[dowop]

I currently have a Denon 891 that reaaly sounds good most of the time.I have tried all the the settings but I still have some trouble hearing the whispering & low dialogue in some movies & tv shows.

I was told the Yamaha has better settings for low & whispering dialogue.

Would appreciate any opinions as I am a Senior Citizen & really enjoy Movies & TV.


I am also using Polk TSI 400`s for the the front with a Polk CS 20 for the center.

 

[Theresa]



Quote:
Originally Posted by dowop /forum/post/20801262


I currently have a Denon 891 that reaaly sounds good most of the time.I have tried all the the settings but I still have some trouble hearing the whispering & low dialogue in some movies & tv shows.

I was told the Yamaha has better settings for low & whispering dialogue.

Would appreciate any opinions as I am a Senior Citizen & really enjoy Movies & TV.


I am also using Polk TSI 400`s for the the front with a Polk CS 20 for the center.

Dolby Volume might work for you and is present on all current receivers.

 

[dowop]

Isn`t that the same as Dynamic volume which I currently have tried the Day, Afternoon,& Night modes?

 

[jdsmoothie]

Dyn EQ has a feature called Reference Level Offset (p. 52) which when set to 15 will help improve the dialogue at lower volumes (esp. broadcast TV). Another option would be to use a set of wireless headphones especially designed for folks with hearing issues (eg. TVEars ).

 

[dowop]

I have that set at 10(afternoon mode) I will try 15.

Thanks I did not even think of that. Must be my senior moments.

 

[jdsmoothie]

Although you only have a 3.1 setup, some folks with side surrounds in a 5.1 setup, also like to use the Multi CH Stereo surround mode so the dialog also comes from the side surrounds which are much closer to your ears.

 

[dowop]

I do have a 5.1 setup. I will try the Multi CH Stereo mode.


Thanks

 

[jdsmoothie]

Sure. You don't want to sell off the 891 if you don't need to.

Also, remember you can adjust the volume of the side surrounds (w/CH LEVEL button on the remote) more to increase their volume, although Multi Ch Stereo should be quite loud actually.

 

[skally]

Just my opinion here....


I'm not convinced its your receiver where the "low dialogue" problem is. I may be wrong ( in this post that is) but just going by what I went thru a ways back as I too had a hard time with dialog as it seemed a bit muddy to where it was hard to hear the words. I ended up with replacing the speaker set up. I tried various speakers ( centers that is) as I had the Polk CS10 for a short time and even thou it was a good speaker it still was quite a few others that I had tried to where the same problem was present... "muddy". I ended up with Bic Acoustech line and sovled my problem that is.

 

[dowop]

I started out with a CS 10 Center & then bought the CS 20 which does sound better. If I went with Bic would I have to replace my front speakers? I think it is called timbre matching.

 

[gpmbc]



Quote:
Originally Posted by dowop /forum/post/20801807


I started out with a CS 10 Center & then bought the CS 20 which does sound better. If I went with Bic would I have to replace my front speakers? I think it is called timbre matching.

For myself, I'd be far more frustrated not being able to hear the dialogue vs hearing a change in timbre across the LCR. If you like the sound of a different/maybe more capable center you can always add fronts as budget permits. As long as it's not harsh and well designed, I'd bet the directivity of a horn will accomplish more on your quest than swapping receivers.

 

[dowop]

OK. Thanks for the reply. I have the center angled up as it sits only about 1ft off of the floor. Since I am now retired I will have something to do.

 

[alphaiii]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Theresa /forum/post/20801266


Dolby Volume might work for you and is present on all current receivers.

Dolby Volume only present on certain AVR's from Onkyo/Integra, Arcam, and HK... well, and two high prices Denon models (4311/A-100)...



Dolby Volume, Audyssey Dynamic EQ/Dynamic Volume, and Yamaha's Adaptive Dynamic Range Control (ADRC) are all supposed to address the issue of low dialogue vs loud effects...


General consensus is Dolby Volume is the best, followed by Audyssey's Dynamic EQ/Volume... and finally Yamaha's ADRC... but as with everything, opinions will vary.

 

[schan1269]

Just another little tidbit question...


Are you on cable or Satellite, or?


There are some cable boxes where you have to set the audio for a sound system instead of a TV. Check the audio settings to make sure they are correct as well.

 

[5seonds]

I would also try raising the volume of your centre channel only. The dialog tends to be reproduced by the centre, so by raising the volume on this channel only, it can often help with making the dialog more audible.

 

[dowop]

I am on cable & I use a DVD Blu-Ray player quite a bit. I am pretty sure the audio settings are correct.

I have the Center Speaker turned up about 4db from where Audyessy set it.


Thanks for replying.

 

[alphaiii]



Quote:
Originally Posted by dowop /forum/post/20801361


I have that set at 10(afternoon mode) I will try 15.

Thanks I did not even think of that. Must be my senior moments.

Try the evening, or even midnight, setting for Dynamic Volume... It will curb the loud sound effects/background music a bit more (midnight mode will to a greater extent), allowing you to turn the overall volume higher to help the dialogue.


The reference level offset has to do with the amount of EQ applied by Dynamic EQ, and is independent of the Dynamic Volume setting... If you set it to 15db, it sort of "tricks" Audyssey into thinking you are closer to reference volume, and therefore Dynamic EQ will apply less EQ... which can be a good thing if you feel it's boosting the low end too much at your usual listening volume.


I have a Denon 891 as well... and I run the reference level offset at 15dB, and dynamic volume at evening most of the time... midnight setting when watching late at night and don't want to irritate neighbors.



Where do you have your center channel placed? Is it at or below ear level? If it's below ear level, is it angled upward to the listening position? Is it on an enclosed shelf?

 

[guitaraficionado]

I have the same issue with dialogue being overwhelmed by everything else. I keep my Dynamic Volume on Mid and have boosted the center channel quite a bit. Still it isn't ideal.


The dynamic range with Dolby TrueHD and dts-hd is so great that I find myself frequently adjusting the master volume to keep sound levels reasonable. Annoying, to say the least.


I've read professional reviewers complaining about this too. It must be a fairly common issue. Unfortunately, not everyone listens at "reference levels."

 

[dowop]

[



Where do you have your center channel placed? Is it at or below ear level? If it's below ear level, is it angled upward to the listening position? Is it on an enclosed shelf?[/quote]


It is below ear level angled up on a open shelf.

 

[rnatalli]

Audyssey Dynamic Volume does a good job so definitely try messing with the settings before giving up. That said, Dolby Volume is better to my ears. The HK 2600 has it and can be found for about $350 right now.