Sony DA2400ES - really quiet centre channel

[roger06]

Hi

I'm slowly getting there and this new amp is sounding great. I have a question about the front speaker - fronts are Dynaudio Audience 52SEs L + R and an Audience 42 Centre.

The sound emitted during auto calibration is dynamic and punchy out of the centre and definitely sounded the same as the front L+R.

However, after auto calibration I can only just hear dialogue despite the auto cal setting the centre to +8db and the fronts on 0db. I've had to set the centre on max (+10) and all other channel near min (about -9bd) so hear the centre.

Surely this can't be right ? The centre all seems connected properly - it uses a lesser grade cable than the front L+R but this can't be the issue can it?

Your help, as always, is much appreciated.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

roger06:
Hi

I'm slowly getting there and this new amp is sounding great. I have a question about the front speaker - fronts are Dynaudio Audience 52SEs L + R and an Audience 42 Centre.

The sound emitted during auto calibration is dynamic and punchy out of the centre and definitely sounded the same as the front L+R.

However, after auto calibration I can only just hear dialogue despite the auto cal setting the centre to +8db and the fronts on 0db. I've had to set the centre on max (+10) and all other channel near min (about -9bd) so hear the centre.

Surely this can't be right ? The centre all seems connected properly - it uses a lesser grade cable than the front L+R but this can't be the issue can it?

Your help, as always, is much appreciated.

I'm sure you have but have you been playing a disc with a 5.1 soundtrack? If the answer is yes, it might be that you have the centre wired out of phase. I have the 3400es and the centre is set at about +4db just like the front left and right. The cable shouldn't effect the loudness I wouldn't have thought.

 

[roger06]

Yes - I've been shaking the house with Gladiator Blu Ray...

So out of phase means positive and negative terminals round the wrong way ?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

roger06:
Yes - I've been shaking the house with Gladiator Blu Ray...

So out of phase means positive and negative terminals round the wrong way ?

Yep, try changing it. Even if you had the centre at -10db, you should still hear it well in a film like that.

 

[roger06]

No - speaker is definitely in phase. I swapped the terminals around just to make sure and it sounded a lot worse...

 

[Anonymous]

Check the settings in your dvd player too, then. Most have audio setting options, and it could be that yours is sending out pre-set configs to the amp before it does its' thing.

 

[roger06]

Thanks I'll check the BD player settings - thing is, it's the same with the TV...

 

[roger06]

BDP won't let me adjust speaker levels when outputing via HDMI. System sounds great but seems really strange to me that the centre needs to be set to +10 and all the others to -10 in order to be able to hear the dialogue...

 

[roger06]

Maybe there's a problem with the centre speaker - is there anyway I can test it ? can I wire in any other single speaker it in its place? ( I have plenty kicking around!)

 

[Anonymous]

Yes you can try any speaker. Also try the centre speaker in place of one of the front/rear, just to see if that works. Start with volume at zero and wind it up slowly... just in case the sound suddenly kicks in! Also, in your AV amp settings have you set it as "centre channel speaker - none" in error?

 

[Anonymous]

Hmmm, the autocalibrating system setting up your system with +-8db is very much on the high side anyway. You say that it's also happening with your tv, but I'm unaware of any 5.1 tv sets that would be outputting a dedicated centre channel signal, so not sure if you mean a sky box or similar running into your amp?

See this thread also for problems similar to your own.

http://community.whathifi.com/forums/t/313258.aspx

 

[roger06]

neilp6777:Yes you can try any speaker. Also try the centre speaker in place of one of the front/rear, just to see if that works. Start with volume at zero and wind it up slowly... just in case the sound suddenly kicks in! Also, in your AV amp settings have you set it as "centre channel speaker - none" in error?

Thanks - yes I've swapped the centre for a Canon satalite and a Kef floor stander - same problem. I swapped the centre with the front left and same problem - always the speaker in the centre is way to quiet. I've also tried 3 different speaker cables.

Anyway - a replacement unit is arriving today.

 

[roger06]

kaotician:
Hmmm, the autocalibrating system setting up your system with +-8db is very much on the high side anyway. You say that it's also happening with your tv, but I'm unaware of any 5.1 tv sets that would be outputting a dedicated centre channel signal, so not sure if you mean a sky box or similar running into your amp?

See this thread also for problems similar to your own.

http://community.whathifi.com/forums/t/313258.aspx

Thanks - actually that's my post on the same problem! I'm trying a replacement amp later today - don't know what to do if it has the same problem though!