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zydeco

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Everything posted by zydeco

  1. Our issue is that, when watching TV as a family, those who are off-axis struggle with dialogue which sees the volume constantly being changed. It's all fine in the main listening position.
  2. No. I’d assumed that using in-ceiling speakers for the surrounds wouldn’t work the Dolby documentation states that these speakers must be at ear level. What are the characteristics of a ceiling speaker that performs well as a surround speaker role? It’d be great to learn about your setup.
  3. I’m in the process of thinking through a move from 2.2 setup (stereo with subs) that is used for music and movies to a multi-channel setup. The main goal is to improve dialogue clarity for movies via adding a center channel but, with the addition of an AVR/AVP, I’d also look to simplify room correction and integration of subs via the use of Dirac/DLBC (and possibly Dirac ART). Our shared room doesn’t allow for surround speakers but it is possible to install ceiling speakers. I’d always discarded the notion of in-ceiling surround speakers but with Dolby Atmos am re-evaluating. Is there merit in a 3.2.4 setup for multichannel music and movies? I’m wondering, to be specific, if the height speakers would provide a better sense of envelopment for unmixed stereo and/or multichannel music. Or is this just a waste of time without the surround speakers?
  4. Ditto. For me, the benefits of shared music / movies outweigh the challenges of a shared room.
  5. We’re considering replacing an old mortise lock on our front door with a smart lock to simplify access for our son and visitors. In terms of requirements, I’m thinking that a key or keypad is critical should phone-based entry fail. I’d also like to use Matter / Thread rather than Wi-Fi and have integration with Apple HomeKit including Home Key. That said, I don’t really know what works in practise and selecting options is difficult as a lot of the offerings seem on the web are not available in Australia. Has anyone had any real-world experience with smart locks?
  6. Thanks. I’m on the waitlist having thought that this remote might replace the aging Harmony. I tend to cut hardware vendors adapting to integrated hardware-software some slack. That said, I’d guess that it’ll all boil down to whether the business is robust enough to fund the ongoing investment in software that is required. Fingers crossed as there aren’t a lot of other options for replacing Harmony remotes
  7. So, for a brief minute l, I was wondering how I could sneak these speakers into the living room …. Good luck with the sale.
  8. Hmm. The Gale 401 is, I guess, the perfect form factor for a centre channel under a TV. It’s an awful lot of black and chrome - might be stretching my wife’s patience in our living room. What, out of interest, do you use as a centre with the Kii3?
  9. Yes, funnily enough, had ears cleaned just weeks ago. The subs are managed via mini-DSP (see now) with reasonably good integration. If I stick with the current setup then I’ll try out MSO to further improve performance but if I go down the AVR/AVP route then it’ll be Dirac ART. Either way, I don’t think the problem is bloated or hyped bass but rather the vocal clarity off-axis made worse by the current industry mixing trends. Current chain for AV is FetchTV + AppleTV -> BluStream HDMI Switch -> Optical SPDIF -> mini-DSP 10x10 -> Power Amp + Gales and 2 x Powered Subwoofers. All AV sources set to stereo and video managed via HDMI to TV. The <200 region, and x/o to subwoofers, are based on REW measurements .
  10. Yes, I’ve got the Fetch TV and AppleTV both set to output stereo. Not keen on a soundbar as I’ll be a big step down for music.
  11. So, I've never owned a AVR/AVP/multi-channel set-up instead using stereo speakers (with multiple subs) for both music and movies. This set-up has worked well for many years but over the past couple of years we've started to have a constant challenge of getting clear dialogue from the various streaming platforms (e.g., Netflix, Apple TV+). Part of the problem seems to be that the volume has to be low to cater for scenes with special effects but it is then too low to hear to dialogue in other scenes - the result is that the family is constantly using the remote to raise and lower volume. The problem is manageable at the main listening position but a real issue in off-axis seats. I appreciate that this issue is quite common so thought I'd get the wisdom of the crowd on potential solutions. One options seems to be to get an AVR/AVP for movies and then some form of 'listening mode' (e.g., dialogue enhancement, night mode ...) which reduces bass and boosts vocals to address the issue but I'm not sure if these work with just L/R speakers. Another obvious step is to add a centre channel dedicated to vocals. The issue that I've got is that whilst adding an AVR/AVP for stereo is simple the option of adding a centre channel is quite a change as there is no matching 'centre channel' for our main speakers (Gale 401). Any suggestions as to the options to solve this problem?
