Problem with low foreground noise and high background noise

A couple of thoughts. First, you say that you have 4 speakers, how are these set up? Do you not have a center channel? If not, you need to make sure that your receiver knows there isn't a center channel. If you already have set the receiver up to compensate for the lack of a center channel, then I would ask whether you have calibrated the system (meaning balancing the channel levels and setting their distances correctly). There are other things that could cause this--but this is just a starting point. Hope that helps!

I think that one of the speakers (or a speaker driver) is wired out of phase.

If your receiver has an auto setup using a mic, did you run it and did you double check the speaker setup, sub or no sub, speakers large or small, crossover frequency, distance to each speaker?

Is the polarity of the wiring to each speaker consistant, e.g., receivers's red speaker terminal and red wire to red or + on each speaker and white to white/- or whatever the colors might be?

If the receiver does not have an autosetup, recheck the settings as already suggested. If the receiver has a built in pink noise generator for setting levels, use your ears to check the settings. Cycle the noise through each speaker in turn--make adjustments as needed to get the same volume level from each speaker. If it does not have a noise generator but does let you set the levels for each speaker you can use FM interstation hiss (white noise) to set the levels.

Go here, http://www.realtraps.com/index.htm, to get some basic information on room acoustics and room treatments. This can be very important.

An SPL meter is good, but you can begin without one. With a bit of concentration you can distinguish differences in sound level with as much accuracy as a low cost meter.

Two words: acoustic treatment.

A too-reverberant space, like a typical untreated residential room, has low dialog intelligibility. Even after calibration of speaker levels (which you should definitely do), such a room has a hard time with movie sound mixes designed for the relative deadness of a standard commercial movie theater. Movie theater comply with industry standards in order to give the same clear, consistent sound experience.

Regards,
Terry