What sound curve do you use?

[ROSS.T.G.]

I'm curious to hear what sound curve people use. Audyssey Refermce or Flat? YPAO Natural or Flat etc. Now with most Blu-rays remixed for the home I am curious to see if people like a flat curve or roll off the highs, use Re-EQ?

I have a Marantz SR7009 with Paradigm Monitor's v.6. I use Audyssey XT32 Flat with Dynamic EQ engaged.

[solarrdadd]

I'm team Marantz and with my 7702mkii pre-amp in my HT, I use Audyssey MultiEQ XT32 Reference with Dynamic EQ engaged.

on my bedroom 1607, I have yet to run the calibration, but, I'm sure i'll use the same as above except the receiver only has Audyssey MultEQ and it will be reference with Dynamic EQ engaged.

I think that's the default for Audyssey except the Dynamic EQ and that I believe you have to turn on manually.

so far, I'm very happy with the HT sound; very happy!

[ROSS.T.G.]

Nice gear. Solarrdadd. I've had my Marantz for only 6 months but it is hands down the best AVR I have owned. It's my 3rd AVR with Audyssey, prior I had an Onkyo which only had 2eq and then a Denon with XT. The difference between the flavours is obvious. Curious to know if you have a treated room? Have you tried the flat curve? I've only used the Flat curve on all my AVR's but with the Marantz I have used the Reference curve. I just switched the Flat today to compare...

[antennahead]

For Blu ray movies I use Audyssey MultiEQ XT32 Reference with Dynamic EQ engaged and increase the sub channel 3.5 db.

For 2 channel music listening I use a homebrew Harman Curve. I tried it and liked it alot for stereo music listening. Basically it uses Audyssey Flat, NO Dynamic EQ, increases the subwoofer channel output 4.5 db, increases the bass control + 4, and reduces the treble - 3 to -4. If Dynamic EQ is set to "off", you can use the bass and treble controls in conjunction with Audyssey.

[ROSS.T.G.]

You must like your bass then! I must say I'm liking the Flat curve in my room since I replaced my leather couch with fabric theatre seating. I also find more and more movies are sounding duller. Age of Ultron, Civil War and The Force Awakens sounded much better with the Flat Curve in my room. I read you replaced your Anthem with the Marantz, I was just speaking with a Paradigm rep about which curve I should select and he said Flat curve always. He also suggested I take a look at Anthem but I'm very happy with the Marantz and I can't live without Dynamic EQ. After I spoke with him I turned off DEQ and switched to flat and tested Edge of Tomorrow. Again I felt it sounded better in Flat but without DEQ I did not like the sound. I turned it back on after 20 minutes and my sound was back!

[Dwayne]

Originally Posted by ROSS.T.G.

I'm curious to hear what sound curve people use. Audyssey Refermce or Flat? YPAO Natural or Flat etc. Now with most Blu-rays remixed for the home I am curious to see if people like a flat curve or roll off the highs, use Re-EQ?

I have a Marantz SR7009 with Paradigm Monitor's v.6. I use Audyssey XT32 Flat with Dynamic EQ engaged.

When watching Blu-ray movies on my Denon 4520 AVR I use Audyessey MultiEQXT32 Reference with Dynamic EQ on.

[antennahead]

Originally Posted by ROSS.T.G.

You must like your bass then! I must say I'm liking the Flat curve in my room since I replaced my leather couch with fabric theatre seating. I also find more and more movies are sounding duller. Age of Ultron, Civil War and The Force Awakens sounded much better with the Flat Curve in my room. I read you replaced your Anthem with the Marantz, I was just speaking with a Paradigm rep about which curve I should select and he said Flat curve always. He also suggested I take a look at Anthem but I'm very happy with the Marantz and I can't live without Dynamic EQ. After I spoke with him I turned off DEQ and switched to flat and tested Edge of Tomorrow. Again I felt it sounded better in Flat but without DEQ I did not like the sound. I turned it back on after 20 minutes and my sound was back!

