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The "Official" Pioneer VSX-1019AH Owner's Thread - Page 115

post #3421 of 5086
2/25/10 at 5:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by profchaos71 View Post

I thought my system sounded a little bright so i looked at the eq and was suprised.My mains and center are SVS SCS-01 with 2 6 inch woofers and a silk tweeter. The MCACC trims everything on the bass side into the negatives,and jacks up the mid band while leaving the high end flat.If i wanted a little more mid-bass from my fronts,how much and what band or bands would i adjust?Of course my speakers are set to small and sub is at 80hz in the avr,disabled at the sub.It sounds pretty good right now but when i turn it up to movie levels it's a bit much.

You may want to try also LARGE with SUB=PLUS, x-over @80Hz. That works better for me and others that have similar speaker specs, but your main problem is with the levels. Could be a defective mic. Should figure that out when you get the SPL.

With regards to the surround speaker levels, I haven't seen many movies at home and in a theater that have a lot of surround sounds. From that perspective this AVR is really a very good compromise with a 2x107W@0.1THD and modest power in surround mode. I still remember "Heat" where the shells were flying out of the machine guns somewhere in the back of the room... There is plenty of surround sound in the games (I have a 360) - when the character turns around and the sound sources move accordingly.
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post #3422 of 5086
2/25/10 at 6:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gunsmoker View Post

You may want to try also LARGE with SUB=PLUS, x-over @80Hz. That works better for me and others that have similar speaker specs, but your main problem is with the levels. Could be a defective mic. Should figure that out when you get the SPL.

With regards to the surround speaker levels, I haven't seen many movies at home and in a theater that have a lot of surround sounds. From that perspective this AVR is really a very good compromise with a 2x107W@0.1THD and modest power in surround mode. I still remember "Heat" where the shells were flying out of the machine guns somewhere in the back of the room... There is plenty of surround sound in the games (I have a 360) - when the character turns around and the sound sources move accordingly.

Every thing i have seen and SVS as well says set them to small.SVS subs are beasts and actually i am upgrading to the pb-12 soon.Curious though.If 80hz is the crossover then why does it matter if they are small or large. Could the difference be how the eq sets the speakers? In other words,80hz is the rolloff point,but if the fronts are set on large,then the eq boosts the low end above 80hz thinking your speakers can handle more low end.That must be rthe difference because rolling off at 80hz is rolling off at 80hz.The only difference i can see is what the eq does with that info.
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post #3423 of 5086
2/26/10 at 4:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by profchaos71 View Post

Every thing i have seen and SVS as well says set them to small.SVS subs are beasts and actually i am upgrading to the pb-12 soon.Curious though.If 80hz is the crossover then why does it matter if they are small or large. Could the difference be how the eq sets the speakers? In other words,80hz is the rolloff point,but if the fronts are set on large,then the eq boosts the low end above 80hz thinking your speakers can handle more low end.That must be rthe difference because rolling off at 80hz is rolling off at 80hz.The only difference i can see is what the eq does with that info.

The only effect the x-over has on the EQ is that if the speakers are set to small, the lowest one or two bands (depending on the main speakers) of the EQ will be disabled.
In my case with the mains set to LARGE and the sub to PLUS, the X-over effect is as to how much of the mains' signal is the sub to take on. It has no effect on the mains. The EQ has an effect on the sub this way I believe - if I increase the increase low bands, the sub gets a boost as well.
People may argue the bass reproduction is most accurate with SMALL and I played with that some time, but it felt like I was missing some amount of power that way and I went back to the large setting. I mentioned that in a previous post - the key was the 125Hz band. In the large setting and the sub at 80Hz and PLUS, increasing the 125Hz band bumps up the high end of the range that goes to the sub. So effectively that allows you to do some sub equalization with the lowest two bands of the EQ.
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post #3424 of 5086
2/26/10 at 6:05am
I didn't have lots of time to spend so far on this unit as I recently picked it up at a local Best Buy, the only store that had it in stock in my area.

I hooked it up and ran MCACC and I'm really impressed with it so far. I had some initial concerns with the power ratings as I read in some places but I'm not experiencing what I'd call it being under powered. Besides, I'm in an apartment and to tell the truth I need to be careful as I've rocked the room already!

