DTS…

Don‘t ever use the sound “modes” that modify and usually completely screw things up. A 5.1 setup doesn’t need any modification.

I added a picture of the receivers face while on the same program.

Give us every detail of how everything is connected. Since both systems are doing the same thing, it seems clear there is a fundamental misunderstanding of how surround systems are set up, and the same mistake was made on both of them.

For the Yamaha, DirecTV is in the receiver HDMI 1 and the BluRay is in HDMI 2. For the Denon, DirecTV is in receiver HDMI 1, BluRay is in HDMI 2, Roku is in HDMI 3

Just noticing you started this [virtually identical] thread back in August of last year. What gives?

Floor Speakers are washing out the Center

Good morning. I have a question about my Floor Speakers washing out my Center Channel. Below is what I have, so that you have an idea of the equipment. Denon AVR 300 Floors - Polk S55 Center - Polk S35 Surround - Sonance (in-wall) No subwoofer Yamaha RXA-680 Floor - Klipsch - RP500f Center -...

www.hometheaterforum.com

Back then, I was thinking the rub was with the floors drowning out the center/dialogue. I made some minor improvements but now it’s more of the sound effects killing the dialogue. The struggle continues.

 

[JohnRice]

There shouldn’t be effects coming from the center.

Something about how it is all set up is fundamentally wrong.

I’m afraid I can’t even imagine what would cause the result you say you are getting.

If you get new gear and set it up the same way, I see no reason there won’t be the same problem.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Something about how it is all set up is fundamentally wrong.

I’m afraid I can’t even imagine what would cause the result you say you are getting.

That’s a head scratcher.

Only thought I have is to check in the settings menu of each device and see what that device is defaulting to for output. If the DirecTV box and/or disc players are set to output PCM 2.0 or some similar downmixed format, that’s the likely culprit.

Everything about how the sound quality is being described sounds to me like the receiver is splitting apart a 2.0 signal into fake multichannel, rather than receiving an actual 5.1 signal and passing that along.

 

[Gunfighter]

There shouldn’t be effects coming from the center.

Something about how it is all set up is fundamentally wrong.

I’m afraid I can’t even imagine what would cause the result you say you are getting.

If you get new gear and set it up the same way, I see no reason there won’t be the same problem.

I hear you but I don’t know how else to set it up. Components into the receiver, signal from receiver to TV and verify speaker wires aren’t switched between speaker and receiver. All the speaker wires are Rocketfish 16g.

 

[Gunfighter]

That’s a head scratcher.

Only thought I have is to check in the settings menu of each device and see what that device is defaulting to for output. If the DirecTV box and/or disc players are set to output PCM 2.0 or some similar downmixed format, that’s the likely culprit.

Everything about how the sound quality is being described sounds to me like the receiver is splitting apart a 2.0 signal into fake multichannel, rather than receiving an actual 5.1 signal and passing that along.

The DirecTV Audio is set for Dolby Audio so that it will output Dolby Audio/Dolby Atmos for programs that support it.

Your second paragraph went over my head!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Can you post photos of the audio settings menu for the DirecTV and Blu-ray players?

No promises but maybe John or I will notice something amiss.

 

[Gunfighter]

Can you post photos of the audio settings menu for the DirecTV and Blu-ray players?

No promises but maybe John or I will notice something amiss.