"Most" people in the Audyssey, 8802, and 7702 forums over at AVS feel that while Audyssey does a fantatic job, the final result is a little light in the bass. Most are increasing their subwoofer setting from 3 to 5 db, depending on their personal tastes and rooms. This ties in with the Harman curve tests. If you're not familiar with the Harman curve, google it. An interesting theory. Anyway, I have my subwoofer crossover setting at 80hz. I've found most people tend to use between 60 to 100hz, depending on the bass response of their mains. The bass control of the 7702 seems to affect the frequencies between approximately 100hz and 250hz. Increasing the bass 3 to 4 db in addition to increasing the subwoofer channel a similar amount, will give a 3 to 5 db bump from 20 to approximately 250hz. After that there is a gradual slope to (0) zero/flat until the treble rolloff occurs. The bass control is above the range increased by the sub channel increase. The result of these together approximates the Harman curve. It doesn't produce an excessive amount of bass in my system. Now if you're someone who prefers their sound lean, then you might not like it. I think it sounds full without being muddy, and the highs, since I'm using Audyssey Flat, are not strident ....... yet sound open and clean without seeming muffled. YMMV

Interesting article:

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content...aqzV7JG17J7.97

[ROSS.T.G.]

I've always ran my subs hot whether I calibrated myself with a meter or using software such as Audyssey. I've always felt my bass lacking in my dedicated theatre because on the concrete. With my SVS and sun rider I finally have the bass I like.

You said you are using Flat in your last reply, did you switch? or just a typo?

[antennahead]

Originally Posted by ROSS.T.G.

I've always ran my subs hot whether I calibrated myself with a meter or using software such as Audyssey. I've always felt my bass lacking in my dedicated theatre because on the concrete. With my SVS and sun rider I finally have the bass I like.

You said you are using Flat in your last reply, did you switch? or just a typo?

Reference for movies, flat for 2 channel music.

[ROSS.T.G.]

This discussion made me revaluate the curves. I've been doing some comparing back and forth last night and this morning with the Flat and Reference and I realized why I started to like the Flat curve. I have been using the Reference curve since I purchased the Marantz and also because Marantz recommends this curve. A few weeks ago I purchased new fabric theatre seating that seemed to absorb much more high frequency than my previous leather couch did. I also had a leftover sub riser which I placed in between my center channel stand and mopad risers to get more height. These 2 changes made me think a Flat curve would work better and it did for most Blu-ray content. However this past weekend we started season 2 of Narcos and I also played a lot of Star Wars Battlefront and watched Scream Factory's release of The Funhouse. The Flat curve sounded horrible for The Funhouse BD which was way too harsh. Narcos also sounded a little harsh and Battlefront was lacking the warmth and low end I was used to.

I removed the subwoofer riser leaving my center on top of the mopad riser angled up slightly and pushed back my center a few inches to perfectly align with my front speakers and reran Audyssey leaving it in the default Refrence curve.

Conclusion is it's much better. My center was angled up too much which was causing the problem of me not hearing voices clearly and because the center speaker was closer the trim was low at -8.5 db. After the calibration last night my center channel trim is now at -7.5db The tonal balance is back with the Reference curve and it actually sounds much better. The extra absorption from the theatre seating really helps as well.

[antennahead]

Originally Posted by ROSS.T.G.

This discussion made me revaluate the curves. I've been doing some comparing back and forth last night and this morning with the Flat and Reference and I realized why I started to like the Flat curve. I have been using the Reference curve since I purchased the Marantz and also because Marantz recommends this curve. A few weeks ago I purchased new fabric theatre seating that seemed to absorb much more high frequency than my previous leather couch did. I also had a leftover sub riser which I placed in between my center channel stand and mopad risers to get more height. These 2 changes made me think a Flat curve would work better and it did for most Blu-ray content. However this past weekend we started season 2 of Narcos and I also played a lot of Star Wars Battlefront and watched Scream Factory's release of The Funhouse. The Flat curve sounded horrible for The Funhouse BD which was way too harsh. Narcos also sounded a little harsh and Battlefront was lacking the warmth and low end I was used to.

I removed the subwoofer riser leaving my center on top of the mopad riser angled up slightly and pushed back my center a few inches to perfectly align with my front speakers and reran Audyssey leaving it in the default Refrence curve.

Conclusion is it's much better. My center was angled up too much which was causing the problem of me not hearing voices clearly and because the center speaker was closer the trim was low at -8.5 db. After the calibration last night my center channel trim is now at -7.5db The tonal balance is back with the Reference curve and it actually sounds much better. The extra absorption from the theatre seating really helps as well.

