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Wasabi the J
Jan 23, 2008

MOM WAS RIGHT

beergod posted:

How in the world do I not make the action scenes insanely loud and the dialog whisper quiet when I'm watching movies?

In everything your sound runs through, check for mismatched settings like 5.1/surround when you're running 2.1, and for anything saying SRS.

SRS is a plague, and it's ubiquitous in every gimmicky sound settings page.

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jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

beergod posted:

How in the world do I not make the action scenes insanely loud and the dialog whisper quiet when I'm watching movies?

Assuming your speakers ate level matched and you're not watching material with a lovely mix, your receiver or TV should have some sort or volume normalizer. Dolby Volume, THX Loudness, Audyssey Dynamic Volume, Midnight Mode etc all compress the mix so the loud stuff and quiet stuff are the same volume.

This degrades sound quality as you lose dynamic range. On the flip side, some movies almost require it, like that John Dillenger Johnny Depp movie from 2009.

Vykk Draygo
Nov 26, 2005

Let's Do This.
I was planning on getting an audio set up soon, buying piece by piece over time. I was looking at the 709 and was wondering why it's better than the 717? I've never owned an audio system before (other than my 2.1's for my PC). I really don't know much about them, but I was planning on going with jonathan's 3.1 set up and adding to it (the not uber expensive one but the 709 set up). I would be using it for movie viewing mainly and some music too. Is that set up overkill for movies though?

Twerk from Home
Jan 17, 2009

This avatar brought to you by the 'save our dead gay forums' foundation.

Healy posted:

I was looking at the 709 and was wondering why it's better than the 717?

I've been doing lots of reading on this. The 709 has MultiEQ XT and the 717 has 2EQ, which is a very primitive room correction that doesn't even adjust the subwoofer levels. There's no real reason for it, but it does make the 717 a terrible value not even worth looking at. If you're looking for a newer model for some reason maybe the 626 is worth a look?

Onkyo intentionally crippled the 717 because the 709 cannibalized sales of higher models. 2EQ is only found on sub-$300 receivers in general at this point.

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

Weinertron posted:

I've been doing lots of reading on this. The 709 has MultiEQ XT and the 717 has 2EQ, which is a very primitive room correction that doesn't even adjust the subwoofer levels. There's no real reason for it, but it does make the 717 a terrible value not even worth looking at. If you're looking for a newer model for some reason maybe the 626 is worth a look?

Onkyo intentionally crippled the 717 because the 709 cannibalized sales of higher models. 2EQ is only found on sub-$300 receivers in general at this point.

Everything said here, except 2eq isn't primitive, its good, but not really much different that Pioneer and Yamaha's setup.

The last paragraph I agree 100% with.

The Locator
Sep 12, 2004

Out here, everything hurts.





2EQ does adjust subwoofer levels (although it's not doing it terribly well for me for some reason, but it *is* adjusting them), what it does not do is any room EQ on the subwoofers. Also, only measures at 3 positions.

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

The Locator posted:

2EQ does adjust subwoofer levels (although it's not doing it terribly well for me for some reason, but it *is* adjusting them), what it does not do is any room EQ on the subwoofers. Also, only measures at 3 positions.

Speaking of, did you try the 75db test tone and adjusting each sub to your phones SPL meter ? Curious if that worked out or not.

The Locator
Sep 12, 2004

Out here, everything hurts.





jonathan posted:

Speaking of, did you try the 75db test tone and adjusting each sub to your phones SPL meter ? Curious if that worked out or not.

Yes, I did that. When they are individually at 75/76 on the meter (with the receiver set at -0db), the reading is 79/80 with both of them on. When I re-run Audyssey after doing that, it adjusts them to -10db (which is a lot closer than the -14/-15 from before I guess).

I then played a number of different tracks and adjusted to 'ear', and I end up with them around -3db to make things sound 'right' to me. I do admit to liking bass in my music, but not to the point of being overpowering (I don't listen to rap or hip-hop at all).

No idea why it adjusts them so low, but thanks for the tip on how to balance them relative to each other, I think it sounds pretty drat good now.

My neighbors were over today and they were literally 'mouth open' amazed sitting on the sofa listening to some tracks. I started with the live version of Hotel California by the Eagles from the Hell Freezes Over album, which is a really amazing song in that version, and they are huge Eagles fans so it went over pretty well.

