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Unable to get front sound using DD 5.1 (1 Viewer)

Marcus D

Agent
Joined
Dec 13, 2003
Messages
36
I have a progressive scan DVD player and I am trying to get DD 5.1 surround throught my receiver. I have one problem. When I play a movie I can get the background sound and music from the DVD but when someone is talking I hardly get any sound or can't hear the person speak at all. What do I need to do and look for to get the speaking sound to come in?

Thanks
 

Garrett Adams

Supporting Actor
Joined
Sep 27, 2000
Messages
931
Probably a blown tweeter in your center speaker. My Paradigm center speaker is in for repair for exactly that reason. For the interim I am using my old Energy center speaker. Magically my DD 5.1 center channel has reappeared with voice coming through perfectly.
 

Bob McElfresh

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 22, 1999
Messages
5,182
Marcus: do you get ANY sound from the front center?

Does your reciever have a "Test Tone" feature? This should send loud static noise to each speaker in turn. If so, fire it up to make sure things are actually connected.


Now, your main volume control makes all the speaker volumes go up/down. But your reciever has some "Level adjustments" for the Center, and each rear speaker. (The idea is to add/subtract some volume to compensate for sitting at different distances from the different speakers.)

Find your reciever manual and it will have a page on how to adjust the center volume. My guess is your center level is way too low. Bump it up 5 or 6 notches and it should help.

Note: There are some guidelines for center speaker placement that may also help:

- Pull the center speaker forward so it over-hangs the front face of the television.

- Make 'feet' for the center speaker to get it up off the TV cabinent (this can muffle the sound). Pink rubber erasers, wooden dowels or even rubber door-wedges all make great, inexpensive feet. The door-wedges also work well to give the center speaker a downward tilt to focus more directly on your head while seated.

- Use a laser pointer to align the L/R speakers to converge a foot or two in front, or a foot or two behind the central listening position. (Sometimes the L/R speakers focus directly on the listener and over-whelm the center).

- Get a SPL meter from Radio Shack and a setup DVD like Digital Video Essentials or Avia and use it to properly adjust the speaker levels. This section of our Primer on Calibration means accuracy will help you understand how it works.
 

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