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SSJ_naruto_2003 posted:Yeah music quality is definitely the most important here. It will be used with streaming most of the time unless someone is bringing their deck to mess around with. Bluetooth kind of sucks in general. Are there like lightweight music streaming devices I could hook up to the speakers and control via wifi or something? you probably want the biggest speakers you can fit/afford and a solid sub. I would recommend you go for a receiver or amplifier with passives rather than self-powered speakers (obviously the subwoofer will be active)— depending on your max budget, your desire for poo poo like HDMI/etc, your affinity for/against various vintages of gear, and your preference for/against thrifting you can build something really nice at pretty much any budget. I second Mederlock’s suggestion of the Wiim Products (either a Mini or one of the more expensive Pro models that have optical/etc) for an all-in streaming box option, but you have tons of options depending on your receiver, what devices you use to stream music, etc. You could connect an iPad or laptop to a usb cable to a DAC either in or outboard from the receiver and stream music that way. You could plug a phone directly into your receiver. You could buy a receiver with AirPlay built in and use WiFi to stream music from an iOS device or Mac to it. You could use AirPlay via an aforementioned Wiim device connected to virtually any receiver from the last ~50 years. You could connect a NAS. You could connect a Roku box or Apple TV to a television and then run an optical cable from the television to an optical input on an older receiver. Or from the television to an inexpensive DAC to an RCA input on an even older receiver. Etc.
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Mar 11, 2024 19:52
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Hey guys, could use a bit of advice on downsizing my system a bit. Five years ago, I went with a pair of KEF Q350s on monoprice stands and a SVS PB-1000 into an AVR-X1400H, all connected to an E8 OLED. I just moved in with my girlfriend, and with the layout of the place, I'd like to go with smaller (and better looking, if possible!) speakers, while possibly keeping the sub. I'm looking at the KEF LSX II, since I already know I like the KEF sound, and they're small enough that they can comfortably sit on the console below the mounted TV. If I understand correctly, since the LSXs are active and have HDMI ARC and sub inputs, can I get the speakers and ditch the receiver, plugging my devices (Apple TV, PS5) into the TV and then connecting the TV to the speakers with the ARC port? I'm not opposed to keeping the receiver either, but it seems like going with this solution would make life easier for people who don't want to juggle multiple remotes. Are there any alternatives I should consider? I figure this would sound better than a soundbar, at least...
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Mar 12, 2024 02:56
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curried lamb of God posted:Hey guys, could use a bit of advice on downsizing my system a bit. Five years ago, I went with a pair of KEF Q350s on monoprice stands and a SVS PB-1000 into an AVR-X1400H, all connected to an E8 OLED. I just moved in with my girlfriend, and with the layout of the place, I'd like to go with smaller (and better looking, if possible!) speakers, while possibly keeping the sub. I would keep the receiver and go with something like LS50 Metas. You can buy them as single speakers if you want to do a center channel. They go on sale pretty regularly too.
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Mar 12, 2024 03:35
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trilobite terror posted:I would keep the receiver and go with something like LS50 Metas. You can buy them as single speakers if you want to do a center channel. They go on sale pretty regularly too. I can definitely swing the LS50s price-wise! They seem to be a bit bigger than I'd like, but I showed them to my GF and she's on board. We'd just have to put them on the media console - she's not a fan of the speaker stands.
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Mar 12, 2024 17:09
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curried lamb of God posted:I can definitely swing the LS50s price-wise! They seem to be a bit bigger than I'd like, but I showed them to my GF and she's on board. We'd just have to put them on the media console - she's not a fan of the speaker stands. Ok but if you want to save money they go on sale quite a bit, and they also pop up on A4L as KEF factory refurbs (basically like new) at pretty steep discount. If you wanna pop them up higher while they’re on the console you can make/get some basic wood bases pretty easily or grab a pair of yoga blocks from Amazon in the color/material of your choice. A lot of ppl who don’t like the color or finish of foam blocks like them in cork. Also get them in blue
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Mar 12, 2024 18:19
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trilobite terror posted:Ok but if you want to save money they go on sale quite a bit, and they also pop up on A4L as KEF factory refurbs (basically like new) at pretty steep discount. Perfect! I actually bought my entire setup (except the TV and sub) from A4L. It looks like they only have the wireless ones available, but I'm in no rush to buy right now.
