CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

CasetheCorvetteman · Joined: 09 Nov 2008 Posts: 6326 Location: Australia

Why does that happen??? I didnt think it was worth repeating!! Laughing

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 2:08 am Post subject:

OK, stopped tweaking the sets, sat back and watched a bit of TV. Sadly, there's nothing good on on Sunday nights, so back to work for me.

I did however set up the Audessey, and what a difference in the surround effects, as I expected. That room has never sounded so good. I'll start another thread regarding the setup of speakers, etc, but I am constantly getting an error reading on the subwoofer only. I read the FAQ on the Audessey site, and nothing seems to work. I am using the sub output, to a 400 channel power amp, running full range, to a Tannoy 3 X 12" sub cabinet, underneath screen center, right behind the center channel speaker. The thing is, the Audessey sees the sub at the level setting, and I turned the sub down to 75db as they state. Once I go into calibration mode, that's when I get the error.

I've tried reversing the phase of the sub, and even tried a smaller 2 X 8" subwoofer, located more in the corner. Is this common?

I'm assuming that if I select 'no' for a subwoofer, do the Audessey calibration, then go back into the menus and set the sub back to 'on', all I'm really missing then is the Audessey calibration for the subwoofer, right? No harm done, and I'm not missing out on much?

CasetheCorvetteman · Joined: 09 Nov 2008 Posts: 6326 Location: Australia

I watched the Formula 1 yesterday on mine, was good to watch after not seeing any races for 10 years or more

ElTopo · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1640

Curt,

can you do some shots of the screen when the two 909's are running ?

thanks
ElTopo

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 1:32 pm Post subject:

ElTopo, I will with my crappy Iphone. There are still some problem areas, as I said before, I probably need to spend another 6 hours at least on getting it to my liking, but I did throw on 'National Treasure 2' last night on BR, and there is one scene early in the movie where the screen blacks out, and I had a grin on my face ear to ear. Very Happy

redfox001 · Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 2257 Location: The Netherlands

CasetheCorvetteman · Joined: 09 Nov 2008 Posts: 6326 Location: Australia

Mine does not go totally dark, blue tube has had the dick

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 12:31 am Post subject:

Yeah, wouldya please? Smile

Do some cutting and pasting, and I'll delete the OT posts tomorrow.

Fired the stack up, there's some H phase drifting from cold to warm. Will spend an hour doing a full alignment tonight again, then we'll see how stable everything is.

CasetheCorvetteman · Joined: 09 Nov 2008 Posts: 6326 Location: Australia

Exactly what i see with mine too Curt, i did a bit of testing at some point and arrived at H-Phase moving, i think from memory it moves very slightly left when it warms up.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 1:58 pm Post subject:

Well of course I couldn't leave well enough alone, so I started tweaking before both were warmed up fully, and now it really looks like crap. Do-over tonight. Smile

overclkr · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 4227

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 8:26 pm Post subject:

thanks, I'll try that! Right now I've turned off the sub, did the calibration, then turned the sub back on, and that seems to work so far.

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 8:46 pm Post subject:

I'd recommend not using Audyssey to calibrate the sub, anyway. The problem is, bass response is highly dependent on position (both the position of the sub in the room, and on the placement of the mic in the room). So, it's better to just do like you're talking about, turn it off, run the calibration, then turn it back on and adjust to your liking and/or use a basic meter in various locations and decide where in the room it's most important it sounds the best (I'm guessing where you like to sit! Wink

).

You can also use much more accurate measurement and adjustment techniques like REW. Even if you're not going to EQ it, you can at least see visually where your nodes and nulls are, and try moving the subs around for a flatter, more even response in your listening position.

Speaking of response, the wavelengths in the sub range (and their multiples) line up nicely with the room sizes many of us use, so it's pretty likely that there's a couple of nulls and nodes in your room, and possibly a big node in your measuring position. Same with Cliffy, hence why he had to turn it way down. Or, it could be in a null such that Audyssey thinks the bass signal is "weak". There are numerous reports of people running Audyssey and ending up with really weak bass, and it's usually because the mic is sitting in a node, which also commonly. The Audyssey processor measures, and knocks down the level to combat the node, and it sounds OK right where the mic was, but super weak everywhere else. I had a big node in my back row, so when I tried to include the back-two in measurements, it turned the sub way down from where it would be if the back row weren't in the measurements. I eventually ditched Audyssey altogether and went for a manual adjustment based on measuring frequency sweeps.

Try putting a 10 second clip with some deep bass on A-B repeat, then walk around the room and listen to it in half a dozen different places. Wherever it sounds "weak", that's likely a null, and wherever it sounds loud or boomy, there's probably a node there.

Cheers,
SC

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

You should check out the Sub forum on AVS. They have some threads on how you should set up Audyssey and other Room correction programs. But what Cliff said is how I understand it works. What you should do is to set the audio with a SPL meter to about 75db with a pink/white noise signal with sub off. Then turn on sub and shut speakers off and run the noise signal again and set the sub to 75 dbs as well with the Pre Amp sub adjustment set to 0 or a little lower maybe -2 or -3 . While running the noise set the gain on the sub it self so the SPL is 75. This is of course if you have a powered sub, if not then set the amp level powering the passive sub.

Also you should do a sub crawl. Place the sub in your listening position run a low frequency tone like 20hz or 30 hz depending on your subs low end and crawl around the room to find the loudest location and place the sub there. this will be the best location for the sub.

Nashou

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 11:56 pm Post subject:

It's a passive sub, but with a pro power amp behind it. Your though of a sub crawl is good, as I'm sadly lacking in bass in the room. It's a bit tough relocating a 200 lbs sub cabinet, but I'm up to it. Worst case I'll recruit Barb... it's for the best of the system ! Smile

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 3:28 pm Post subject:

Nothing like starting off a Friday with a couple of BR movies, newly acquired off ebay. First up (Barb's choice) was Master and Commander. By far the most impressive movie soundtrack I think I've ever heard. A couple of times I literally looked at the HT door, thinking someone had opened it, with all the creaking of the ship planks, etc. Of course that was stupid, as my HT door doesn't creak. Smile

Barb said that I need to build a hushbox for the projectors. While projector fan noise doesn't bother me, it definitely took away from the quiet passages of the movie.

The room needs more bass, I definitely need to work on that, but first off, I'll run that extra power into the theater, maybe on Monday. Can't get anything else out of the 15 amp circuit driving everything right now.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

I was never satisfied with the bass when using the sub preamp out of any receiver I have tested. What I found was using the front main pre out into a pro crossover and have been thrilled since. If you still wanted the Audessy control you could use a piggy back RCA on those front pre outs and run straight to your fronts amp and not from the crossover for the highs. Of course you would have the fronts set at large and they would be getting a full signal this way. Depends on what you like better for the mains.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 10:57 pm Post subject:

Seymour AT screen ordered, should be up within the next 2 weeks. Let's hope the light loss isn't too noticeable..

hal · Joined: 28 Nov 2012 Posts: 100

It will be interesting to see what you think of it. Various opinion say that you can stop seeing the weave at 8 to 10 feet?? 1.0 to 1.2 gain.. You can pack the wall with speakers.

BTW, Thanks for dropping off the G90 in Blaine! Great quick turn around!!!

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:06 am Post subject:

You're welcome! Definitely start a thread on your blend when you get working on it. It's the same material as Cliff's, so I've got no issues with it whatsoever.