Best mode for my Onkyo receiver

I believe the direct mode sends a full signal to the main channels without using subwoofers. Therefore you are not getting that punchy bass. . You should take a setting that uses standards surround like Dolby Digital or DTS.

He didn't list a subwoofer so maybe he doesn't have one?

It's a good point but I can't think of why else he doesn't like the sound in the direct mode.

Are your mains set to large or small? Where are you located so that someone reading this can help?

Isn't direct mode like Auto where it will output what is default on the disc? What is shown on the receiver?
Are you receiving HD audio formats like Dolby TruHD and DTS HDMA?

And if you have a sub, all speakers should be set to small. Unless Audyssey decided to set them to that.

Set your speakers to small, regardless of what Audyssey set them to. Also, set your crossover to 80. This will direct bass/lfe to the subwoofer.

To clarify, if Audyssey has set any of your crossovers below 80 Hertz, raise them to that number. Don't lower a crossover that Audyssey has set to, say, 110 Hertz, because Audyssey will not apply any fixes to sound below that frequency.

That advice encapsulates about 3 or 4 different audiophile myths.

Direct mode is a great way to lobotomize your AVR by taking some of its best, most useful pieces offline.

You probably don't want everyone's opinion,... ;-)

Especially that of the guy who lobotomized your AVR...

That actually makes some sense if the AVR is running in direct mode.

Of course running in direct mode doesn't make much sense at all!

It generally leaves the bass management up to the BD player.

As a rule, BD player bass management isn't the best...

Direct mode usually bypasses Audyssey's tuning.

I favor common sense over listening to movies, but it is sure nice when the two agree!

Let's review:

(1) Direct Mode only makes sense if digital processing always decreases sound quality, but that's an audiophile myth.
(2) Direct Mode bypasses Aydyssey
(3) Direct Mode bypasses the AVR's bass management which is probably equal or superior to the bass managment afforded by the BD player.

That would be umm 3 strikes against Direct Mode.

Oh, and you say avoiding Direct Mode sounds better. My suggestion if you aren't already convinced - redo the comparison with other recordings including some music.

I have found that the only time I really worry about modes is with input that's in stereo, such as most Netflix streams. More often than not I let Dolby ProLogic turn it into surround for me, but sometimes I prefer Stereo or multi-channel stereo, as some movies, often older ones, just seem clearer to me that way. I watched part of one movie that only had sound to the left channel, so I put the receiver into mono mode, which helped the sound but not the movie.

When a soundtrack is in Dolby Digital or DTS HD Master or some other discrete format, I pretty much always let the receiver play it as received, occasionally matrixing in front height speakers.

FWIW, I agree that direct mode isn't particularly useful for most of us. AFAIK, it isn't Audyssey that sets the crossovers, but software provided by the receiver manufacturer. Why does that matter? Just because Audyssey's own chief technical officer recommends never setting mains as large (if you have a decent sub), but instead taking advantage of the bass management available in the receiver and using the sub's at least potentially superior bass reproduction capabilities to, uh, reproduce the bass.
That requires setting the non-subs to "small," which in retrospect is probably the wrong word to use as shorthand for "engage bass management" (which is all it means) because we're mostly guys, after all, and we don't want our equipment to be called small . . . .

Again I recommend you choose the standard setting Dolby Digital or DTS. This should make you happy for most of your movie selections.

There's no selection of DD or DTS with an Onkyo. You just set those two listening modes to Dolby and DTS. Then, when one of those types arrives, the receiver processes it normally.

Direct definitely bypasses Audyssey, although it still allows for bass management with many receivers. Also, with digital, bass management is never done in the player. If it isn't done by the AVR, then it isn't done at all.
Edited by BIslander - 2/11/13 at 5:18pm