Another dumping of snow in the Northeast will give me time to try it much more this weekend (with an extra day to boot) in between shoveling.
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post #3425 of 5086
2/26/10 at 6:17am
I've decided on getting this receiver to start my mini home theater system. Can you tell me where the best deal is? I've searched and can't find anyone that has them in stock and under $499. Thanks!
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post #3426 of 5086
2/26/10 at 6:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gunsmoker View Post

No need to play with the X-curve. Especially in your case when the highs are flat, it will crush them even more. With the smallest setting - 0.5dB/oct at 2kHz, it will be -1dB@4kHz, -1.5dB@8kHz, and -2dB@16kHz.

as the x-curve parameter addresses the symptom he is describing (brightness in movie watching), yes, that is where he should start... what mcacc has set his eq to isn't relevant...

i would STRONGLY suggest it would be in error to run his speakers as large... small is the correct setting in his case (as it is for the great majority of people)...
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post #3427 of 5086
2/26/10 at 8:34am
I have a 5.1 system with 5 Energy RC-Mini's. The RC-Mini owners manual states:

The recommended setting for the RC-Mini and RC-Mini Center speakers is the
large position. Set the crossover frequency to 100Hz. Energy does NOT
recommend using any equalization function that your receiver offers when set to
"LARGE",as this may damage your speakers. In a large room or when maximum
output is required, set the speakers to "small" and the crossover to 120Hz.The
Subwoofer must be activated by setting the on or use settings.

This seems to be in contrast to everything I've read on this forum, which states always set to "small" - any help?

I have a HSU STF-2 subwoofer.

The RC-Mini's are rated down to 80 Hz, I'd like to keep my crossover at 80 or 90 so the woofer isn't too localized. Thoughts?
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post #3428 of 5086
2/26/10 at 9:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccotenj View Post

as the x-curve parameter addresses the symptom he is describing (brightness in movie watching), yes, that is where he should start... what mcacc has set his eq to isn't relevant...

Well, that's debatable. In my opinion the X-curve setting is there to help when the MCACC fails to analyze large rooms properly. You are making the assumption that it has correctly analyzed his room for the balance between the mids and the highs.
I have very similar speakers to his in terms of capabilities and I too see too much emphasis on the mids. If I recall well, it was the same with jedimasterchad's setup. This is perfectly fine and even welcome for home theater use and most people. Same with the small vs. large settings. The reality I find myself in is that it takes some serious amount of tweaking to get music to sound good for my taste with large speakers. Before the Polks I has Sony speakers that were detected as small and I did not have to do any tweaking - MCACC took the best out of them right away.

Anyway, he really should try to find the cause for the high levels MCACC came up with. Resolving that may change everything.

You blew me away by saying that you watch movies with the volume at -5dB. How big is your room?
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post #3429 of 5086
2/26/10 at 9:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ucsbjd View Post

I have a 5.1 system with 5 Energy RC-Mini's. The RC-Mini owners manual states:

The recommended setting for the RC-Mini and RC-Mini Center speakers is the
large position. Set the crossover frequency to 100Hz. Energy does NOT
recommend using any equalization function that your receiver offers when set to
"LARGE",as this may damage your speakers. In a large room or when maximum
output is required, set the speakers to "small" and the crossover to 120Hz.The
Subwoofer must be activated by setting the on or use settings.

This seems to be in contrast to everything I've read on this forum, which states always set to "small" - any help?

I have a HSU STF-2 subwoofer.

The RC-Mini's are rated down to 80 Hz, I'd like to keep my crossover at 80 or 90 so the woofer isn't too localized. Thoughts?

im not quite certain why energy has stated that the speakers be set at large, then use crossover settings in the end. i think the forewarning gives us an idea that you can use large for lower volumes or easy listening. but id highly suggest to set the speakers to SMALL, and allow the subwoofer to do the heavy lifting when it comes to the lower frequencies.

confusing as it seems, LARGE and SMALL doesnt mean how 'big' the speaker is, let alone reflect the diameter of the speaker.

