right surround louder than left or placebo?

[STARSCREAM]

Ok to start off, I got the new Onkyo ht-s9300thx system have been putting it through various tests with demo material. Everything sounded great and balanced. Then the other day I put in the Star Wars A New Hope dvd (special edition 2004 version) and noticed most music was blaring from the right surround. I googled and looked up that the music on this release had the surrounds reversed from what they should be for the entire soundtrack. When playing the French 2.0 track, which by the way doesn't have the reversed surrounds problem, the balance is much better and now lots of it is blaring from the left surround which makes me think the problem all along is the reversed track making me think the right surround was louder.

Anyway, every since that night I seem to think still on everything that the right surround seems to be playing louder, like higher frequencies and stuff too. When the music is or something is playing in both surrounds at the same time it always seems the right surround is louder. I boosted the db level of the left surround by 2-3 db to see if that would match it and while it might have helped it just doesn't seem to hit the same high frequencies as the right surround. Does this sound plausible to anyone???

I have run audyssey on my reciever a few times now for setup. Also, I have swapped the left surround with the right surround many times to test. It might just be in my head and placebo effect but it seems when I swap the speakers instead of the right surround being louder than the left it is now louder in the left than the right which always makes me think the problem is the actual speaker that somehow it's not playing all the frequencies or something. I don't know, it's driving me crazy though and it might just all be in my head!! I'm OCD so who knows. I'm one who always thinks something is wrong with my stuff and I need everything perfect. Maybe it's also my seating postion, maybe if I move one way or the other it will balance the surrounds out?

Sorry for the long rant but I've only got a few more days in my return window so if something was wrong I'd need to return it in the next few days. Bigger thing is I don't wanna exchange if nothing is wrong because I'd have to return everything so all 7 speakers, sub, and receiver and the box weighed about 140 pounds and then I'd have to get a new one and go through all that unboxing again, ugh.

Right now my daughter is watching the blu-ray of the second Tinkerbell movie and I'm sitting over alittle more left than I usually do and the sound is balanced sounding out of the surrounds, sounds good. Maybe on the others it's actually just the mixes of the audio tracks. The two I tested most were dvd's of Star Wars: A New Hope and Return of the Jedi. Those were mainly the ones It seemed the right surround was louder. I tested Avatar blu-ray, first Transformers blu-ray and they seemed fine.

[jlafrenz]

Instead of boosting the left surround, try cutting/reducing the right surround.

It also sounds like an SPL meter may be a wise investment for you.

[HAMP]

How is the placement of the speakers?

I did notice something similar to this with mine. The wall it was on compared to what was around it was different then the other side.

My situation may be totally different then yours, because I was listening to some Di-pole instead of direct radiating speakers like yours. Di-pole they kinda need to be pretty much set perfect.

[Big Daddy]

The best solution to your problem:

Radio Shack Digital SPL Meter ($49.99)

Radio Shack Analog SPL Meter ($44.99)

[lokir1]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

The best solution to your problem:

Radio Shack Digital SPL Meter ($49.99)

Radio Shack Analog SPL Meter ($44.99)

take b/d's advice i went with one of these same units the digital version and i must say it definetly was worth it

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by HAMP

How is the placement of the speakers?

I did notice something similar to this with mine. The wall it was on compared to what was around it was different then the other side.

My situation may be totally different then yours, because I was listening to some Di-pole instead of direct radiating speakers like yours. Di-pole they kinda need to be pretty much set perfect.

Here it is right here, "Speaker's Positioning"; a speaker closer to a wall will produce a more emphasized sound, due to its early reflections, than one in the open or close to surfaces that are less reflective.

* No matter how much you are playing with the surround channel's levels, you'll have to readjust constantly from scene to scene and from disc to disc.
SOLUTION: Reposition your surround speakers. ....Or use absorptive panel(s) on the wall surrounding the surround speaker that is the most prominent.