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

The Locator posted:

Yes, I did that. When they are individually at 75/76 on the meter (with the receiver set at -0db), the reading is 79/80 with both of them on. When I re-run Audyssey after doing that, it adjusts them to -10db (which is a lot closer than the -14/-15 from before I guess).

I then played a number of different tracks and adjusted to 'ear', and I end up with them around -3db to make things sound 'right' to me. I do admit to liking bass in my music, but not to the point of being overpowering (I don't listen to rap or hip-hop at all).

No idea why it adjusts them so low, but thanks for the tip on how to balance them relative to each other, I think it sounds pretty drat good now.

My neighbors were over today and they were literally 'mouth open' amazed sitting on the sofa listening to some tracks. I started with the live version of Hotel California by the Eagles from the Hell Freezes Over album, which is a really amazing song in that version, and they are huge Eagles fans so it went over pretty well.

Its odd that its cutting the sub's down to -10db. The next step would be measure your other speakers with your SPL meter and the test tone, and then get the sub's to match via the level trims on the receiver.

Generally when people run their subs hot, its in the +3 to +6 range. +10 would have you running out of headroom up at reference volume. Because that would be 125db peaks. (115db + 10db)

At this point I would either stick with what sounds good to you (most important) or download REW and find a mic or RadioShack SPL meter and take some measurements.


Its neat having friends and family over that aren't used to what high end sound is. I had my parents over for a movie night a few years ago to watch the Polar Express. I had a single Klipsch Sub 12 in a condo with all concrete floors and walls.

The scene where the train pulls up, my mom freaked and jumped up thinking an airplane was about to hit the building. You just don't get sound or the tactile response like that from theaters.


My go to song for listening to a sound setup is Tool - Prison Sex. The cymbal crashes and bass guitar are mixed so well.

The Locator
Sep 12, 2004

Out here, everything hurts.





jonathan posted:

Its odd that its cutting the sub's down to -10db. The next step would be measure your other speakers with your SPL meter and the test tone, and then get the sub's to match via the level trims on the receiver.

My phone app seems to have difficulty with the subs, the level wanders several db. Given that, with all the speakers leveled at 75/76, they end up being set at:
Left Front: -3
Right Front: -3
Center: -6
Left Rear: -3
Right Rear: -3
Subwoofer: -5

It seems like Audyssey would set a set (probably the fronts) to '0' and level the rest off of them, but obviously not. The only real changes from what Audyssey set was the center (Audyssey had it at -4, which was hot to my ears, and also to the SPL meter), and the sub, which it set to -10.

jonathan posted:

At this point I would either stick with what sounds good to you (most important) or download REW and find a mic or RadioShack SPL meter and take some measurements.

Yep, sounds pretty good to me on most music with the above settings, although some of my favorite stuff isn't mixed terribly well and I feel the need to boost the bass.

jonathan posted:

My go to song for listening to a sound setup is Tool - Prison Sex. The cymbal crashes and bass guitar are mixed so well.

Not music I would listen to for enjoyment, but it is well mixed. It's too bad that so many sound engineers seem to feel the need to use compression and other electronic tools instead of just properly balancing and mixing things. There is some very good music (obviously, subject to personal opinion) that is just very poorly mixed, and gets released that way because nobody can or will send it back for a do-over.

One of my favorite tracks to listen to is this classic - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FmGtCIOwB4 - Sarah Brightman & Michael Crawford, Phantom of the Opera.

Obviously, a good high quality version of it, not the crappy you tube sound. It has two amazing voices, earth shaking lows, crashing cymbols, just a great track.

Wasabi the J
Jan 23, 2008

MOM WAS RIGHT

quote:

It's too bad that so many sound engineers seem to feel the need to use compression and other electronic tools instead of just properly balancing and mixing things. There is some very good music (obviously, subject to personal opinion) that is just very poorly mixed, and gets released that way because nobody can or will send it back for a do-over.

The Killers' last album was absolutely ruined for me because I can't hear any detail. Completely brickwalled.