Large: crossover disabled
Small: crossover enabled, set at x point (in this case 80hz)

as suggested, use 80hz as a default for your speaker settings.
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post #3430 of 5086
2/26/10 at 9:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gunsmoker View Post

Well, that's debatable. In my opinion the X-curve setting is there to help when the MCACC fails to analyze large rooms properly. You are making the assumption that it has correctly analyzed his room for the balance between the mids and the highs.
I have very similar speakers to his in terms of capabilities and I too see too much emphasis on the mids. If I recall well, it was the same with jedimasterchad's setup. This is perfectly fine and even welcome for home theater use and most people. Same with the small vs. large settings. The reality I find myself in is that it takes some serious amount of tweaking to get music to sound good for my taste with large speakers. Before the Polks I has Sony speakers that were detected as small and I did not have to do any tweaking - MCACC took the best out of them right away.

Anyway, he really should try to find the cause for the high levels MCACC came up with. Resolving that may change everything.

You blew me away by saying that you watch movies with the volume at -5dB. How big is your room?

first off, yes, he needs to make sure his mcacc setup is correct, which i've said repeated times...

secondly, i'm making no assumptions... i'm following tried and true methodology that i've used for several years with mcacc...

thirdly, your opinion on what x-curve does is incorrect... it's not to correct what mcacc does/did... it's to correct the mix...

fourth... you need to re-think what you "think" about how the eq is working with "large" and "plus"....

re: "too much emphasis on the mids"... again... he's trying to tame brightness...

did you measure, or do it by ear?

in a properly calibrated system, room size has ZERO to do with the volume control... properly calibrated, "0" on the avr will be reference at the listening position... but fwiw, my room is approx 13X16...
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post #3431 of 5086
2/26/10 at 10:57am
Can anyone briefly explain how to adjust the EQ settings? I want to, but I have very little knowledge of what to do without screwing anything up.
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post #3432 of 5086
2/26/10 at 11:02am
^^^

start at page 82 of your owner's manual (manual mcacc setup) and read from there...
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post #3433 of 5086
2/26/10 at 11:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccotenj View Post

re: "too much emphasis on the mids"... again... he's trying to tame brightness...

did you measure, or do it by ear?

in a properly calibrated system, room size has ZERO to do with the volume control... properly calibrated, "0" on the avr will be reference at the listening position... but fwiw, my room is approx 13X16...

Chris, you have a point. I did not measure it, it was by ear comparing with what MCACC did with my other speakers and what was imprinted in my head by listening to the same favorite tunes on various systems and concerts many times over the years. The auto MCACC result sounded to me like the vocalist did the mixing while the rest of the band was taking a break.

I agree that the room size has nothing to do with the level at the listening position. Anyway, I know a person whose room is so big that the mic cable is not long enough and he might end up sitting farther than the mic position if he doesn't buy an SPL meter. Just -5dB is way too loud for me and my setup so I was curious.
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post #3434 of 5086
2/26/10 at 1:58pm
I have Verizon Fios & every time I try to turn it on ( I have it in the BD HDMI port ) it changes to Satellite TV or some kind of error comes up it takes me 3 or 4 times before I came watch Fios. This also happens when I try to turn on my PS3 which is in HDMI 1 that only takes 2 or 3 times. What should I do to resolve this.
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post #3435 of 5086
2/26/10 at 2:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by joez63 View Post

What should I do to resolve this.

1) turn off Kuro Link.
2) change the order in which you turn on the devices (AVR, TV, PS3, Fios)
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post #3436 of 5086
2/26/10 at 4:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gunsmoker View Post

Chris, you have a point. I did not measure it, it was by ear comparing with what MCACC did with my other speakers and what was imprinted in my head by listening to the same favorite tunes on various systems and concerts many times over the years. The auto MCACC result sounded to me like the vocalist did the mixing while the rest of the band was taking a break.

I agree that the room size has nothing to do with the level at the listening position. Anyway, I know a person whose room is so big that the mic cable is not long enough and he might end up sitting farther than the mic position if he doesn't buy an SPL meter. Just -5dB is way too loud for me and my setup so I was curious.