And a SPL meter is a must-have tool in everyone's home that is serious about sound!

[STARSCREAM]

Yes, I've been thinking of getting an SPL meter and will probably do just that tomorrow. That way I can level them perfectly and for sure make sure the speakers are okay. However, even if I match them all up with the SPL meter, how does that answer my question about when I swap the speakers it seems it changes which speaker is louder? This is where my placebo effect thought came in.

The speaker placement is the exact same for both speakers. Each is placed almost exactly the same distance apart from center listening spot, both are hung on the wall (they are are sealed type speakers). The only difference between the areas surrounding them is the left surround (the one sounding lower) is on a wall that is just one long continuous wall while the right surround (the louder sounding one) is on a wall that opens up in 3 places to the kitchen area. Right next to the speaker is a huge opening to the kitchen so there is no wall on whole right side of the speaker. You would think though this would cause this right surround to sound lower than the other way around wouldn't you?

[HAMP]

Just for testing purpose, place them somewhere else and have a listen.

[LordoftheRings]

Or play a bit with their aiming. ...After all, it's all about experimenting and discovering.

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by STARSCREAM

The speaker placement is the exact same for both speakers. Each is placed almost exactly the same distance apart from center listening spot, both are hung on the wall (they are are sealed type speakers). The only difference between the areas surrounding them is the left surround (the one sounding lower) is on a wall that is just one long continuous wall while the right surround (the louder sounding one) is on a wall that opens up in 3 places to the kitchen area. Right next to the speaker is a huge opening to the kitchen so there is no wall on whole right side of the speaker. You would think though this would cause this right surround to sound lower than the other way around wouldn't you?

Then it's about the direct sound taking prominence and the other's one reflections influencing your perception by smearing its sound into the appearance of less promimence. ...All room's acoustical properties having a negative impact on sound propagation and balance...

And like you said yourself, they are not symetrically positioned in relation to their nearer surfaces.

[STARSCREAM]

Originally Posted by HAMP

Just for testing purpose, place them somewhere else and have a listen.

LOL, don't know why I never thought of that! Great idea! I've been doing extensive testing for 3-4 nights in a row now for about 3 hours each night and never once thought of that

Thanks for all the replies thus far guys, I hate being OCD about stuff and always thinking something is wrong with my stuff. I used to not be like that or atleast not near as bad about it, especially with home theater stuff but after actually getting into home theater heavily and spending time learning on sites like AVS and here I now look for faults in everything. I'm starting to get better on things like being way OCD on my blu-ray and dvd's packaging/slip covers.

[LordoftheRings]

^

[rpatt]

Originally Posted by STARSCREAM

LOL, don't know why I never thought of that! Great idea! I've been doing extensive testing for 3-4 nights in a row now for about 3 hours each night and never once thought of that

Thanks for all the replies thus far guys, I hate being OCD about stuff and always thinking something is wrong with my stuff. I used to not be like that or atleast not hear as bad about it, especially with home theater stuff but after actually getting into home theater heavily and spending time learning on sites like AVS and here I know look for faults in everything. I'm starting to get better on things like being way OCD on my blu-ray and dvd's packaging/slip covers.

Nothing OCD about wanting sonic perfection. Unfortunately, more times than not, it is like walking to the horizon.

[STARSCREAM]

Wanted to update you guys. So yet another night of testing,testing, testing. I think I've finally got it good to go. After switching speakers, taking them down to listen in different spot, etc. I thought the left surround looked like it was mounted alittle further behind my ears than the right surround and thought hmmm, maybe that is it. So I moved the left surround 3-5 inches forwards on the wall and now the left surround seems more balanced than before. Some things still sound louder in the right surround but I think it's just how the mixes are. For Star Wars: A New Hope main things louder in right surround seems to be when they walk into the the cantina the music is playing in the right surround. Also, at the very end medal ceremony their is a horn in the right surround that is very loud. If any of you have this dvd feel free to put it on the 5.1 ex mix and see if that's just how the mix is.