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Mar 12, 2024 18:37
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trilobite terror posted:I would keep the receiver and go with something like LS50 Metas.  I like Kef, but I have not heard many good things about their powered speakers. Mostly that the amp fails within a few years, especially with the LSX models. And then their customer support isn't super great at helping people get their powered speakers replaced or repaired. Definitely keep your receiver and get the passive Kef ones instead. CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK fucked around with this message at 20:30 on Mar 12, 2024 |
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Mar 12, 2024 20:09
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I’m thinking about getting a decent audio setup in the living room. My use case is probably 60% radio/music, 30% TV, and 10% gaming. I already got a Denon X1700h a while ago, and it has powered a pair hand-me-down Denon SC-X1000 bookshelf speakers. They are fine, but I feel like they sound… flat. So I’m in the market for some decent passive speakers. I’m looking for bookshelf speakers without subwoofer because it’s a smallish room in an apartment building. The KEF Q350 has a good reputation around this subforum from what I’ve read and they are affordable at 188 Euros a piece (in Germany). Can I go wrong with a 2.0 setup of Q350s or should I be looking at some other options? Also, would it make sense to go for a 3.0 setup? Dialogue in movies is always an issue for us, because it’s always too soft, and when you turn the volume up, the next piece of music is way too loud. Some people claim that adding a center speaker would help. I’ve seen some advice online that instead of going for an overpriced Q250c/Q650c to just go for a third Q350 lying on the side. Good idea, bad idea?
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Mar 13, 2024 15:45
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Since you're in Germany look for deals on Canton speakers, they're generally pretty expensive but they do a lot of sales. The GLE and Chrono/Townus series in particular are a good price/performance balance. A center can help with dialog or sometimes make it worse. Unless it's just the director being a jerk about it [eg Nolan] speaker positioning has a huge influence on intelligibility. If you can place a center channel pointed at your ears with no obstructions, great. Pushed way back on/in a cabinet or pointed at your knees or the front of a coffee table... less so. Left or right speakers too close to a side wall can cause early reflections that make it more difficult to hear. Unfortunately room acoustics is complicated but you can do a lot for free, don't be afraid to move your speakers around if you can, it can make a huge difference. I did the three same speakers as my front stage for a while, it worked fine.
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Mar 13, 2024 16:32
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Thanks for the advice! I wasn’t aware of Canton speakers. The price history for their speakers looks like a rollercoaster so I could wait for a deal. I feared it wasn’t as easy as getting a center speaker. I guess I’ll try a stereo setup, do some adjustments as you say, and work from there.
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Mar 13, 2024 16:42
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After looking around for a while I’ve purchased a denon x1800 with 3 Kef q150s, an SVS pb-1000 and will get 2 paradigm atoms for surrounds shortly (got good deals used on all this) for the primary purpose of watching tv in our living room. In regards to sound modes on the denon I’m still a bit confused as to whether there’s a standard mode (Dolby, dts neural, dts virtual, etc) I can leave on all the time that will cover the widest variety of regular tv shows that are dialogue heavy. The shows themselves vary but the majority are on streaming services (Disney, Netflix, crave) and occasionally regular tv. There’s a lot of options to play with including dialogue enhancer. Is there a smarter way than simply try all the options till you figure out what works best? I don’t mind doing that just curious.
