Anthem D2/D2v/AVM50/AVM50v/ARC1 tweaking guide - Page 905

Interesting ARC plots and results for what is supposedly a test setup. Hardly any room gain (1.03) and it almost seems to be ignoring any of the LF, RF & surround response below 100Hz. I would hardly think they are getting the best out fo the system with this ARC correction.

Thanks, Bob, for enlightening me! I had forgotten that years ago, I had set the Setup/Volumes/MainMaxVolume to +0dB. Sorry for wasting your time.

Ben

I use whole House surge protectors at the breaker panels of my house. They have been in place for 10 years and are still functioning properly (Leviton makes them). The panels them selves handle 150 amps (max capacity) and there are two of them

In the theater there is a 1.5 VA UPS from APS. All of the AV gear except the audio power amp and Subwoofer (amp) runs through this device. This includes the Anthem 50v and the projector. During use I run at about 40% of maximum load, when Idle it runs about 155 watts total. The DVR's are always on and all of the other connected gear draws vampire power.

I live in central FL and it is very common for short duration glitches (1-2 seconds) especially during thunderstorms which are prevelant.

Greetings,

I have my Anthem connected to an APC S15 which is a line conditioner/surge protector/voltage regulator with battery backup.


Regards,

Thanks.
I'll look into the apc s15 and whole house systems.

Aright guys, I finally bit the bullet today after struggling with some weird issues with my original D2 and got a store demo D2V as a trade-up. The dealer will take my old D2 and send it off to Anthem for a reconditioning and then resell it. I couldn't pass up the deal I got. It will make someone happy, but I've moved onward and upward! I took delivery of my original D2 in February 2006, making it one of the very first D2's ever delivered to the US. I ran sub-1.0 code for a long time, that's how old it is! Ahh yes, the good old days....

So, Bob and Co., knowing that I'm not afraid of beta software, but I enjoy a mostly stable system as much as the next guy, and seeing 2.08 on the Anthem website, what version do you recommend these days and why? I have access to all the beta software of course from days of old.

I also decided on a whim to pick up the Anthem BluRay player, given the reasonable cost and no need for onboard DAC's at all. Seemed to load quickly which is what is killing me with my early Pioneer 94HD. All in all, I look forward to a kinder, gentler Home Theater now.

So Bob, can I get those cool smily face thingies that I never got originally? It's like Christmas over here :-) Now I've got to take apart my entire system to replace the D2...the work begins. Any advice from you guys is appreciated. Cheers!

The current "official" firmware is V2.08. The current "test" firmware is V2.08e -- which basically includes the first cut at the Dolby Volume stuff. At the moment, I recommend you stick with "official" V2.08. You can turn off the Dolby Volume stuff in V2.08e of course, but it also comes with some factory installed bugs that screw up the speaker calibration test tones, which you will probably want to have working for a new setup.

As for bouncing happy head guys, I dunno. You haven't actually powered on your new D2v yet, right? Giddy anticipation is all well and good, but jumping up and down in glee requires the real thing.
--Bob

Thanks Bob, 2.08 it is for now then. As for HDMI handshaking, I have a Tivo Series3 that I like to keep in "Native" mode, so it can output native resolution to the anthem. Would you still recommend only Component and Optical for the Tivo S3, or can the D2V switch much faster than the old D2 running 1.33 used to? I can try it both ways but I'm curious what you've found/heard with that component lately. Thanks again, I'll let you know when I get her powered on and doing her thing! I'll be anticipating some bouncing faces soon. Thank you sir, the fun begins!

Component video input into the D2v is noticeably superior to that in the D2. It turns out, even S-video input is improved.

But with the HDMI changes in the D2v (some specifically targeting "native" resolution set top boxes), you might as well try Tivo native HDMI input into it and see for yourself. Keep in mind that the handshakes triggered by HDMI input are end to end even though the display output isn't changing, so the handshake speed will also depend on how fast your display responds.
--Bob

I just got the AIX Calibration disc to use with my D2v and new Oppo 80 which are connected by HDMI. I ran thru the intro and tutorial and then started the Channel Id test for 7.1. They ran fine for 7.1 Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA, but when it can time for anything LPCM it didn't work right. I just got 'sound bursts' out of LF and RF. The same held true for the rest of the tests which all happen to be in LPCM.