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

The Locator posted:

My phone app seems to have difficulty with the subs, the level wanders several db. Given that, with all the speakers leveled at 75/76, they end up being set at:
Left Front: -3
Right Front: -3
Center: -6
Left Rear: -3
Right Rear: -3
Subwoofer: -5

It seems like Audyssey would set a set (probably the fronts) to '0' and level the rest off of them, but obviously not. The only real changes from what Audyssey set was the center (Audyssey had it at -4, which was hot to my ears, and also to the SPL meter), and the sub, which it set to -10.


What it does is produce a -20db test tone (105db -20db = 75db) and then trims or boosts your speakers so they are 75db at the listening point when your master volume is set to reference (-0db).

Reference is 85db average for normal dialogue, 105db max peaks, and 115db max peaks for the .1 sub channel.

It cut your levels because they're more efficient. That's a good thing, it means more headroom and less distortion.

In my old condo, my pioneer receiver used to cut my old klipsch synergy speakers to -10db. In my much bigger dedicated theater room, with more efficient reference speakers, Audyssey only cuts -8db or so.

jonathan fucked around with this message at 02:25 on Jun 24, 2013

The Locator
Sep 12, 2004

Out here, everything hurts.





Ah, thanks for the explanation.

Yip Yips
Sep 25, 2007
yip-yip-yip-yip-yip
I was hoping someone could recommend me a receiver or give me a good place to start looking because I don't know where to. Right now I'd only use 2.1, but will probably want to use 3.1 in the near future. 5.1 is an afterthought and 7.x is not even on my horizon. Honestly, I'm not especially picky about sound (so long as it's decent) and I probably wouldn't use any non-core feature so I'm mostly just looking for value. I live in a decent sized city so I could do some searching on CL if an older model would fit my bill.

Thanks!

vvv Deal. Thanks again.

Yip Yips fucked around with this message at 04:00 on Jun 25, 2013

berzerker
Aug 18, 2004
"If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all."

Yip Yips posted:

I was hoping someone could recommend me a receiver or give me a good place to start looking because I don't know where to. Right now I'd only use 2.1, but will probably want to use 3.1 in the near future. 5.1 is an afterthought and 7.x is not even on my horizon. Honestly, I'm not especially picky about sound (so long as it's decent) and I probably wouldn't use any non-core feature so I'm mostly just looking for value. I live in a decent sized city so I could do some searching on CL if an older model would fit my bill.

Thanks!

You've basically described every receiver made in the past 10 years. I can't imagine you'd be disappointed with something someone's getting rid of on craigslist. Only thing to look for at that point is that it has the inputs and outputs you want.

P0PCULTUREREFERENCE
Apr 10, 2009

Your weapons are useless against me!
Fun Shoe
What apps are you guys using as SPL meters on your phones? I have an iPhone, and it would be nice to check my receiver's auto-balance function because I don't trust it at all.

Does anyone have a recommended iPhone app?

zer0spunk
Nov 6, 2000

devil never even lived
After reading a lot of mixed issues with the 509 people were having I started looking at the Yamaha RX-V375. Is this a decent choice? I'll be driving a 3.0 setup 80w L/R, and everything is being fed from an HTPC over HDMI.

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

P0PCULTUREREFERENCE posted:

What apps are you guys using as SPL meters on your phones? I have an iPhone, and it would be nice to check my receiver's auto-balance function because I don't trust it at all.

Does anyone have a recommended iPhone app?

They're not accurate at all, the only use out of them is repeatability. So in theory, if Left speaker measures 75db, and right speaker measure 75db, they're most likely both the same volume. Whether they're actually 75db depends on the phone hardware you're using. On Android I use "SPL Meter", it's a free app. I would assume the Apple Store has something similar.

If you want more accurate results, get a radioshack SPL meter. Still not perfect but good enough for a lot of people. If you want true SPL accuracy from below 20hz to way up above 10khz you will need to spend up in the $80 range.

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN
OK I have an issue.

Receiver is Onkyo 818
Subwoofer amp is behringer inuke 3000 (not the DSP one)

Hookups are as follows:

Receiver sub out 1 and Sub out 2 rca cord into single stereo 3.5mm stereo miniplug.

Stereo miniplug into 1/4" stereo adapter.

This is plugged into one of the dual xlr/ 1/4" connecters.

When I set the sub amp to mono, I can get sound to both speakers. I think it may be either the left or right channel only.