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Mar 15, 2024 19:13
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Just leave it on Straight / Direct / Pure Direct and it will take the audio directly from whatever you are watching and send it to the speakers without any sort of processing that may mess things up. I think it's called Direct on Denon AVRs. If you are having trouble hearing the dialogue, the majority of the time it's the actual sound mix itself and not really something you can do too much about besides cranking the gain on the center channel. If what are you watching is only in Stereo and you are having problems hearing the dialogue, well you are SOL and can blame whoever mixed the audio for doing a bad job. The other times are if you have your AVR set to surround but only have stereo speakers, so it's trying to send audio to non existent speakers. CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK fucked around with this message at 20:46 on Mar 15, 2024 |
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Mar 15, 2024 20:44
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Why do AV receivers even include all those processed sound modes? When has anyone ever said "I really need my movie to sound like its playing in an ancient, echo-y church!"
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Mar 15, 2024 21:04
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For stereo sources I like using Dolby Surround or Auro 2d. I wouldn't use direct mode because it bypasses the audyssey calibration.
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Mar 15, 2024 22:21
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SweetMercifulCrap! posted:Why do AV receivers even include all those processed sound modes? When has anyone ever said "I really need my movie to sound like its playing in an ancient, echo-y church!" Yeah, it's bizarre isn't it. My yamaha receiver has like twenty different presets , loads of which are stupid, like 'Munich concert hall' or whatever.
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Mar 16, 2024 08:45
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pofcorn posted:For stereo sources I like using Dolby Surround or Auro 2d. I wouldn't use direct mode because it bypasses the audyssey calibration. , good stereo to surround matrixing (new "Dolby Surround") improves the television/ movie experience a lot but bad matrixing makes it worse. And for music, Stereo is superior unless it's a multichannel music source obviously
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Mar 16, 2024 17:01
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I've always been curious about how effective night mode settings are, since I live in a large apartment building. I have an entry-level Denon so my night mode is fake and only works with Dolby Digital signals. The idea of a setting that turns on a compressor and dips the bass is compelling, but I don't know how good they actually are. Actually, for the same reason, it would be neat to have a setting that just compressed the bass to use during the day if I want to play stuff loudly. Most of the things I listen to aren't going to have a big bass so a compressor would be nice to only affect the rare times loud bass shows up.
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Mar 16, 2024 17:13
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It's really good and effective on my Denon AVR1911, the Audyssey Dynamic Volume specifically. I keep it on for general YouTube and videos, and turn it off for movies and music. Dynamic EQ is also nice for boosting bass and treble at lower volume levels, so you don't have to turn it up to be able to hear the bass.
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Mar 17, 2024 00:24
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The Perfect Element posted:Yeah, it's bizarre isn't it. My yamaha receiver has like twenty different presets , loads of which are stupid, like 'Munich concert hall' or whatever. I mean. Gotta cater to those folks that watch a poo poo ton of theater broadcasts and recorded operas.
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Mar 21, 2024 23:52
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That stuff doesn't really need additional reverb.
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Mar 22, 2024 12:26
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What happened is some time in the 90s when receivers started doing DSP one company added a couple modes that sounded interesting. Then another company looked at that and said "well if they have three modes, we need 5!" and this cycle continued until it peaked around 15-20. I think at this point they're afraid to get rid of them because then they'll have fewer sound modes if someone is cross-shopping models. I don't think anyone intentionally uses any of them, ever.
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Mar 22, 2024 16:11
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The only "special surround mode" I use on my ancient Pioneer 1015 is "7ch stereo" 
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Mar 22, 2024 16:27
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I have a Denon S760H and a Sony TV, and got a very specific problem that maybe one of you has encountered (Google isn't helping much) HDMI 3 (ARC) is my Denon, and connected to that are my PS5 and Switch. HDMI 1 has nothing connected to it, but previously had the Switch connected. About half of the times when I turn on my Switch, the CEC tells my TV to go to HDMI 1, which has nothing plugged in. It was formerly the Switch before I set up the Denon, so it's like my TV is remembering wrong. I suppose reformatting the TV would work but wanted to save that option for last. I can't find a setting to reset the defunct HDMI port, feeling much like a boomer here.
