Home cinema - DD and DTS and muffled center channel audio

(Daroost19732) wrote in message ...
From: (Kevin)
Hmmmm....that is as I thought it should be. I had expected the level control
for the center speaker to have much more of an affect than it actually does. I
would also suspect my equipment if I hadn't had the same issue with three
seperate receivers. First was a cheap Aiwa, then a moderately priced Yamaha and
now the Kenwood. The center speakers have been KLH (Not surprised it didn't
sound so hot) Then, I had a Yamaha center and now I'm using the Athena
Technologies AS-C1. I moved the center to the left channel and it sounded fine.

Seems you have tried different movie disks, receivers, speakers, and
even speaker cables. The only constant left is the DVD player.
Unless speaker placement or room acoustics are the culprit but it
doesn't seem likely from your descriptions. So i guess trying it out
with a new DVD player is the only test left to perform.

Or, better yet, go listen to someone else's system. Preferably a
friend who's set up their own system or if there's a high end
Audio/Video store near you (don't go to a BestBuy or anything) ask
them to demo a 5.1 DVD on one of their good setups. The salesguy will
most likely turn it way up to give you an "impressive" demo, but just
turn the volume back down yourself.

Just out of curiosity, how loud do you normally listen to your movies? My
receiver's volume control starts out at 92 (lowest) and goes to 1. I've found
that somewhere around 45 is about the loudest I want to go, without going deaf
in the louder parts of action flicks. Is it possible that I'm just not turning
the master volume up loud enough?

I'm not at home to look at my receiver volume dial but i don't think
i've ever gone past halfway. The wife doesn't like things too loud.
Sometimes i turn it up for fun and rumbles but that's usually during a
scene without dialog. I'd say i listen to movies very quietly
compared to most home theater enthusiasts and the dialog track comes
through just fine at low and high volumes.

Well, the entire 5.1 isn't bad, just the voices. I've even found that music
and sound effects coming from the center sound fine. It's almost as if the
speaking parts of the movies have been turned way down, leaving everything else
alone. I've only found a few films where everything sounds great. Off the top
of my head, Braveheart and Die Another Day.

Now i'm confusing myself. My center speaker has been out of comission
for a couple months and my techincal know-how seems to have gone into
hiding. When listening to a DD 5.1 movie, how much sound effect and
music should be coming through the center speaker? I always though,
but i've never actually tested this, that 90% of the sound from the
center speaker should be dialog only. With only a small amount of
sound effects/music being audible. If you're hearing a lot of music
or effect through the center speaker then maybe you're in Pro Logic
mode instead of digital 5.1? Of course i could be wrong. Anyone
else know?

Good luck. i don't know what else to suggest. Other than getting 5.1
(or maybe upgrade to 7.1 while you have the chance) direct neural
connections into the brain. I strongly suggest wireless if you go
this way. :-)

Kevin