One of the findings behind the Harman Curve experiment was that most people find a "flat" frequency response a little too harsh in the higher frequencies as well as a little thin overall. This is why the most favorable curve had higher bass content from about 160hz down and the top end was rolled off some......... there was a gentle downward slope to the curve. When I apply the tweaks I mentioned to the Audyssey Flat setting on my system, music sounds great ...... better than using Reference. I still however think Reference is the best choice for movies. The curve Audyssey uses for Reference has a built in adjustment for higher frequencies that makes movie soundtracks sound "right".

[ROSS.T.G.]

I agree, you rarely hear people say turn up the treble, they say turn up the bass. I've always enjoyed a flat curve but the Marantz sounds better with the Reference curve. I get more detail that sounds natural and warm, it's more musical than all my AVR's.

I also moved my centre further away from the back wall and just have my Paradigm centre resting on top a mopad on top of the centre Channel stand. Dialogue is clearer and more natural for sure.

[pacman9270]

I have not turned on Dynamic EQ and keep hearing everyone speak highly of it. I will try it out.

I started off with the Reference EQ setting and was loving it but wanted to hear what Flat sounds like. Will try over the weekend to do some listening comparisons between the two to see which i like better.

[bakntim]

I have tinkered with both. I only watch movies in my home theater and do love a clean crisp amount of treble but my speakers are all horn tweeters so I already have a push for the highs as it is. I tried Flat curve on the horn heavy Imperial March from Empire and I thought is sounded better than when I had the Reference Curve engaged so I left it at Flat for a long time. Then I rented a movie with a very strong horn heavy Cuban music club scene and the highs were so piercing I was wincing and getting a little ear fatigue so I put it back to Reference ever since. I suppose a lot of the decision as to which curve to use is personal preference, but that's my story.

[pacman9270]

OK... I'm now a Dynamic EQ fan. Loving it. I now have the different setting already entered for each input. Movies at 0dB, TV and sports at 10dB, and music at 5dB.

I'm still learning more about my Marantz and I've had it for a while now. Loving it.

[antennahead]

Originally Posted by pacman9270

OK... I'm now a Dynamic EQ fan. Loving it. I now have the different setting already entered for each input. Movies at 0dB, TV and sports at 10dB, and music at 5dB.

I'm still learning more about my Marantz and I've had it for a while now. Loving it.

The ability to set the Dynamic EQ offset (fake 0 db) at a different level for each input is a great feature. Most people do what you've done and have a different setting per source. I have one setting for Blu ray movies and another for DirecTV viewing. CD/2 channel music is no Dynamic EQ and Audyssey flat, versus Audyssey Reference and Dynamic EQ for movies and TV.

[pacman9270]

Originally Posted by antennahead

The ability to set the Dynamic EQ offset (fake 0 db) at a different level for each input is a great feature. Most people do what you've done and have a different setting per source. I have one setting for Blu ray movies and another for DirecTV viewing. CD/2 channel music is no Dynamic EQ and Audyssey flat, versus Audyssey Reference and Dynamic EQ for movies and TV.

I will try Flat for music. The manual says to go to Flat as well.

[ROSS.T.G.]

I can't live without DEQ. It's an absolute must for me. And Dynamic Volume is a huge bonus as well. I always watch movies on Sundays while the wife catches up her shows. I listen at between -20db and -25bd when she is home and with DV I hear everything and don't feel I'm compromising. I tried DEQ and Dynamic volume with the Flat curve and it sounded off. The Reference curve sounded warmer and more balanced.

[Zhorik]

Originally Posted by ROSS.T.G.

I can't live without DEQ. It's an absolute must for me. And Dynamic Volume is a huge bonus as well. I always watch movies on Sundays while the wife catches up her shows. I listen at between -20db and -25bd when she is home and with DV I hear everything and don't feel I'm compromising. I tried DEQ and Dynamic volume with the Flat curve and it sounded off. The Reference curve sounded warmer and more balanced.

Do you normally watch movies at reference level though?

[ROSS.T.G.]

Typically I listen between -10db -15db for bluray. TV -15db with the DEQ offset -15, games -20 with DEQ offset -15.

If the wife is home I turn on Dynamic Volume and listen between -20db -30db.

At levels -10db -15db I find the flat curve too forward and harsh. That is one of the reasons why I prefer the Reference curve. I'm a set it and forget type of person and hate switching all the time. I feel the Reference curve is suitable for all content, I should mention I do not listen to music in my theatre room.