If I set the amp to stereo, I only get sound into 1 speaker using 1 input, and no sound at all if I use the other input. This makes me think the 1/4" stereo adapter doesn't make proper contact with the normal mono 1/4 input.

I'd like individual volume control over each sub, so what is the best hookup ?

Can I go mono RCA to XLR ? Or will that mess things up with the balanced 3rd conductor wire ?

Is there an RCA to 1/4 mono ?

I guess this would be the thing to use ?

jonathan fucked around with this message at 02:01 on Jun 25, 2013

The Locator
Sep 12, 2004

Out here, everything hurts.





Why are you Y'ing your 818 outputs together into a single input in the amp?

There is nothing in the quickstart guide or photo's online to indicate that the amp has 'stereo' input into either A or B channel inputs in the rear of the amp, and I've never seen a "PA" amplifier that does. PA amps are designed to accept a single input source into a single connector, and if you then switch the amp to 'mono', it will apply that signal to both A and B sides.

So you need to eliminate the 'Y' from your wiring, or, if you want combined outputs from both of the 818 sub outs into both channels of the amplifier, then you need to do a double Y, i.e. Sub outs from the 818 combined to a single line, then split back into two inputs into the back of the amp.

jonathan posted:

I'd like individual volume control over each sub, so what is the best hookup ?

Can I go mono RCA to XLR ? Or will that mess things up with the balanced 3rd conductor wire ?

Is there an RCA to 1/4 mono ?

I guess this would be the thing to use ?

Where are you trying to get your individual level control? At the amp, or at the 818? That will determine how you wire it. I assume that the 818 is outputting mono to each sub output, which means you can use them however you want to feed the amp.

Simplest connection is RCA (already a mono output) to 1/4" mono, one into each amp input, then you could control the level at either spot (amp or 818 via the sub outs).

You want the "mode" switch in "Stereo" so that both amplifier channels operate independently from the two inputs. In Mono or Bridged mode, it will probably only use the A input for both amplifiers (which is fine if you want to run a single line to the amp, put your signal on 'A', amplifier in "Mono", and it should drive both outputs from 'A' and allow separate level control on the amplifier).

Super cheap solution, since I'm sure you have piles of extra RCA cables laying around - http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10429&cs_id=1042906&p_id=7149&seq=1&format=2

Personally, I'd use a pair of these (or one, depending on how you want to handle your 818 outputs): http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=115&cp_id=11509&cs_id=1150902&p_id=4776&seq=1&format=2

XLR is always preferable to 1/4", because of the shielding, but honestly, in your application it's really overkill.

When you use XLR from RCA (or any other mono source) one of the pins is grounded to the shield. I forget which one, as it's been over 20 years since I last soldered XLR connectors together, but yes, it's perfectly acceptable to use XLR in configurations from mono connectors.

Edit: Terrible first attempt at using Gimp to illustrate some of the variations. Using 1/4 vs. XLR changes nothing. These configurations should all work (unless I'm completely wrong about how the 'mono' position on the amplifier works).

The Locator fucked around with this message at 03:07 on Jun 25, 2013

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN
Thanks. Basically I used the Y hoping I could use what I already have. Like you said, the amp doesn't work with stereo 1/4" connectors. At first I thought the AMP was DOA, then I had to step back and think it through. By the time I realised what exactly I needed, it was 6:05pm and all the music instrument stores close at 6.

I wanted individual volume control of the subs via the amp. The outputs at the receiver are just an internal Y-split. You don't get individual control of each sub at the preout level.

Those drawings are awesome. From what I can tell, when in mono mode, I only get 1 gain knob that works, which controls both subs at once. So I will be using the stereo mode, with a preout going to each input. Just gotta wait for the shops to open.

jonathan fucked around with this message at 05:10 on Jun 25, 2013

Twerk from Home
Jan 17, 2009

This avatar brought to you by the 'save our dead gay forums' foundation.
I have access to a discount that would let me get the Polk TSX330T for what the Andrew Jones floorstanders cost (~$120). Are the Pioneers still a better buy? I would get whatever center channel matches each, of course.

Edit: This would be a 3.0 system, with a subwoofer to come much later. I'm hoping that floorstanders will let me get by, and music + a clear center channel to hear voices on TV are a higher priority than action movies for me.