So the x-curve is where i'm to start? I thought i might clarify the issue a bit. The sound that bothers me is like when i'm watching a movie and i have it at like -23. Say a car crashes or a similiar type of crashing sound occurs i almost cringe.Now i may be 38 but i love it loud so thats not the issue.Basically i want to keep the quality sound i expect but tone down the cringe factor if that makes any more sense
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post #3437 of 5086
2/26/10 at 6:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gunsmoker View Post

Just -5dB is way too loud for me and my setup so I was curious.

I'm curious too, regarding the appropriate volume levels. From what I've experienced, DVDs mixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS 5.1 sound the loudest, a volume of approx. -25db suffices. I've played my DVDs through a PS3 Slim, at the "Normal" volume setting. However, when i switch to records through my Denon turntable (with built-in phono pre-amp), I have sometimes gone upto -7 to -5db.

Was just curious if any others have had the same experience, with requiring different volume settings for different sources.

Everything else with the receiver is just great.
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post #3438 of 5086
2/26/10 at 6:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PioAudioExpert View Post

Hi Pioneer fans! Come by "It's Coming... from Pioneer!" thread on Monday, 3/1 to hear a new home entertainment product announcement. Also, make sure to stop by in the next few weeks to get more news on our 2010 line of home entertainment products.

Dave Bales, Audio Marketing Manager, Pioneer Electronics

Looks like an "Official Pioneer VSX-1020 thread" will have to start soon, to replace this one.
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post #3439 of 5086
2/26/10 at 7:26pm
i have been fooling w/ this for hours and cannot get sub to work w/ the 1019, i REALLY help yall can help... when i run MCACC it comes back w/ sub to "no", i change it to "yes" and go to next step and then when it does SW check it comes up w/ message "volume on sub is too low, turn it up, etc.." i have it turned all the way up, its an HSU stf-2 sub, i have crossover set to out, crossover knob all the way up or down, tried both, and tried both phase control @ 0 and 180... its a 6.1 speaker setup and i manually set that up and it seems to be recognizing sub b/c it comes back w/ speaker distance... any help would be GREATLY appreciated...
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post #3440 of 5086
2/26/10 at 7:35pm
forgot to add, when i do manual fine channel level, when i put it on sub the noise comes out of front left speaker...
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post #3441 of 5086
2/26/10 at 7:39pm
Hey, folks, wanted to use my 1000th post to thank the members of this forum and others I like (Energy speakers, Verizon FIOS, OPPO BDP-83, etc.) for their interest, patience and overall enthusiasm for a great avocation.

To all the new posters, keep at it and be excited about checking out all of the forums, even the ones that look different from what you're comfortable with (The DIY forums have been great to read).

To all the experienced posters, I admire your patience and your passion.

I also promise not to make this a habit every 1000th post.

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post #3442 of 5086
2/26/10 at 7:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ucsbjd View Post

I have a 5.1 system with 5 Energy RC-Mini's. The RC-Mini owners manual states:

The recommended setting for the RC-Mini and RC-Mini Center speakers is the
large position. Set the crossover frequency to 100Hz. Energy does NOT
recommend using any equalization function that your receiver offers when set to
"LARGE",as this may damage your speakers. In a large room or when maximum
output is required, set the speakers to "small" and the crossover to 120Hz.The
Subwoofer must be activated by setting the on or use settings.

This seems to be in contrast to everything I've read on this forum, which states always set to "small" - any help?

I have a HSU STF-2 subwoofer.

The RC-Mini's are rated down to 80 Hz, I'd like to keep my crossover at 80 or 90 so the woofer isn't too localized. Thoughts?