So what am I doing wrong? Do I have something setup wrong in the Oppo or D2v or both? Thanks.

What firmware are you using in the D2v? It should be V2.08. Earlier firmware has some issues when only one channel at a time is active for LPCM input.
--Bob

Bob,

My Fronts are full range speakers, but ARC has set the cutoff at 60Hz. For calculation purposes, if I simply tick the "Full range X-Over" box, does it mean the speakers will operate full range? Or do I have to reduce the cutoff to 25Hz also?

Ben

Bob, I'm on v2.04. You think that's the problem? I've been thinking about doing an update, but I keep putting it off 'cuz it scares me each time I do it. I just worry that I'll screw something up, mainly because I don't do it often enough to remember how. However, if that will solve the AIX issue, I'll pull out your directions which I have on file, and 'get back on the horse'. I also needed to rerun ARC, so I guess now is the time.
Thanks

Many if not most "Full Range" speakers can still benefit by crossing over to a decent sub. I have powered 8" woofers in my mains and ARC also crosses them at 60hz. 60hz isn't a brickwall either you will still get energy below 60hz in the mains. The point is a decent sub can usually do things better in that frequency range and takes some of the demand off the mains so it can have more control over the mid bass where so much of the sound resides. The key is properly integrating the sub with your mains.

Benleeys - I'm assuming ARC is also crossing the mains over at 60 or higher, so I'm not sure why you would want to calculate corrections below that.

Yes, that's the problem. Move to "official" V2.08.
--Bob

If you've got a sub, ARC will use it to support the bottom end of even full range speakers, since very few "full range" speakers can go low AT HIGH VOLUME.

If you want to force ARC to treat the speakers as truly full range then set the "Full Range" check box in Targets and re-Calculate. This will turn off bass steering to the sub from them (all LF/RF bass will go to LF/RF), however ARC will still apply a roll-off to LF/RF. To fix that, you also need to lower the cutoff for LF/RF to 25Hz. Note that LF/RF will still roll off in the subsonics below that (and any such LF/RF subsonic content will be lost since you have turned off bass steering).

An alternative to avoid that loss is to leave the Full Range box *NOT* checked for LF/RF and just lower the cutoff for LF/RF. This will use LF/RF down to 25Hz, but the subsonics will still be steered to your sub because bass steering is still in effect below that.

If you like how that seems to be working, I suggest you try raising the cutoff above 25Hz -- perhaps 30 or 35Hz, as again, a decent subwoofer will likely do a better job with the subsonics than most "full range" main speakers. This is true if your sub does not itself roll off sharply below 30 Hz.

NOTE: Don't fiddle with the sub settings as you may need higher frequency support from the sub for your surrounds. I.e., there's no problem having a low crossover for LF/RF and a higher one for the sub. LFE content to the sub is handled specially as well.
--Bob

Bob,

I wish Anthem had explained all these finer points of implementing ARC in their manual. We are indeed fortunate to have you around to do so.

My Fronts are rated 24Hz-23kHz (-3dB) with their self-powered twin-cone woofers, so they are good full-range units. My sub is rated 18Hz-120Hz (-3dB). So as not to lose the last 6Hz, I shall do as you suggest above. My idea is to ease up on the the sub's load since it is already carrying the bass from the Center, Surrounds and the LFE signals.

My sincere thanks for your reply.

Ben

I think this problem has come up before, but I must not be using the right 'search' words. Please forgive me if you have answered this before.

I tried to get into the set-up menu on my D2 (v1.33) today and had a blank screen on my display. Just black- not blue or magenta.
The menu was visible on the D2 front panel display.

I tried a couple 'power cycles' on/off, even unplugged the power cord from the rear.
I reset to 'factory default' settings. Still no menu on the monitor.
Reloaded 'user settings'. Still nada.

The video plays fine from my Oppo and Dish dvr. Its just the set-up menu that won't show on my monitor.

I seem to remember it has something to do with the s-vid in the D2, but I couldn't remember what the fix is.

Thanks for your help.

Tom

Dont know about the D2 (I have D2v) but there will be no screen info on HDMI2 (only HDMI1). You can also check the Svideo out

Steve,
The D2 only has one HDMI out.
I think it has something to do with the internal s-vid processing in the D2, but I can't remember if there is an easy fix to try that I haven't tried yet.
BTW the OSD (like if I change vol) shows up fine.
Its just the set-up menu.