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

Weinertron posted:

I have access to a discount that would let me get the Polk TSX330T for what the Andrew Jones floorstanders cost (~$120). Are the Pioneers still a better buy? I would get whatever center channel matches each, of course.

Edit: This would be a 3.0 system, with a subwoofer to come much later. I'm hoping that floorstanders will let me get by, and music + a clear center channel to hear voices on TV are a higher priority than action movies for me.

The polks have larger drivers, so they will offer a bit better bass if you're not using a sub. With that said, the crossover in the Pioneers is very good, as is the tweeter and all the measurements point to them being very good on and off axis.

I would say it's a tossup. The Polks are going to look better and the cabinets are likely built a little nicer. If you're going purely for sound, I think the Pioneers would probably sound better once you have your sub to prop up the low end. I don't think you can go wrong with either. And both would benefit from a receiver with lots of watts, but should be fine with anything that can do 50 watts continuous.

berzerker
Aug 18, 2004
"If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all."
When conventional wisdom says to match speakers, does that mean all of them or just each pair? If I get two nice Polk speakers, a subwoofer of another brand, center of another brand, another pair that are Bose, etc, will that be a problem? Or is that fine, as long as it's not like left speaker is Polk and right is Bose? Basically thinking about assembling a sound system via craigslist.

Wasabi the J
Jan 23, 2008

MOM WAS RIGHT

berzerker posted:

When conventional wisdom says to match speakers, does that mean all of them or just each pair? If I get two nice Polk speakers, a subwoofer of another brand, center of another brand, another pair that are Bose, etc, will that be a problem? Or is that fine, as long as it's not like left speaker is Polk and right is Bose? Basically thinking about assembling a sound system via craigslist.

Pairs are good; entire sets are better. That being said, if it's a 5.1 system, you're going to need to find a center channel, and this could cause problems, because you'll be best suited to finding one that matches your fronts. Otherwise, you'll end up with a box that squawks dialogue at you over your other components. Rears aren't as sensitive to being matched, they're normally just for fill anyway.

So, in your situation, I would say try to find a whole matched set; if you cannot, find a matching set of three for the fronts; if you cannot, you'll have to deal with a lot of heartache trying to find a center channel that blends with your fronts.

Clanpot Shake
Aug 10, 2006
shake shake!

I'm slowly working on setting up a home theater system in my new apartment. I plan on having an HTPC (probably a Roku steaming via Plex), projector, and I have room to do 5.1 surround. To that end, I found these Energy Take 5.1 speakers and the Onkyo TX-NR525 recommended. Are these worth it?

The Locator
Sep 12, 2004

Out here, everything hurts.





jonathan posted:

They're not accurate at all, the only use out of them is repeatability. So in theory, if Left speaker measures 75db, and right speaker measure 75db, they're most likely both the same volume. Whether they're actually 75db depends on the phone hardware you're using. On Android I use "SPL Meter", it's a free app. I would assume the Apple Store has something similar.

If you want more accurate results, get a radioshack SPL meter. Still not perfect but good enough for a lot of people. If you want true SPL accuracy from below 20hz to way up above 10khz you will need to spend up in the $80 range.

Do you have a recommendation as to what SPL meter I should look for in order to actually get a good reading on my final setup? I don't really need it, sounds great to me, but hey, nerd.

Anyway, I decided to stretch the subs a little bit today, just because I thought of it before it was late (I attempt to be a reasonable neighbor most of the time). I brought the music up to where it was about 100'ish db average, and then cranked the sub output on the receiver to +10. I was seeing steady 110-112 db at the listening location, no issues with excursion limits, no audible (to me) clipping or distortion at all. I'm sure they won't hit the subharmonics like your monsters should, but damned if these silly things won't handle anything in the audible range that I'm going to ever throw at them in this environment. I do believe that they'll do just fine unless I ever manage to move to a place where I can set up a dedicated theater room.

At $150 each, a pair of these guys (Polk PSW505) are an amazing deal for an average person doing normal home theater or music. Two thumbs up.

Clanpot Shake posted:

I'm slowly working on setting up a home theater system in my new apartment. I plan on having an HTPC (probably a Roku steaming via Plex), projector, and I have room to do 5.1 surround. To that end, I found these Energy Take 5.1 speakers and the Onkyo TX-NR525 recommended. Are these worth it?