I have a very similar setup. I have the minis crossed over at 100, but have played with the crossover at 80. I have them set to small, since the rolloff from the RC-Mini's is pretty sharp after 80 Hz.
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post #3443 of 5086
2/28/10 at 10:19am
OK, I've been messing with this 1019 for a month and really like most everything. The only issue I have is: while watching TV the lower end freqencies will cut in and out. It doesn't matter if it's HD channels are not. Everything is connected via HDMI cables, I've tried combining fiber optic for audio with the HDMI for video and switching the setup inputs respectively with no change. One more thing I've noticed is that it seems to happen only at lower volume. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Gordie
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post #3444 of 5086
2/28/10 at 3:23pm
Pioneer 1019 remote questions (2)

1) I have assigned my tv to the TV button on the remote. I have the DVR assigned to DVR. The way I have to turn everything on is. First turn on receiver. Then hit tv button to turn it on...then hit dvr turn it on and then use. To turn off reverse the steps. I rarely turn off the dvr, is there a way to go about this where (like my satellite remote for existence knows that volume should go to the tv and channel buttons should go to dvr) it will turn on the tv but the actual channel buttons control tv dvr.

2) Last question.....much simpler ... is there a previous channel button on the 1019 remote? I have it set to control my dvr, i've pretty much mapped out everything button equivalent but can't figure that button out.
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post #3445 of 5086
2/28/10 at 5:56pm
I am thinking about buying this receiver and have 2 questions:

1. I have read here that some owners have an occasional problem with the remote not turning on the receiver. Is this only with the Pioneer remote, or are people having this problem with Harmony remotes (or other non-Pioneer remotes)?

2. Are there any other widespread problems/issues some people are having with this receiver?

THANKS!
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post #3446 of 5086
2/28/10 at 6:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewbieRob View Post

I am thinking about buying this receiver and have 2 questions:

1. I have read here that some owners have an occasional problem with the remote not turning on the receiver. Is this only with the Pioneer remote, or are people having this problem with Harmony remotes (or other non-Pioneer remotes)?

2. Are there any other widespread problems/issues some people are having with this receiver?

THANKS!

1. I'm a new owner of the 919 (since last Friday) and my Harmony One remote is very compatible (so far). I really can't speak as to the Pioneer remote, for I use my Harmony all the time.

2. I was watching a Blu-ray at -15 volume and all of a sudden I heard a slight POP and the receiver shut down. I thought I had remembered reading that if someone had 6 ohms speakers in the front (which I do) they should switch the receiver from 8 ohms to 6 ohms (to reduce the power supplied to the speakers). I did this and it didn't shut down at all during the next Blu-ray, which again was set at -15 volume. This is the only issue I've encountered but again I've only had this for going on 3 days.
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post #3447 of 5086
2/28/10 at 8:25pm
I'd just suggest anyone who's moved up to having a AVR in their home theater system just get a universal remote. I'm Harmony One remote user here also.
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post #3448 of 5086
3/1/10 at 6:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by djoberg View Post

1. I'm a new owner of the 919 (since last Friday) and my Harmony One remote is very compatible (so far). I really can't speak as to the Pioneer remote, for I use my Harmony all the time.

2. I was watching a Blu-ray at -15 volume and all of a sudden I heard a slight POP and the receiver shut down. I thought I had remembered reading that if someone had 6 ohms speakers in the front (which I do) they should switch the receiver from 8 ohms to 6 ohms (to reduce the power supplied to the speakers). I did this and it didn't shut down at all during the next Blu-ray, which again was set at -15 volume. This is the only issue I've encountered but again I've only had this for going on 3 days.

Welcome to the club! Great to see you from the BD review forum. I'm sure you encountered the wonderful user manual trying to change the ohm settings?
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post #3449 of 5086
3/1/10 at 6:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2GORDIE View Post

OK, I've been messing with this 1019 for a month and really like most everything. The only issue I have is: while watching TV the lower end freqencies will cut in and out. It doesn't matter if it's HD channels are not. Everything is connected via HDMI cables, I've tried combining fiber optic for audio with the HDMI for video and switching the setup inputs respectively with no change. One more thing I've noticed is that it seems to happen only at lower volume. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Gordie

A couple of things:

1. What is your configuration? Speakers (make and model) - including whether they are set as small or large, video and audio sources, do you use a subwoofer, etc.

2. Have you tried connecting the sources directly to your TV, and does it work fine there?
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post #3450 of 5086
3/1/10 at 7:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cocheex22 View Post

forgot to add, when i do manual fine channel level, when i put it on sub the noise comes out of front left speaker...

That sounds like a problem. How is your subwoofer hooked up ?
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