  12. @Keith_W Fantastic thread - it's one of the reasons that I keep coming back to SNA. Re measurements: You're using MMM for measurements of the subwoofers and full speakers (with x/o filters in-place). What technique are you using for the measurements of the drivers that are used to linearise the drivers and then create the x/o for the speakers? Are these the traditional fixed microphone measurement set-up or are you also using MMM for these measurements?
  13. Thanks, @Snoopy8, for the kind offer of assistance. I'm slammed at work at present but should be able to set-up the subwoofers and conduct initial measurements in a couple of weeks. I'll reach out if assistance is needed. The plan is to use an old mini-DSP 10x10 to execute the filters.
  14. @Snoopy8 Any advice on placements for different subs? I’ve always followed the shedded approach of the most capable sub in a front corner near the main speakers and then less capable subs as ‘helpers’ behind the listening position. It’s not clear to me that this is the right model when the more modern DSP is employed with one obvious alternative being to place the least capable sub where room gain is the most significant. (The thinking being that it seems as if MSO starts with getting all the subs volume matched)
  15. Well, a bit more reading and it seems as if Dirac Live Bass Control has issues when different subs using “lowest common denominator” approach with, for example, the high pass filter on the subs set to that for the weakest sub. The situation with Dirac ART is unclear but it’s starting to seem as if adding the bass bins (which are weaker than the dedicated SVS subs) might not be such a good ideal.
  16. I’m running a pair of SVS SB16-Ultra subwoofers alongside stereo speakers using a mini-DSP unit to do the X/O and Room EQ. The ultimate plan is to move to Dirac DLBC and Dirac ART. My thinking is co-opting some sealed bass bins with 18” AE TD18H+ drivers from a previous project to act as an additional ‘subwoofer’. The thought is that this would both provide another bass source to further reduce variation as well as provide another set of speakers for Dirac ART optimization. I’ve done some quick, nearfield, REW measurements of one bass bin with the resulting showing flat performance over the range 35 to 500Hz and, at 95dB, a THD distortion of 0.2%. Stacking a pair of bass bins should, as I understand it, provide 6dB more output. Also, an old WinISD simulation seemed to indicate that with a lot of power and EQ I should be able get more extension from the bass bins albeit with some distortion. The set-up of these bass bins into the system will take a bit of effort so, before doing so, I wanted to check that I not missing anything. It seems that a pair of the bass bins – whilst not matching the dedicated subs – will go loud and low with moderate distortion. And that adding these will both provide another bass source with capacity to reduce variation as well as another speaker surface for Dirac ART optimization. Is this correct? Or am I missing something?
  17. Ok, I'll check the website leading up to COB 29-Feb-24?
  18. Wow. Any idea as to the availability and pricing of the P801?
  19. P.S. What, out of interest, DBLC enabled AVR/P are you using? Also, it seems that for those with full-range speakers, the new Dirac ART might offer a step forward over MSO in that it sees the main speakers optimised as well as the subwoofer fleet. Is it correct the correct interpretation?
  20. @Snoopy8 Re-read this thread when it popped up on my feed and it's an example of what's great about SNA. Are you still using MSO + Behringer or have you moved to DLBC (as per most recent signature)?
  21. How does this calculation work for the Sointuva given H=450mm and W=240mm?
  22. @March Audio What are the minimum and maximum recommended listening distances for the Sointuva? Specifically, any view as to suitability in a nearfield / desktop setting?
  23. So, with a bit of reorganisation, I’ve setup the Gale in our large living room about 2m from the sidewalls and 1m from the front wall. Some room treatment has also been added to the front wall. The result is fabulous - night and day in comparison to being in a smaller room and when closer to the (untreated) front wall.
  24. @March Audio Which amp do you recommend for the Sointuva speakers? (It seems that these are a bit more difficult to drive than the Ukkonen so I’m thinking of the P501 mono-blocks.) Also, any plans for a three-way speaker?
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