Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Speaker wire and QS8

I just got done watching Star Wars A New Hope and was thinking I was going to have some great surround sound. I heard almost nothing from my surround speakers. I am using a 20 or 22 gauge speaker wire for them. When I complete the install I will have a 12 gauge wire run to them. Is this my problem? I used the auto setup on the 2500 should I manually adjust that and crank up the db level for the surrounds? The surrounds are about 7 ft up on my wall and right between my couch.

Thanks for your help

How far is the total run, and you're using a single conductor of 22ga. for each connection? Ouch.

14 and 16 are fine for short runs, 12 for those over (the local "rule of thumb" here is) 30 feet. But 22ga? Hell, I use 20 to FLOSS!

Bren R.

First run in 5 ch stereo just to make sure that the QS8s are even working.

M, yes that wire is too thin, but it isn't making a huge difference. When the 2500 was doing the calibration were the sounds coming out of the surrounds? If so, despite the thin wire, the volume would have been calibrated to a high enough level to balance with the other speakers. Keep in mind that the surround channels often have little going on in them and aren't always "on", but if there's nothing, something's wrong.

In reply to:

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Keep in mind that the surround channels often have little going on in them and aren't always "on", but if there's nothing, something's wrong.

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i definitely agree with you there, especially with Star Wars (sorry, A New Hope, i still can't get used to calling it that!) 'cause the Tantive IV and Star Destroyer come noticeably from the surround channels forward. i imagine in 6.1 or 7.1 it'd be even better!

Hi magre,

Make sure that your DVD player is connected with an optical or coaxial digital cable to your 2500, and that you have the correct digital input selected. Your 2500 should automatically switch to Dolby Digital 5.1 and indicate that.

I'd suggest you try a manual setup of your system as well, using a Radio Shack SPL meter and a setup DVD like the Avia disc or the Sound&Vision Home Theater Tune-Up.

The auto-setups on these new receivers are prone to errors.

Regards,

Something is wrong with your configuration, not sure if it is the wires (most likely), or an AVR issue. I have 12 guage for every speaker, and yes Star Wars A New Hope does produce sounds from the surrounds throughout the movie.

ps 20 or 22 guage wire, isn't that the stuff used for twisty ties to seal bread

Yes, the surrounds do have sound coming out of them. If I stick my ear up to them then I hear it. The test tones do play loud out of them.
I lined up perfectly with my front speakers, my surrounds are about 7 feet up. I sitting directly in the center of the surround speakers. Could my front speakers be overpowering the surrounds?

Sounds like one of two things:
1. The DVD player and/or receiver were set up improperly (wrong surround mode, etc.)
2. The autocalibration turned the surrounds way too far down.

M, since the calibration sounds were loud, the surround speakers and surround amp channels are okay. Also, although the equalization function can be controversial, the basic level calibration is typically at least as accurate as could be done manually using a SPL meter(what dB setting for the surrounds was shown after calibration?). If you're definitely not getting much surround sound during the parts of the movie where there should be some, study your player output setting and receiver input setting, as other replies have suggested. Make sure that the player is set to output the 5.1 channel "bitstream" signal rather than a downmixed two channel PCM output(with just a little sound leaking into the surrounds), and that the receiver isn't set to stereo.