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Mar 26, 2024 14:39
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smoobles posted:I have a Denon S760H and a Sony TV, and got a very specific problem that maybe one of you has encountered (Google isn't helping much) I don’t understand this part. How are they both connected to HDMI 3? Are you manually unplugging and swapping them?
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Mar 26, 2024 17:09
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Through the Denon recviever Is the switch plugged into the denon HDMI1? Could be passing that through to the TV when it powers on and it sees it’s on port 1 and telling it to switch to port 1
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Mar 26, 2024 17:56
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Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t reading comprehension today, apparently.
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Mar 26, 2024 23:14
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smoobles posted:I have a Denon S760H and a Sony TV, and got a very specific problem that maybe one of you has encountered (Google isn't helping much) You can always try trick-loving the TV into reassigning the port by plugging a throw-away input device into HDMI 1. Run in a few times, then see if it still auto-switches when the Switch turns on.
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Mar 27, 2024 01:36
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If I'm going to buy the Parts Express 300W plate amp to replace the dead one in my Hsu STF-2 but the dimensions don't quite match, will that be an issue?
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Apr 1, 2024 05:53
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Not if you own a jigsaw.
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Apr 2, 2024 03:48
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Don Dongington posted:Not if you own a jigsaw. My bigger question was about the fact that air will be allowed to pass through the gap. It’s a ported sub so air is passing through but it wasn’t designed with that airflow in mind. In terms of electrical wiring, will there just be a red and black lead I can twist together?
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Apr 2, 2024 03:54
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If there's an air gap that will be an issue, whether it's ported or sealed. Your best bet would be to make an adapter plate out of some MDF or decent quality ply, using the old amp's plate as a template, and route/jigsaw a hole large enough for the new one. 6mm or imperial equivalent would be fine if we're only talking a few mm of difference between the old amp and the new one. Add some rattle-can rustoleum black and you'll barely see it (also doesn't need primer, always best choice for speaker backs etc where you don't need a gloss finish). If you're short on space between the screws for the new plate and the original plate you can always screw the adapter plate in from the inside of the sub using some short screws and using the route for the new amp for access, and then screw the new amp in from the other side. If you find it still leaks air, the original plate may have a gasket or something to prevent air leaks that you can re-use - otherwise a bead of silicone around the inside edges where the adapter plate and the original cavity meet will sort that without looking gross.
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Apr 2, 2024 05:43
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Well my Pro-ject Carbon turntable seems to have died. It's making a buzzing sound I can't get rid of using all the normal ground loop fixes. Tried new cables and speakers. This sucks!
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Apr 3, 2024 00:27
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Do those have a preamp or could it be your preamp? Also turntables are so simple that if you can’t get it serviced by them there’s probably a repair shop that will fix it if you live in a decent size city Also I assume you’ve checked the headshell, cart wiring etc
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Apr 3, 2024 03:55
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Dogen posted:Do those have a preamp or could it be your preamp? It's got a built in preamp. I opened the little screwbox the RCA and USB outlets are in but didn't want to mess with the wiring. Tried reconnecting the cartridge and stuff yeah. Definitely going to look at getting it fixed as it's just too expensive to replace.
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Apr 3, 2024 05:42
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Sorry mate that sucks.
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Apr 3, 2024 15:22
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curried lamb of God posted:Perfect! I actually bought my entire setup (except the TV and sub) from A4L. It looks like they only have the wireless ones available, but I'm in no rush to buy right now. Update: A4L just got a bunch of KEF refurbs in stock, so I grabbed the LS50 Metas in white (gf-approved color)! They also have the KC62 available in each color, and I admit I'm tempted. Has anybody compared it to the SVS 3000 Micro? I currently have an SVS PB-1000 (the old one); either of these would be considerably smaller and more gf-approved.
