low volume center channel ?

[Godzilla71]

Hey everyone,
I was wondering what I could do to improve a low sounding center speaker. At the moment I have the Onkyo ht-s5100 htib. I used the Audyssey 2EQ for the set up and it set the center to -3db I just find in alot of movies the dialog seems really low be it a blu or reg. dvd. some are fine but most seem a bit low. All the other action and sound from the L & R and rears are fine though. I have done temp ajustments on the center raising it +3 or so and that helps a bit. I was just wondering is this just a normal thing depending on how the tracks are put on the disc? or is it have to do with my system not properly adjusted or calibrated.

couple of other quick questions. If I was to slowly upgrade from the htib that I have would it be better to save and get the onkyo 606 receiver and use the exsisting speakers for now or slowly get better speakers first? I assume since the speakers now are 8ohms it would be able to handle different set of speakers if I did that. I live in a apartment so that is why I opted first for the htib that I have. so I really do not know if I would fully be able to enjoy a more powerful set up to it's full capacity. just a thought.

thanks!

[Big Daddy]

See this thread.

[Uniquely]

If the problem you are referring to is when you set your volume to where you can hear the dialogue comfortably and then when an action scene hits, it has deafening volume; that is actually how many soundtracks are made these days. You'll notice the same thing when you go to the theaters but it doesn't seem quite as severe because the sound field is so much larger. There are really only a few ways to deal with it. Turn the center channel up as you said. Use Dynamic Range Control, also known as night mode on many receivers. Or sit there with remote in hand and adjust volume as needed.

[Godzilla71]

Thanks for the info and the link (sorry that I missed that thread some how)
Anyways, I did try the night mode and it seems to have helped alot. for some reason I was thinking that it would make the volume lower instead of even.

[Joe O.]

I just wanted to let you guys know how I'm using the Technolink TC-780LC Stereo Line Level Amp / Booster on Amazon for $50. I had adjusted my receiver and Blu-ray player so that the center channel is all the way up in volume and the front and right speakers are adjusted down, but I've still always had trouble hearing the dialog in movies. When I would turn up the volume for dialog, then explosions or other loud scenes would be too loud coming from the right and left speakers. I have a Panasonic Blu-ray player with individual channel outputs - 1 RCA cable for the center channel, 1 for the right, 1 for the left, etc. Many Blu-ray players do not have this feature, so if you don't, then this won't work for you. Now, I have the center channel from the Blu-ray player going to this little preamp, and the output from the preamp going to the 6-channel direct inputs on my Harman/Kardon receiver. The other channels are connected from the outputs of the Blu-ray player directly to the 6-channel direct inputs on the receiver. Now, I am able to turn up and adjust the center channel volume and still keep the volume low enough on the receiver so that the left and right speakers aren't too loud during action scenes.