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Problems with Surround Sound volume level

M

mstrane21

Well-Known Member
I have a mishmash 5.1 system with random thrift store purchases. I've got an old Onkyo TX DS575x receiver, and my fronts are Boston Acoustic CS26's, with an Onkyo center and 2 Minimus 7's in the rear.

The speakers actually sound really good when I'm listening to music or watching TV in 5-channel stereo. However, if I switch to Pro Logic for surround sound for DVD viewing, the volume reduces significantly on both the fronts and rears. I have a digital cable running from my DVD player to my TV, and an optical cable from my TV to my receiver. I'm not sure if I have it all hooked up correctly, but something seems to be wrong because I wouldn't think the volume should ratchet down so much. I have to crank the volume from about level 38 to 55 to get to about the same noise level, and the rears still feel weak. Maybe I just don't know what surround sound is supposed to sound like.

Anyway, how exactly should I have my DVD player connected, how should I have my TV connected, and do you have any idea what else I might be doing wrong? Any help cracking the code would be appreciated.
 
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Are you aware that the individual channels should have a volume control in your receiver and maybe even the DVD player?

The volume levels may not be adjusted correctly for each channel leading to this problem.
 
In addition to the above....

It's not unusual for there to be difference in level between surround sound and something like all channel stereo.

You mentioned you need to select Dolby Pro Logic to get surround sound. This suggests a problem because the receiver should auto-detect and auto switch to Dolby Digital if that surround stream is present. Not everything is Dolby Digital but I dare say most of it is at this point.

Based on your configuration I think either,

- Your DVD player is set to output PCM, not bitstream (in some cases bitstream may be referred to instead as "raw"). Outputting PCM instead of bitstream robs you of getting the MUCH better Dolby Digital surround sound.

- Your TV outputs only PCM when used as a passthough device. This was pretty common issue with some TVs. They're not broken, per se, they just strip off the "good stuff" from external sources.


I suggest first going into the DVD player settings and ensuring the digital output is set to bitstream (or raw), not PCM. If it's set to PCM change it to bitstream (or raw).

If the receiver still doesn't auto detect and change to Dolby Digital then check the TV for a similar type setting, making sure it is set to output bitstream, not PCM.

If no such setting in the TV and the receiver still doesn't automatically change to Dolby Digital (when present), then change the DVD digital connection to go directly to the receiver.
 
mstrane21 said:
I have a mishmash 5.1 system with random thrift store purchases. I've got an old Onkyo TX DS575x receiver, and my fronts are Boston Acoustic CS26's, with an Onkyo center and 2 Minimus 7's in the rear.

The speakers actually sound really good when I'm listening to music or watching TV in 5-channel stereo. However, if I switch to Pro Logic for surround sound for DVD viewing, the volume reduces significantly on both the fronts and rears. I have a digital cable running from my DVD player to my TV, and an optical cable from my TV to my receiver. I'm not sure if I have it all hooked up correctly, but something seems to be wrong because I wouldn't think the volume should ratchet down so much. I have to crank the volume from about level 38 to 55 to get to about the same noise level, and the rears still feel weak. Maybe I just don't know what surround sound is supposed to sound like.

Anyway, how exactly should I have my DVD player connected, how should I have my TV connected, and do you have any idea what else I might be doing wrong? Any help cracking the code would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity, have you tried connecting your DVD player's digital output directly to your receiver,just to see if that's your problem?

As for the speakers,did you perform the configuration per the manual?
If so, what did you use to measure the output from each channel? With a mismatch of speakers, it can be difficult to get the proper levels just by ear.

You could also try setting up your center channel speaker in phantom mode just to see if your volume increases.
 
Thanks for the responses, guys. I'm making some progress. My dvd player was in fact set up for PCM, so I changed that setting. The dvd player is hooked up to the receiver via a digital coax. I checked and my tv audio output is set for PCM. It has a digital setting but it won't let me pick it. Not sure it matters since the dvd player is now linked up with the receiver, but I don't know. Wish I could change it to be sure. After fiddling around with the receiver settings, the receiver now reads "Dolby Digital" on the display, whereas before it said something about PCM. So obviously changing that setting on the dvd player did something. At that point my kid was screaming and my wife was nagging, so I am going to have to work on this some more later. But if the receiver is recognizing the digital format now, and all the speakers are firing, if the rears are still not to my liking, I just need to increase the volume going to them, right? Honestly, I probably just don't know what surround sound is actually supposed to sound like.

Again, thanks a lot for the responses. This stuff is very new to me.
 
Sounds like you have made good progress. You need a decibel meter to set the volume levels on each speaker. Apps are available for smart phones for free. Or you can go to Radio Shack and buy a sound meter. Either way, use a meter that measures the decibel level of each speaker and adjust them to be equal in the surround sound mode you use.
 
Works like a champ now, and thanks for the tip on the decibel meter. Very cool! Thanks again for the help.
 
As for the rears, unless you're using some sort of "all channels stereo" mode, they won't generally be noticeable. Movies rarely employ them and most sound comes from the front, usually the center.
 
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