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Apr 4, 2024 16:36
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curried lamb of God posted:Update: A4L just got a bunch of KEF refurbs in stock, so I grabbed the LS50 Metas in white (gf-approved color)! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdp3MN43OWo&t=289s Timestamped to where he compares the Kef and SVS. He starts with frequency response and then goes into CEA 2010 data while explaining how that works a bit. He also has a standalone review for the KC62 if you are interested. Both micro subs are nice, but you are definitely paying a premium for their smaller size. But if you absolutely can't convince your gf to let you continue to use the SVS PB-1000(or try to hide it in a corner or something) then I guess you don't have a choice. CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK fucked around with this message at 22:16 on Apr 4, 2024 |
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Apr 4, 2024 22:14
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About a year ago I updated my TV and soundbar solution, went with an LG C2 and an LG S80QY 3.1.3 atmos bar w/ sub with the intention of using LG’s wowcast thing to combine the TV speakers and the soundbar speakers into a single system. Turned out that LG’s implementation of this is garbage so that didn’t pan out. I’ve continued using the soundbar though, and generally like it but I’m running into an issue and I can’t tell if it’s the TV, the soundbar, my Apple TV, or the apps, but while watching stuff all of the sound is great and fantastic except for the dialogue, which I can’t loving hear for poo poo. I’m running the ATV -> Soundbar -> C2. I’ve tried night mode on the bar, I’ve tried boosting the center channel on the bar, I’ve changed the preset EQs on the C2, I’ve tried “Reduce Loud Sounds” along with swapping between Stereo and Atmos on the ATV. This happens on shows on Max, Paramount+, and Crunchyroll. I thought about just getting rid of it and doing a stereo pair of HomePods, but that probably won’t work with the PS5 or Xbox consoles. Is there some other setting I should be looking at or messing with to try to get this balanced out? Fake edit: just so it’s known, this set up is in a bedroom and there is not enough space for a proper home stereo system or true surround. I’m having to work with the confines of the space I have available and a soundbar solution works much better for the space than a proper multi-unit speaker + av receiver set up.
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Apr 7, 2024 22:26
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Branch Nvidian posted:About a year ago I updated my TV and soundbar solution, went with an LG C2 and an LG S80QY 3.1.3 atmos bar w/ sub with the intention of using LG’s wowcast thing to combine the TV speakers and the soundbar speakers into a single system. Turned out that LG’s implementation of this is garbage so that didn’t pan out. I’ve continued using the soundbar though, and generally like it but I’m running into an issue and I can’t tell if it’s the TV, the soundbar, my Apple TV, or the apps, but while watching stuff all of the sound is great and fantastic except for the dialogue, which I can’t loving hear for poo poo. Sounds like something is trying to output the sound through the center channel and it's not working for some reason, which is why you barely hear any dialogue. Worst case is that the actual center channel speaker on the soundbar is broken, but that's unlikely. Is dialogue hard to hear for everything you play? Just on things streamed by the AppleTV? Can you hear things fine from the center channel when using your consoles? Try cutting out the Apple TV for now and just do Console(or tv streaming app) -> C2 -> soundbar just to make sure that you are actually getting sound from the center channel and that the dialogue is intelligible. Or try changing up how things are connected and running AppleTV -> C2 -> soundbar.
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Apr 8, 2024 02:28
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CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK posted:Sounds like something is trying to output the sound through the center channel and it's not working for some reason, which is why you barely hear any dialogue. Worst case is that the actual center channel speaker on the soundbar is broken, but that's unlikely. I've mostly noticed it enough for it to be an issue on the AppleTV, while the consoles have been generally fine. quote:Try cutting out the Apple TV for now and just do Console(or tv streaming app) -> C2 -> soundbar just to make sure that you are actually getting sound from the center channel and that the dialogue is intelligible. Or try changing up how things are connected and running AppleTV -> C2 -> soundbar. I'll give these a shot this evening after work, thanks. Trying to google search for other people having trouble with this soundbar hasn't really come up with much, which is making me think it's an issue more with how I have things configured. After posting yesterday I tried some other streaming apps and Max is by far the worst of the bunch. Paramount+ can be a little difficult at times, but is mostly fine. Crunchyroll ended up having no problems whatsoever.
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Apr 8, 2024 18:18
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