Sorry I do not have many of the model numbers at hand here, but I am not sure they matter for this question.
Most of my system is about three years old, I think. I have a Denon 7.1 receiver (about 90 wpc, not many bells or whistles other than Audyssey), Polk speakers (VM30 fronts, VM20 center, VM10 rears and MicroPro 1000 and 3000 subs), a 42" 1080i Panasonic Vieira plasma, a Tivo HD, an LG Blu-Ray and Comcast cable with most of the premium bells and whistles through a big-arsed Motorola box.
The problem is that the volume just seems to be getting lower all the time. There have been occasions where I was watching something and the volume just stepped down. Other times it is more subtle, but all too often I find myself pushing the volume all the way to 0db and wishing I had a whole lot more. The problem is the same if I am watching a Tivo recording, watching TV 'live' thru a Tivo tuner, and watching TV live through the Motorola STB. I almost never watch DVDs on this system, so cannot comment on whether the problem persists there as well.
My speakers are reasonably efficient, and I am not the sort of person who wants everything turned up to 11 a la Spinal Tap.
I do not remember exactly when or where I bought the Denon, but I am fairly sure it was open box, and I do not think I have any warranty to work with here.
Is there anything else to test here, or is it time to buy another box? I am perfectly happy if I am forced to upgrade my system, but I'd like to exhaust all the other possibilities first. Are there any tests to run or settings to fiddle with?
Advice, please.
Most of my system is about three years old, I think. I have a Denon 7.1 receiver (about 90 wpc, not many bells or whistles other than Audyssey), Polk speakers (VM30 fronts, VM20 center, VM10 rears and MicroPro 1000 and 3000 subs), a 42" 1080i Panasonic Vieira plasma, a Tivo HD, an LG Blu-Ray and Comcast cable with most of the premium bells and whistles through a big-arsed Motorola box.
The problem is that the volume just seems to be getting lower all the time. There have been occasions where I was watching something and the volume just stepped down. Other times it is more subtle, but all too often I find myself pushing the volume all the way to 0db and wishing I had a whole lot more. The problem is the same if I am watching a Tivo recording, watching TV 'live' thru a Tivo tuner, and watching TV live through the Motorola STB. I almost never watch DVDs on this system, so cannot comment on whether the problem persists there as well.
My speakers are reasonably efficient, and I am not the sort of person who wants everything turned up to 11 a la Spinal Tap.
I do not remember exactly when or where I bought the Denon, but I am fairly sure it was open box, and I do not think I have any warranty to work with here.
Is there anything else to test here, or is it time to buy another box? I am perfectly happy if I am forced to upgrade my system, but I'd like to exhaust all the other possibilities first. Are there any tests to run or settings to fiddle with?
Advice, please.