I have no experience with those speakers, so can't really comment.

The receiver is nice - it's got Audyssey Multi-EQ, which is a step up from the NR-616. Having said that, except for the Multi-EQ vs. 2EQ (the 2EQ will not apply equalization to the subwoofer(s)), the NR-616 is more feature rich, and higher power output, for less money. I'd compare them (and Denon's in the same price range) and choose based on what features you really want. The 525 should be very capable, and for an apartment setting, I can't imagine that the power would be insufficient.

Jonathan may chime in here though, as I'm not nearly as knowledgeable about Onkyo stuff as he is (I am now on my 2nd Onkyo, and I really like them. I also have a Denon, and it's also solid).

KillHour
Oct 28, 2007


The Locator posted:

At $150 each, a pair of these guys (Polk PSW505) are an amazing deal for an average person doing normal home theater or music. Two thumbs up.

Absolutely agree. Can't wait until I get a house instead of an apartment so I can really stretch its legs.

Are you getting humming when you turn them up past about 2/3? I get humming if I crank the volume knob on the back.

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

The Locator posted:

Do you have a recommendation as to what SPL meter I should look for in order to actually get a good reading on my final setup? I don't really need it, sounds great to me, but hey, nerd.

Anyway, I decided to stretch the subs a little bit today, just because I thought of it before it was late (I attempt to be a reasonable neighbor most of the time). I brought the music up to where it was about 100'ish db average, and then cranked the sub output on the receiver to +10. I was seeing steady 110-112 db at the listening location, no issues with excursion limits, no audible (to me) clipping or distortion at all. I'm sure they won't hit the subharmonics like your monsters should, but damned if these silly things won't handle anything in the audible range that I'm going to ever throw at them in this environment. I do believe that they'll do just fine unless I ever manage to move to a place where I can set up a dedicated theater room.

At $150 each, a pair of these guys (Polk PSW505) are an amazing deal for an average person doing normal home theater or music. Two thumbs up.


I have no experience with those speakers, so can't really comment.

The receiver is nice - it's got Audyssey Multi-EQ, which is a step up from the NR-616. Having said that, except for the Multi-EQ vs. 2EQ (the 2EQ will not apply equalization to the subwoofer(s)), the NR-616 is more feature rich, and higher power output, for less money. I'd compare them (and Denon's in the same price range) and choose based on what features you really want. The 525 should be very capable, and for an apartment setting, I can't imagine that the power would be insufficient.

Jonathan may chime in here though, as I'm not nearly as knowledgeable about Onkyo stuff as he is (I am now on my 2nd Onkyo, and I really like them. I also have a Denon, and it's also solid).

While I don't have one yet, http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=390-801 This Dayton mic seems to be the standard right now. it's a bit over $40. Then you need an external usb soundcard to plug it into. I am not sure which is the best bang for the buck soundcard. They all seem pretty cheap, searching google for "soundcard for dayton emm-6" produces tons of talk.

Once you get the drivers installed, REW setup is pretty quick and easy. Deciphering the results takes some reading, ACTING on the results is where things get difficult.

It would be interesting to see what your in room response with those subs are. With room gain it's possible you're reaching into the subharmonics. If you have a laptop with a mic in and headphone out, you can use your Audyssey mic to get a decent plot. Thats what I do. It requires a 3.5mm stereo cable male to male for a loopback test of your soundcard (because devices has a frequency response that must be corrected for), and a 3.5mm stereo male split to dual RCA male to plug your headphone out to an RCA input of the receiver.

Thats my setup, and it works well enough to see where a peak or a dip is.

As for the 525 over 616, rated wattage doesn't really matter, both specs for both models are a lie. It's the continuous wattage with 5 channels driven that matters, and at what impedance. Generally I like to see how many watts a receiver can push at a 4ohm load, all channels driven without distortion rising too much. My old Pioneer vsx 919 could do around 40 watts per channel. Less than half the inflated advertised peak numbers. On the flipside, the difference between 50 watts and 100 watts is 3db. The difference between 50 watts and 200 watts is 6db. 3db isn't really all that much unless you're trying to get max volume.

If trying to decide between two receivers with Audyssey, firstly I would choose between the models I can afford without compromising the speakers. Then I would choose between models with the necessary hookups. Then I would choose the model with the best Audyssey.

