Set-up & EQ advice please

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I have a Denon AVR4306, Monitor Audio RS6 main stereo pair and RSLCR centre channel + Velodyne CHT-R12 sub & Denon SCM7 bookshelf speakers for rear channel. I've ran the auto-setup on the amp and see it has assigned the front pair as 'large' but the centre channel as 'small'. As the three speakers are supposed to be tonally balanced, is this correct or should the centre channel be set as 'large' also? I font know whether this setting is simply setting the crossover frequency or does it alter anything else? Also, how to set up the sub for best results? I reset the sub to factory defaults prior to running auto setup so i'd have an easy reference point to set it back to. A lot of questions I know but do others find this kind of setup performs better with the Audyssey EQ turned on or off. I found it better when I was using the SCM7's as the front pair but since I've added the RS6's and ran the setup again, it seems to sound sharper without.

 

[Andrew Everard]

A lot less bass from the RSLCR than the RS6, so we reckon the auto set-up is on the money. But if the system sounds better with the centre speaker set to 'large', then use it that way.

Yes, the sub set to factory defaults then balanced by the automatic set-up should be fine, but again you can always tweak from there.

And yes, it will sound sharper without the automatic EQ, but that's the point - sharper will get fatiguing after a while.

I guess the real answer is to get a sound pressure meter and try the set-up by ear, then compare it with the automatic settings. Stick with the one you prefer.

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers Andrew. We watched our first movie on DVD since we bought the new speakers - Ghost Rider and it was awesome - without the EQ so you're right, the set up is on the money (I took a look at the crossover freq the amp had set for the centre and it was 40Hz so spot on for the RSLCR's 45Hz bottom end). The Denon SCM7's did a great job for rear channel too - a massive improvement over the tiny sattelites we were using before.

When testing etc with full range speakers like the RS6's do you find better results with music with the sub set to LFE only or LFE+Main? I guess its just getting used to the change to a 'real' speaker from using the SCM7's with the sub doing most of the work but the RS6's can sound a little 'iight' and the sub's currently doing nothing when I'm using the amp in 2ch direct or pure direct modes.
The main reason I set the sub to default is that there is actually no other way of determining what volume it is actually set to so I used it as a reference point then turned it up two clicks on the remote - not scientific I know. I've just realised that holding the volume down on the amp's remote is turning the sub up, grrrr.... might have to pop some tape over the remote receiver or something.
PS- I said Hi to Nic Tatham and picked up a copy of their mag yesterday too - not a bad publication and there's a lot of WHFS&V influence in there. Nic made a couple of suggestions for cables so I'll be following them up this week, thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

Hello

Use A weighting when testing and get each loudspeaker to have the same tone, and I see you have mismatched the fronts so you've ignored one of the golden rules in home cinema. The fronts must be the same LCR there are no exceptions. So you're going to be miles off, you can only achieve a close approximation for the meantime.

Plus you need an RTA say the download free version of TrueRTA or buy yourself a professional RTA Behinger make affordable models, maybe an oscilloscope as well.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="JBLsince1990"]Hello
I see you have mismatched the fronts so you've ignored one of the golden rules in home cinema. The fronts must be the same LCR there are no exceptions. So you're going to be miles off, you can only achieve a close approximation for the meantime.[/quote]

I think you've misunderstood my question completely. I have no problem at all with the centre channel - the RSLCR is the centre channel made to go with the RS6's, bought as a package and sounds spot on (nowhere near a mile off as you suggest) - I was just checking as to the best possible settings for them.
My actual query was which mode to best use the sub when listening to music.
If I was setting up a dedicated full THX system for sure you'd be looking to use the exact same speakers all round but here in the real world, with real budgets I have more or less what most' everyone else has - a good centre channel speaker, matched as closely as possible with the main pair and backed y a good subwoofer.

 

[Andrew Everard]

I'd run the sub in LFE only mode. And I wouldn't get hung up with RTAs and oscilloscopes, neither would i worry about having the same speakers across the front three channels - as long as they're voice/timbre matched, which yours are, you'll have no problems.

Good to see the WHFSV influence still lives on in Nick's magazine!