Tom

Your best bet is to reload 1.33. The Setup Menu screen has been a constant annoyance on both the D2 and D2v. Anthem either cannot get it right or has not made it a priority to address.

John,
Unfortunately, I think your right. Reloading the firmware is a minor PITA. I was hoping for an easier fix, if possible.
Tom

Try a power cycle that also includes cycling the back panel power switch.

If that doesn't fix it, then the only known fix is to reload the firmware. Evidently something is getting corrupted related to the internally generated S-video source which produces the Setup menu display, and the firmware re-install fixes that.

If your D2 is of the right flavor, an alternative might be to go to the "test" V1.47f firmware. There's no related fix listed in the change notes, but for a problem like this, just the moving around of things in the new firmware build might make a difference. I don't recall whether we've had any problem reports on this from the folks here using "test" V1.47f.

Your D2 is OK for V1.47f if EITHER you can see that your video board (top board just under the top vents) is colored red OR you can see that your power supply does NOT have the big toroidal (donut shaped) transformer. If your video board is gray or green AND you have the toroidal transformer, then your D2 might still be OK for V1.47f, but there's no easy way for you to tell. So best play it safe and stick with V1.33.
--Bob

Bob,
I had already tried the power cycle/power-switch and that didn't work.
I have access to the 'test' page and have the newer red video board, but since I have had no problems with v1.33, that's what I reloaded.
The v1.33 reload fixed the problem.
Just for fun I reloaded ARC.
It seems to be working fine.

Thanks for the help John and Bob.

Tom

BTW- My forum name is showing up in orange in the left margin on my posts. Is this something new or have I just not noticed it before?

Your forum name there is a browser link. You probably clicked on it (or recently visited your profile, which it links to, some other way) and your browser changes link color to orange to show recently visited links.
--Bob

I am considering buying a small portable computer (laptop/netbook) to use with my D2 and stereo system. Uses include: running ARC, download/play high resolution files, digitizing LPs.
If possible, I do not want to spend thousands of dollars on a full-fledge top-of-the-line laptop. Any suggestions? Would a netbook-type computer run ARC software? Thanks for your help!

There is no reason why a netbook running any version of windows (I favor the ASUS line which started it all) would not run ARC. The issue will be RS232 ports. Check eBay for a USB to RS232 converter. I favor those by Edgeport as they work perfectly and handle up to 8 ports. can be had used for about $30-$50. Map directly to Com ports. I also have used on my desktop the cables by FTDI which are USB at one end and RS232 at the other. Also work perfectly with a driver that maps the cable to any com port. The cable is active with the electronics built into the USB connector. just google FTDI about $25 for a single cable terminated any way you want.

For the Anthem stuff, you need a USB socket for the ARC mic, and you also need a serial port -- often done using a USB/Serial adapter plugged into a *SECOND* USB socket (the Keyspan USA-19HS is recommended and inexpensive). PC-cards that provide a serial port also work. The computer must run Windows XP, Vista, or 7. Make sure it is possible to keep the computer from going to sleep or into screen saver during firmware installs or the ARC stuff. Often you can do this by just moving the mouse cursor periodically. A faster computer will do the ARC calculation faster, but it doesn't take that long even on a slow computer, so no worries. You do not need anything fancy in the way of graphics or audio for the ARC stuff or for firmware installs.

You can use an Intel-based Mac computer for this as well. However, you will need to run Windows on it. One way to do this is to use Boot Camp and a retail copy of Windows.

A wireless mouse is helpful as it makes it easier to stand away from the computer when starting the ARC test sweep tones. (It may also free up a USB socket.)
--Bob

This Toshiba seems to have a built in serial port and may meet your other needs

http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/pdet.to?poid=464433

I bought a Toshiba Satellite Pro S300-EZ1513 about a year ago which also has a built in serial port. I believe it's discontinued but may still be around. It came with Vista installed but included an XP disc

Bob,

Before calculating my measurements, I happened to notice that the Room Gain figure had its Force box checked. Out of curiosity, I unchecked it and exited the target window. Upon returning to it after calculations were completed, I noticed that the Gain figure had changed to a slightly lower value. The original value is now lost. Looks to me like ARC changed its mind about the original measured gain!

Ben