I would certainly choose better Audyssey over an extra hdmi port that I don't need. With that said, Pioneer makes some really nice receivers, and I find that their mode selection and interface to be a bit better than Onkyo. Pioneer and Denon are pretty much the same hardware for everything but the Pioneer Elite models. Same circuit boards, same chips, same production plant, very different software.

I like Onkyo because they always release a model every few years that has really good processing and amplifier capabilities for cheap. The 709 and 818 are the two recent ones. Other than those, models from Denon, Pioneer, Yamaha, Marantz (Denon), Integra (Onkyo) can all be adjusted to sound good. Furthermore, Any cheap receiver with basic room correction can be expanded on with the purchase of a miniDSP.

You can literally run REW, figure out the 0hz - 300hz response, click the EQ function, and tell REW to create an EQ file for your MiniDSP that will flatten bass response. You then plug the sub out of the receiver the input of the DSP, and then DSP to your sub amps. It adjusts the signal more or less like Audyssey XT32 would.

The Locator
Sep 12, 2004

Out here, everything hurts.





KillHour posted:

Are you getting humming when you turn them up past about 2/3? I get humming if I crank the volume knob on the back.

No idea, I have the gain on the subs turned almost all the way down (probably set at about 15%) in order to get the gain setting on the receiver to be in a controllable range (i.e. at -3db where I have both up and down adjustment available).

Jonathan, thanks for the info. Lots to digest, and I'm kind of drunk and really tired right now. Will re-read tomorrow after work. Thanks!

Clanpot Shake
Aug 10, 2006
shake shake!

The Locator posted:

I have no experience with those speakers, so can't really comment.

The receiver is nice - it's got Audyssey Multi-EQ, which is a step up from the NR-616. Having said that, except for the Multi-EQ vs. 2EQ (the 2EQ will not apply equalization to the subwoofer(s)), the NR-616 is more feature rich, and higher power output, for less money. I'd compare them (and Denon's in the same price range) and choose based on what features you really want. The 525 should be very capable, and for an apartment setting, I can't imagine that the power would be insufficient.

Jonathan may chime in here though, as I'm not nearly as knowledgeable about Onkyo stuff as he is (I am now on my 2nd Onkyo, and I really like them. I also have a Denon, and it's also solid).

Thanks for the advice. The 616 is 7.1, which I don't have room to do. Will this do 5.1 just as well?

I also noticed both have the old RCA 3 plug connectors. Would I be able to plug my old PS2 into this and project it via HDMI?

Also, how does extending the cables on speakers work? I'd probably need to run 20-30 feet of audio cable for each speaker around the room.

Wasabi the J
Jan 23, 2008

MOM WAS RIGHT

Clanpot Shake posted:

Thanks for the advice. The 616 is 7.1, which I don't have room to do. Will this do 5.1 just as well?

Yes

Clanpot Shake posted:

I also noticed both have the old RCA 3 plug connectors. Would I be able to plug my old PS2 into this and project it via HDMI?

Yes

Clanpot Shake posted:

Also, how does extending the cables on speakers work? I'd probably need to run 20-30 feet of audio cable for each speaker around the room.

You get speaker wire from Monoprice and some shrink tubing. Clip and strip the wire if it's built into the speaker and join it to the new cable; or just run the speaker cable if the speaker has clip connectors.

Mango Polo
Aug 4, 2007
I'm looking to setup a 2.0 or 2.1 system for my home.
A crude view of the room: http://imgur.com/wzQC1s4

I was initially going to get two towers and skip on a sub, but now I'm not so sure anymore what to do.

- I have a VSX-1019AH-K A/V.
- My budget is around 500-600 euros (excluding a sub).
- I'm in Europe, which throws off a lot of suggestions I've found around.
- I plan on sticking around Germany for another 2-3 years before moving back to Canada, so I'm not exactly trying to buy something for life unless I can reasonably ship it across the world.

Will be mostly gaming with these. Any suggestions that fall within my budget?

Mango Polo fucked around with this message at 18:00 on Jul 3, 2013

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

Mango Polo posted:

I'm looking to setup a 2.0 or 2.1 system for my home.
A crude view of the room: http://imgur.com/wzQC1s4

I was initially going to get two towers and skip on a sub, but now I'm not so sure anymore what to do.

