I have a 5.2 set-up, but it doesn’t sound like 5.2

[JBowen]

I just upgraded my living room to all klipsch speakers (see signature for full specs). Finally splurged on the speakers and I have a Denon avr650 receiver. I’ve used the ‘Audysee’ feature as well as tried the manual set-up and while I hear sound from all the speakers. I don’t necessarily hear like I’m surrounded. When I go into the sound levels, all the decibel levels are in the negative when I used the audysee configuration. When I manually put them positive it is louder but still not submersible with back right/left being prominent. I was told I need a better receiver with a better DAC to get the most out of my speakers. Any guidance is appreciated. I’m utilizing my Apple TV 4K and my PlayStation 5 and have Dolby Digital setup *for what it’s worth my room only has three walls, so it’s open on one side.


For those familiar with the Life of Pi movie, there’s a scene with a bunch of fish jumping out for the water. This was the demo I heard at bestbuy and it sounded amazing. I truly heard things behind me on the left or right and I felt submerged. Not getting that here.

[oddbox83]

Negative calibrated levels are normal - what this is doing is balancing all the speakers so they sound the same volume as each other from MLP (main listening position), taking into account the room acoustics. You shouldn't be messing with these unless you know what you are doing. This is especially important if you have an awkward room layout like you describe, as Audyssey working properly would have detected this and set each speaker level and the internal EQ to compensate for it. You can just reset those to the last calibration without having to run Audyssey again if you can't remember.

If you enabled dynamic volume as part of calibration, make sure this is set to light if you want it on, and not medium or heavy as these may be too aggressive in mushing down the soundscape. You have too do this individually for each input on the Denon.

I think what you need two check is that every bit of gear (like the Apple and PS5) you are using has the audio output set to bitstream and no down mixing, and that your Denon is set to the right audio mode (ie not stereo).

Last thing, check speaker toe-in. Front left and right should be angled inwards towards the listener, the centre pointing directly towards the listener. The rears depend more on where you have been able to place them and what compromises you've needed to make to optimal placement. If they are close to the side of you or just behind, toe them in again. If they are behind you, point both forward. You should find plenty of visual example of this on Google, you might not be able to get exact placement but get as close as you can.

[JBowen]

Originally Posted by oddbox83

Negative calibrated levels are normal - what this is doing is balancing all the speakers so they sound the same volume as each other from MLP (main listening position), taking into account the room acoustics. You shouldn't be messing with these unless you know what you are doing. This is especially important if you have an awkward room layout like you describe, as Audyssey working properly would have detected this and set each speaker level and the internal EQ to compensate for it. You can just reset those to the last calibration without having to run Audyssey again if you can't remember.

If you enabled dynamic volume as part of calibration, make sure this is set to light if you want it on, and not medium or heavy as these may be too aggressive in mushing down the soundscape. You have too do this individually for each input on the Denon.

I think what you need two check is that every bit of gear (like the Apple and PS5) you are using has the audio output set to bitstream and no down mixing, and that your Denon is set to the right audio mode (ie not stereo).

Last thing, check speaker toe-in. Front left and right should be angled inwards towards the listener, the centre pointing directly towards the listener. The rears depend more on where you have been able to place them and what compromises you've needed to make to optimal placement. If they are close to the side of you or just behind, toe them in again. If they are behind you, point both forward. You should find plenty of visual example of this on Google, you might not be able to get exact placement but get as close as you can.

Thank you for the advice. Do you think I will notice a difference if I upgrade my amp/rec?

[oddbox83]

No. The receiver should be more than sufficient for 5.2.

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by JBowen

Thank you for the advice. Do you think I will notice a difference if I upgrade my amp/rec?

You're receiver is perfectly fine, and it doesn't need to be upgraded. Also take into consideration is that all movies are not recorded and mixed the same. It depends on the individual sound design and the volume as to which that particular movie was recorded.

[JBowen]

Originally Posted by slimdude

You're receiver is perfectly fine, and it doesn't need to be upgraded. Also take into consideration is that all movies are not recorded and mixed the same. It depends on the individual sound design and the volume as to which that particular movie was recorded.

Any recommendation of a particular movie to listen to and take advantage of the surround sound best?

[KubrickKurasawa]

Originally Posted by JBowen

Any recommendation of a particular movie to listen to and take advantage of the surround sound best?

Your Transformers Dark of The Moon Blu-Ray.

[LiemaxUnenhanced]

Originally Posted by JBowen

Any recommendation of a particular movie to listen to and take advantage of the surround sound best?

A few films that really wowed me in 5.1 were Fellowship of The Ring, Pacific Rim and Mad Max Fury Road.

[FIshda]

try opening scene from kong:skull island and Ready Player One first race scene.

[PUsokrJosh305]

A little more advice to add to our fellow members towards the top of the thread, but I would also get a tripod and an SPL (Sound Pressure Level) Meter to set all of the speakers perfectly. The Audyssey program is a great way to get your speakers set, but to get them specifically set and SPL meter can really help.

The SPL meter allows you to set all of your speakers at an even decibel volume, which is critical. If the Audyssey program sets your speakers a little different, they could be hindering the "surround" affect. Most people set there speakers at either 75-80 decibels. I have all of mine at 75. 80 gets a bit too loud. Subwoofers are the trickiest to setup as their levels fluctuate.

Also, depending on how big your center channel is, you can either keep the center channel even with the other speakers or boost it up a few notches. Dialogue is key to every movie and making sure you can hear it is imperative. My favorite movie to test the dialogue with is Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, the scene where Harry and Dumbledore go find Slughorn. Dumbledore's speech shifts from the center to the left side. I make sure that the transition can be easily heard from center to left. If it's too blended, I adjust the center channel a bit to separate them out.

So my advice, get a tripod and SPL Meter, even your speakers out after running the Audyssey program, and boom! Then you can sit back and enjoy listening to your movies.

[starr]

are your speakers ear level or ceiling mounted?