RHTI 40: Popcorn Hour A-110/B-110, Anchor Bay DVDO Edge, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", Frank Black "A

[eugovector]

RHTI 40: Popcorn Hour A-110/B-110, Anchor Bay DVDO Edge, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", Frank Black "A Dog in the Sand"

Episode 040 (9/1/2008)
«» Questions to ask when Upgrading
«» Popcorn Hour A-110/B-110 Video Review
«» Showcase: Anchor Bay DVDO Edge
«» Movie Review: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
«» Frank Black: Dog in the Sand

[jaysonbarnett]

Just to let you know Polk has made everything right and all my speakers are up and running again. I just have a question about my center channel? I have set it to 75db according to my SPL Meter but the dialogue is way to low. Should i turn the center channel up to say 80 or 85DB? This lack a dailogue is only with dolby digital or dts soundtracks.

[eugovector]

Kudos to Polk.

[jaddie]

What are you using as your test signal source?

[eugovector]

jaddie wrote:

What are you using as your test signal source?

To Jayson...

(I think the answer is Blu-ray over HDMI, if I recall our conversation). How about it Jayson?

[bobgpsr]

eugovector wrote:

RHTI 40: Popcorn Hour A-110/B-110, Anchor Bay DVDO Edge, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", Frank Black "A Dog in the Sand"

Episode 040 (9/1/2008)
«» Questions to ask when Upgrading
«» Popcorn Hour A-110/B-110 Video Review
«» Showcase: Anchor Bay DVDO Edge
«» Movie Review: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
«» Frank Black: Dog in the Sand

I also ordered one of those, them there, new-fangled A-110 Popcorn Hour players to connect to my old 34" direct view CRT RCA HDTV via component video and SPDIF audio to my Yammie AVR and local network hard-wired 100 bps ethernet to the A-110. We will see how it goes.

[jaysonbarnett]

Sorry i have been sick. I use the receivers internal tones to calibrate. I have avia 2 on blueray coming on netflix. Audyssey set the levels to 72 db so i boosted the levels to 75db. When i sit in my sweet spot on the couch do i point the spl meter up or at the speaker?

[jaddie]

SPL meters use omnidirectional mics, so no, you don't point it at each speaker.

More questions:
How is the meter set? A or C, Fast or Slow?
How many calibration points did you use when you set up Audyssey?
Did you put the Audyssey mic on some sort of stand so that the mic is in a real listening position, or just lay it on the seat?

Is your center speaker different from your L/R speakers?

[jaysonbarnett]

I had it on c weight and slow. I put the mic on a tripod and used all 8 mic positions (ear level and away from walls). I also used the tripod for the spl meter. That was my question should i point the spl meter up or forward?
here are some pics of the front sound stage http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=85839

[jaddie]

This sounds more like a receiver setting issue than a calibration issue. So, more questions:
What's the receiver?
How do you connect from the disc player to the receiver?
What's the disc player?
When playing a disc that has the low-center problem, what surround mode is the receiver in?

It would also be helpful to know what individual channel levels the receiver picks at after Audyssey completed. There should be a menu that shows speaker level settings. You're probably using it to adjust your center.

So far, you've done it right. Don't worry too much about pointing the SPL meter. It should just be held in one position, not moved to point at speakers. Forward is fine, so long as it's away from other objects by a foot or so.

Just to confirm we have the symptoms... Audyssey calibration, the you confirm level settings...with what signal? And even though all channels look matched, Dolby Digital and DTS sound tracks have low dialog. Are they 5.1 channel sound tracks?

Might be useful to run a channel level check with a THX Optimizer disc. You can find Optimzer on any THX mastered DVD. Run the audio test and use your SPL meter to check it.