Onkyo 818 w/XT32 subs never sound right!?!?

I have the 818 also, but am using the onboard amp for my mains. I also have 2 subs. I used the setup as you have with xt32, but my settings are much closer to zero, or within negative gain of only a few db with some of the surrounds. My first thought is that your gain is set too high on the XPA-5, making the mains more dominant than the subs. My subs are also more dominant with music with the 818 - I prefer the Studio Mix setting for music. As far as the subs being quiter: many state that they feel that Audessey is 3-4db light on the subs. I find this true to a point, but more like 6db light for my taste for movies, 3db light for music. Us bassheads expect bass right up front and plenty of it, but it seems like properly edited movies use it when needed, so it seems like it is not nearly enough bass. So I guess my point is that it is almost setup like it should be as XT32 thinks it should be, so tweak it to how you like to hear it from there.

Oh, welcome to Home Theater Shack!

OP:

Do you have large, floor-standing mains? If so, try overriding Audyssey and enter these trim levels and crossovers in your Onkyo:

Front L&R Crossover: 60Hz
Center: 80Hz
Surrounds: 80Hz
LPF of LFE: 120Hz

Left Front Calibration: +6dB
Center Calibration: +8dB
Right Front Calibration: +6dB
Left Surround Calibration: +6dB (if both surrounds are EQUIDISTANT from the sweet spot)
Right Surround Calibration: +6dB (see note above)
Subwoofer Calibration: +2dB

Actually Sub HT EQ does not independently EQ two subs. It sets the distance and level of each sub and then EQ's them as one. If you have two subs and they are equidistant from the primary listening position, then you do not have to have Sub HT EQ, as you can simply feed the sub out to both subs, or your sub amp.

My previous comment has to do with Audyssey NOT being able to deal with really large peaks and it causing your sub level to be too low. If you want to see what your room response is prior to Audyssey, then yes, you will need a separate mic and Room EQ Wizard. I recommend it for everyone, not only to see what your room response is prior to Audyssey, but also to see what Audyssey does to your response, particularly sub response.

You can look at the section in my 4520 review (link in sig) that is titled: Is Audyssey all you need in your system for equalization?

If you have subsequent questions about this, please ask in the 4520 review discussion thread. If you have questions about REW or microphones, etc, please ask those in the appropriate forum.

I only realised about how SubHT works recently and the only thing I felt I was losing out on was the independent delays (since setting/balancing levels can be done using the sub's gain anyway), so I grabbed an 818 as an end of line deal. Despite coming from a pretty high end (but old) Arcam processor I'm really happy with the 818, though running two subs has it's issues with the 818 I've ended up with a decent result.

Of course the 818 sub delay setting is a compromise since it's measuring two subs together, but soon I plan to build my own pair of matching 15" subs instead of the mismatched pair I'm currently running (10" sealed and 12" ported).

My plan is to use the DSP function in the sub amp I'll be using (Beringer NU6000DSP) to sort delays out as one sub is half the distance from the MPL compared to the 'main' one. This is a delibrate move based on REW room sim calculations which means that the second sub will fill a null I otherwise would have with a single sub. I'm also planning on using the DSP and REW to smooth the pre Audyssey response as much as I can to help avoid issues that the OP may have been suffering with a big peak(s) causing misreading. Hopefully this should result in Audyssey being able to do it's best for me.

FWIW when I first set up my 818 I'd inadvertently set my second sub phase to 180 degrees. Some measurements I made highlighted this mistake and putting the second sub back to 0 degrees and re running Audyssey really improved the bass (along with 2-3dB increase). So IMHO it may be well worth trying out phase settings on the second sub if using an 818 or other amp that doesn't have SubHT and measuring first too.

Considering my 818 replaced a processor with a retail price 3 x higher I think it's doing a great job (it was only meant to be a 'stopgap' while I search for a deal on a newer processor). I'm using a separate power amp to run my M&K 150 series speakers, but the 818 powers the surrounds. I'm also enjoying having front height speakers too (no room for front wides, but I already had surround backs, so now a 9.2 setup :T).

Hi guys!!...

Forgive me for starting a thread and then becoming "mia"!!! I have an update that is going to go in a few different directions so please just keep reading.

First off, the original setup was Onkyo 818, emotiva xpa5, Polk monitor 70, cs2, and tsi200 (rears) ran 5.1 through dual spa xv15's.

I'm in no way shape or form an expert in anything home theater. However, I've been a mechanic for 15 years... and a very very good one at that. Point being, I get paid to "trouble shoot"... I am relentlless. If there is a problem, I MUST know what it is... and how it can be fixed.

I purchased the above components beginning if the year. I've had pretty much everything you can buy from the big box stores at one time or another.... and have finally been able to work myself into what I consider to be a fairly solid "midrange" kit.

Right off the bat, the 818 never sounded right, nothing I could do would fix this... no changing of settings, running subs hot, sub crawl, a million different xt32 calibrations, I mean NOTHING would make the lack of mid bass, and deep bass, or distorted highs away.

So I decided to add the xpa5 into the equation, hoping it would help with mid bass, and highs. As the monitor 70's have four 6.5" drivers in each tower, so mid bass shouldn't be a huge issue for them. However, even adding the xpa5 didn't really seem to help. Lots of harshness after raising the master volume above -10db... no midbass....

Ok ok, I thought.... maybe it was my dual psw 505's??? There were surely the weakest link. So I got the spa xv15's...2!!! Guess what?!?!? Stiiiiiiiillll sounded like !!!! I'm easily $reaching $4000 and nothing is helping...!!!!

Thank goodness I had contacted onkyo immediately, letting them know within 30 days... There was something NOT right with the reciever. Long story short - kind of... I had purchased it from NEW EGG killer deal $ last December. Unfortunately, I'd made the mistake of throwing away the box--- which gave NEW EGG an easy way to "fine print" me out of Wm swapping out the unit then. I decide to reach out to ONKYO... end up talking with Talla Garcia--- super sweet lady!!!--- don't get me wrong, this took months of emails back and forth... to finally get in touch with her, and convince her that the 818 was indeed defective. Once convinced, she kindly sent me a new box and packaging along with a prepaid label to return the unit. Result???? Faulty HDMI BOARD!!!!!!!!

They wanted to repair the unit per terms warranty, again, thankfully I had contacted them prior to the unit being 30 days old notifying them if the issue. Many more emails, and another one to Jack Cooper and boy did ONKYO step up to the plate and back up their product!!!!! They sent me a brand new 929 as a replacement! !!!!!!! I'm sure this almost never happens.... but in this case.... they went above and beyond!!! I can't thank Talla Garcia, Jack Cooper and Onkyo enough for truly taking the steps necessary to take care of me as a customer.!!!

immediately upon receiving the new 929 and making the appropriate connections. .... WOOOOOW IS ALL I CAN SAY!!!! I've had it nearly a month and haven't even thought about running the pre outs to the xpa5. Clean clear power to full reference in my small- but heavily treated theater room. No harshness, deeeeeeeeeeeep bass, full mids...... everything I was searching for!!!! Woooo hooooooo!!!!!!