Yamaha 1400 Subwoofer & Other Questions (1 Viewer)

[ChrisFR]

I am setting up my HT and am using my new Yamaha 1400's auto set-up and I have a few questions...

1. The manual states that before running the tests you should set the sub-woofer volume to half-way and the cross-over frequency to maximum. I have a PSB Alpha Subzero so I can control both of these functions. After the test is over do you leave the settings at these levels on the sub? If not, what method to you use to find the optimum settings

2. What is the Dufference between PEQ & GEQ?

3. When listening to Analog Cable stations (via an SA8000 PVR) and using a setting such as Pro Logic Surround - I find that the audio from the two rear surrounds is not clear.. I have been told this is due to the compression of the signal and is not the receiver... has anyone else experienced this?


Thanks to anyone who can help with these issues!

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Chris,

While I don't own the Yamaha I do have a Pioneer 45TX with the essentially similar MCACC self-calibration feature and think I can address your first question.

The receiver is going to self calibrate it's own sub output level and probably also the crossover. It needs the sub to be turned on of course and the volume knob on the sub needs to be set high enough to get an audible sound from the sub that the receiver can use for a baseline for the receiver's output level.

I would follow Yamaha's recommendation as far as the volume setting on the sub. After the reciever completes it's self-calibration, check the sub level that's been selected by the reciever. Recievers all have a maximum and minimum range for sub level, typically -10 to +10 db.
If, after the self-calibration the receiver has selected the minimum sub level setting, it means that the receiver may have chosen an even lower setting if it had been within the adjustment range of the receiver, hence the setting may not be valid. Also, if the receiver selects a low sub level setting it's sub output may not reliably trigger the auto-on feature on your sub, if the sub has auto-on. This was my experience with the Pioneer.

If the receiver does select too low a sub setting to trigger your sub, or selects the lowest available sub setting, turn the volume knob on the sub down from the recommended halfway and re-run the self calibration. You may need to repeat this several times. What you want is a sub level setting on the receiver that will not be the lowest (or highest) available and that will also reliably activate the sub's auto-on feature.

If, on the first attempt at self-calibration, the receiver selects a sub level that is not the maximum or minimum available and also reliably activates the auto-on feature, leave the sub settings alone.


They want the crossover on the sub set at it's highest level because you aren't going to be using that setting on the sub but rather the crossover adjustment will be done by the receiver. Typically if the crossover on the receiver is fixed on a Yamaha it will be at 90hz. If it's adjustable you want the crossover on the receiver set lower than that on the sub to avoid holes in the frequency response. You don't want the receiver to have, for example, an 80 hz crossover setting and at the same time have it set to 60 hz on the sub itself. The receiver in that scenario would send everything below 80 Hz to the sub, and the sub crossover would then discard everything above 60 hz, leaving a hole. Crossovers, of course, aren't really really that sharply defined, theres some "fadeout" above and below the crossover point, but you get the idea.

 

[ChrisFR]

Thanks Steve for the detailed reply! I'm glad it's the weekend so I can fine tune my set-up.

Regards, Chris