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by STARSCREAM

Wanted to update you guys. So yet another night of testing,testing, testing. I think I've finally got it good to go. After switching speakers, taking them down to listen in different spot, etc. I thought the left surround looked like it was mounted alittle further behind my ears than the right surround and thought hmmm, maybe that is it. So I moved the left surround 3-5 inches forwards on the wall and now the left surround seems more balanced than before. Some things still sound louder in the right surround but I think it's just how the mixes are. For Star Wars: A New Hope main things louder in right surround seems to be when they walk into the the cantina the music is playing in the right surround. Also, at the very end medal ceremony their is a horn in the right surround that is very loud. If any of you have this dvd feel free to put it on the 5.1 ex mix and see if that's just how the mix is.

Makes total sense; a surround speaker that is positioned more forward to the screen and to the side from your ears will usually sound louder, than one further behind. It's the outer ear canal shape, the auricle and the eardrum, that determine our sound's perceptions. And depending if the sound is forward, side or rear's provenance, it is more or less directional influence related, with different levels of decibels too.
[...Same thing happens with our eyes (vision); front, side and rear view.]



...And also your two ears are not exactly the same, and one could be more receptive than the other.

* As for "Star Wars - A New Hope", on DVD, it's the recording itself indeed.

...Good to go!

[STARSCREAM]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

Makes total sense; a surround speaker that is positioned more forward to the screen and to the side from your ears will usually sound louder, than one further behind. It's the ear's globe, the canal's shape.
...And also your two ears are not exactly the same, and one could be more receptive than the other.

* As for "Star Wars - A New Hope", on DVD, it's the recording itself indeed.

...Good to go!

Thanks for checking! If you put the dvd on the 2.0 track it doesn't have the problem and if you are using a 7.1 system try the 2.0 track with PLIIx it also offers better rear surrounds and better overall side surrounds as well. They really screwed up the 5.1 ex mix on this movie. Hopefully it's fixed/better when the blu-ray comes out.

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by STARSCREAM

Thanks for checking! If you put the dvd on the 2.0 track it doesn't have the problem and if you are using a 7.1 system try the 2.0 track with PLIIx it also offers better rear surrounds and better overall side surrounds as well. They really screwed up the 5.1 ex mix on this movie. Hopefully it's fixed/better when the blu-ray comes out.

Yeah, can't wait to get the Blu-rays! ...But then, they will contain only one version, and not both!

* By the way, while you were posting I just edited my above post, have a look.

...And where's Dagobah?

[STARSCREAM]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

Yeah, can't wait to get the Blu-rays! ...But then, they will contain only one version, and not both!

* By the way, while you were posting I just edited my above post, have a look.

...And where's Dagobah?

I don't have both versions yet, but I'm planning on picking up the set with the unaltered original trilogy soon so I will have them as well. I was talking about just switching from the A New Hope 5.1 ex mix to the 2.0 mix in the menu.

You know where Dagobah is!!!?? Watch Empire Strikes Back, where Yoda lives.

[28BlusLater]

With my surrounds, one always sounds louder the the other, depending on how you're head is turned and where you're sitting. Sometimes, my right surround sounds louder, other times the left one does. However, I turned the right one down to -0.5 and the left one to +0.5 on the speaker levels, because my normal seating position is a bit farther from the left speaker (extra couple feet) and sometimes it was getting drowned out by the right surround. Now, they match.

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by STARSCREAM

I don't have both versions yet, but I'm planning on picking up the set with the unaltered original trilogy soon so I will have them as well. I was talking about just switching from the A New Hope 5.1 ex mix to the 2.0 mix in the menu.

I prefer the 5.1 EX mix though. ...And I got both Theatrical and Extended Editions on DVDs.
...Both Double Trilogies.

You know where Dagobah is!!!?? Watch Empire Strikes Back, where Yoda lives.

Ahhh, I tought about some' like that!