- I have a VSX-1019AH-K A/V.
- My budget is around 500-600 euros (excluding a sub).
- I'm in Europe, which throws off a lot of suggestions I've found around.
- I plan on sticking around Germany for another 2-3 years before moving back to Canada, so I'm not exactly trying to buy something for life unless I can reasonably ship it across the world.

Will be mostly gaming with these. Any suggestions that fall within my budget?

The Klipsch F30's are beasts. You will not be disappointed. I had the F20's before and they were solid. I now have some towers in the reference line that match the f30's in size. You can get by without a sub, as they extend down into the 30hz range in room.

Mango Polo
Aug 4, 2007

jonathan posted:

The Klipsch F30's are beasts. You will not be disappointed. I had the F20's before and they were solid. I now have some towers in the reference line that match the f30's in size. You can get by without a sub, as they extend down into the 30hz range in room.

That was the plan, but I see a lot of people say that the Klipsch are pretty weird. Guess I'll try to hunt some down to listen to them.

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

Mango Polo posted:

That was the plan, but I see a lot of people say that the Klipsch are pretty weird. Guess I'll try to hunt some down to listen to them.

Not so much klipsch, just horn speakers in general. Your pioneer has a function called x-curve I believe which will roll off the high frequencies a bit if you find them too harsh. I found that the pioneer calibration on its own with the klipsch synergy line to be very good and smooth on its own.

The Locator
Sep 12, 2004

Out here, everything hurts.





jonathan posted:

You can literally run REW, figure out the 0hz - 300hz response, click the EQ function, and tell REW to create an EQ file for your MiniDSP that will flatten bass response. You then plug the sub out of the receiver the input of the DSP, and then DSP to your sub amps. It adjusts the signal more or less like Audyssey XT32 would.

I've ordered the stuff I need to get the base room measurements, but due to the holiday I won't get anything until probably Tuesday next week. Depending on what I see, I'll decide whether to try the MiniDSP thing, before this thread I didn't know they even existed.

baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless
I'm running on TV internal sound right now, and I want to step up to a basic 2.0 system with small bookshelf towers. My setup would have the speakers only a few inches off the ground, which seems OK? I'm thinking that I can skip the receiver and use the audio out if I had to, and I'm looking to spend less than $150 (preferably less than $75). Any recommendations?

baquerd fucked around with this message at 15:21 on Jul 4, 2013

Zorilla
Mar 23, 2005

GOING APE SPIT

baquerd posted:

I'm running on TV internal sound right now, and I want to step up to a basic 2.0 system with small bookshelf towers. My setup would have the speakers only a few inches off the ground, which seems OK? I'm thinking that I can skip the receiver and use the audio out if I had to, and I'm looking to spend less than $150 (preferably less than $75). Any recommendations?

There should be plenty of people getting rid of their stereo and older, non-HDMI surround receivers on Craigslist for cheap. As for speakers, I'm still using the same floor standing Yamahas I bought off Craigslist nearly three years ago for $80 and don't plan on upgrading any time soon. If you live in a major metropolitan area, there are usually some good deals to be had if you're cheap like me.

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baquerd
Jul 2, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

Zorilla posted:

There should be plenty of people getting rid of their stereo and older, non-HDMI surround receivers on Craigslist for cheap. As for speakers, I'm still using the same floor standing Yamahas I bought off Craigslist nearly three years ago for $80 and don't plan on upgrading any time soon. If you live in a major metropolitan area, there are usually some good deals to be had if you're cheap like me.

I think I definitely need an HDMI receiver, otherwise I think I would just have to use the TV's audio out and then connect that to an amp or something? I'm not sure, but my basic goal is to hook something like these: http://www.amazon.com/Micca-MB42-Bookshelf-Speakers-Tweeter/dp/B009IUIV4A/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top up to my TV and play two HDMI sources and a composite source through them.

Edit: Is there any reason I would see sound problems if I did the TV audio out bit (basically TV = receiver), and then used this little guy to hook up the speakers? It would get me the above speakers hooked up at $70 it seems to me.

http://www.amazon.com/LP-2020A-Lepa...stereo+receiver

baquerd fucked around with this message at 19:58 on Jul 4, 2013

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