Trying to wrap my head around cross over, avoiding black holes??

[aesnakes]

Hopefully someone like Big Daddy will see this because i just cant wrap my head around it at all.

I really care about my sound, even though my system isn't amazing I want it to sound its best.

I was recently playing some DTS audio CD's and some other videos and I noticed on somethings my sub was almost silent...yet on blu-rays it was at a good level. As soon as I switched my rear speakers to small on my amp I started hearing a better response in the sub.

So I have the Polk 6750 setup, and I added 2 Polk M20's and my receiver is a Sony STR DG820. The sub Set up at half volume and the freq is set at around 130hz and can go to 160. My front speakers are set to large, the center is at small, and cross over set to 170hz, the 4 rears are set to small and cross over at 140hz.

A lot of these are defaults, and you can not set the crossover unless the speakers are set to small......so should my monitors be set at small and the crossover changed? Should the other speakers be changed? IM just lost please go easy on me hopefully I can learn if I am doing something wrong.

Thanks
Rob

[DutchBoy]

Unless I'm bad wrong (and if I am, someone here is sure to slap me down), the suggestion for you will be to set your speakers to small (all the way across the board) and set your crossover to around 80.

I have a 720 (Sony), Monitor 60s (set to small) and mine set up like that. I'm pretty happy with it.

It seems to be a common theme for the most part -- speakers on small, x-over at 80 (although that's varied sometimes).

[aesnakes]

HI DutchBoy,

Thank you for the reply, do you find setting everything to small that you get any bass out of your floor standing speakers? I like to listen to a lot of music as well I want to get the most out of the M20's?

[DutchBoy]

Originally Posted by aesnakes

HI DutchBoy,

Thank you for the reply, do you find setting everything to small that you get any bass out of your floor standing speakers? I like to listen to a lot of music as well I want to get the most out of the M20's?

There is some, unless I'm imagining things (which is a distinct possibility -- I do that from time to time ) -- but for the most part I'm just concerned with letting the powered sub do what it's there for, and that's shake my butt when I'm sitting on the couch.

I get plenty of bass with it set up like that. No doubt though, the majority of it is flying out of my sub.

[aesnakes]

what do you set your sub at? should i have it at 160 all the way up or?

[squirrel101]

Set your sub at 80hz and try not to turn the gain all the way, only go as far as is needed so it doesn't over power your other speakers.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by aesnakes

Hopefully someone like Big Daddy will see this because i just cant wrap my head around it at all.

I really care about my sound, even though my system isn't amazing I want it to sound its best.

I was recently playing some DTS audio CD's and some other videos and I noticed on somethings my sub was almost silent...yet on blu-rays it was at a good level. As soon as I switched my rear speakers to small on my amp I started hearing a better response in the sub.

So I have the Polk 6750 setup, and I added 2 Polk M20's and my receiver is a Sony STR DG820. The sub Set up at half volume and the freq is set at around 130hz and can go to 160. My front speakers are set to large, the center is at small, and cross over set to 170hz, the 4 rears are set to small and cross over at 140hz.

A lot of these are defaults, and you can not set the crossover unless the speakers are set to small......so should my monitors be set at small and the crossover changed? Should the other speakers be changed? IM just lost please go easy on me hopefully I can learn if I am doing something wrong.

Thanks
Rob

According to RM6750 Manual and Technical Specifications of M20's, these are the frequency responses of your speakers:

The 5 small satellite speakers: 135Hz-20kHz
Subwoofer: 45Hz-180Hz
M20 Speakers: 55Hz - 20kHz

These are my recommendations:

• On the back of the subwoofer, turn the level to 60%, turn the crossover all the way up to its maximumum point, and leave the phase at zero.
• In the receiver's menu, set all speakers to SMALL.
• In the receiver's menu, set the high pass (crossover) frequency of M20's to 80Hz.
• In the receiver's menu, set the high pass filter of the 5 small satellite speakers (center and surrounds) to 140Hz.
• In the receiver's menu, set the low pass crossover frequency of the subwoofer to 140Hz.
• Run the calibration program again to make sure speaker levels are matched. If the receiver changes the above settings, set them to the above numbers manually.
• You may have to experiment with the position of the subwoofer in your room to get optimum bass. Start by putting it in the front corner, about a foot away from the walls.

Your subwoofer receives two types of signals: the LFE signal (.1) that is put on the disc by audio engineers and the redirected bass from the speakers that you have set to small. You want to make sure your subwoofer accepts these frequencies. Unfortunately, the low frequency response of your satellite speakers is not very good and they cannot handle frequencies below 135Hz cleanly.

[aesnakes]

wow thank you soo much everyone, Big Daddy you are the man hehe, I have set everything up but i will have to run the calibration tomorrow. It is already starting to sound better. Thanks again I will have to copy this all down for future reference.

[aesnakes]

Alright everything does sound a lot better. thank you again everyone. I ran into the same problem as some though, when I run the setup my receiver sets the sub at -7db so I raised it a bit and to the point where it wont bother the neighbors.

Question. Big Daddy you said my satellites can handle too much low freq response which isn't very good. I thought these sounded pretty good and as Ive heard around on other threads they should be at least better then bose? is this true or are they actually worst. I like the size of them but if I wanted to upgrade what would people here recommend without going to large so i can mount them.

[StimpsonJCat]

Originally Posted by aesnakes

Alright everything does sound a lot better. thank you again everyone. I ran into the same problem as some though, when I run the setup my receiver sets the sub at -7db so I raised it a bit and to the point where it wont bother the neighbors.

Question. Big Daddy you said my satellites can handle too much low freq response which isn't very good. I thought these sounded pretty good and as Ive heard around on other threads they should be at least better then bose? is this true or are they actually worst. I like the size of them but if I wanted to upgrade what would people here recommend without going to large so i can mount them.

If that speaker set it better than a Bose setup is debatable, but bang for buck goes hands down to your inexpensive Polk set. With a decent sub and some bookshelf or LRC speakers you can have a great sounding system that will cover all your frequency bases. I would stick with your satellite setup until you can save up for some quality bookshelves. You can always upgrade a piece at a time. I would upgrade the fronts (L, R, & C) first, then the sub, and last the surrounds.

Props to Big Daddy with his dead on recommendations for your bass manegment.

[aesnakes]

Thanks StimpsonJCat

I know what you are saying, I really need to start investing some cash in this stuff this year. Last year we bought everything all at once, the TV, then I found a deal on craigslist for the amp an speakers. $500 for the amp an 6750's new in box because the guy got them with his new tv and didn't need them I guess.

I really want to upgrade to a high end receiver, and better speakers I just don't want to piss off the neighbors either because we live in a condo right now.

Big Daddy and StimpsonJCat you guys have amazing setups. really lucky to have the cash ans space to blast them.

[StimpsonJCat]

One more thing:

If you look at my E70s they are LRCs that are kind of inbetween bookshelf and tower. They only go down to 60 Hz, but really sound great (even in the midrange which can be lacking in some LCRs). I was afraid of missing my towers, but with a quality sub they out perform my old towers (VR2s). They are a higher quality speaker as well and I hear details I missed with the VR2s. I am patient with my HT purchases and wait for discountinued models at great prices. I got the E-series set for a fraction of the original MSRP which was out of my budget. Just had to wait a few years. They are still going at great prices at Listenup.com, btw.