Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Ditching front QS8's

Ditto Murph...picture and all.
I have a denon AVR-3311CI and it confuses me the relationship between "channel levels" and master volume. If I set everything manually to zero dB the front L/R speakers overpower the center and surrounds. So I would think I should increase the center and surrounds by maybe 3 dB to compensate. Now forget the surrounds and lets talk about the center.

When I increase the dB for the center using audio adjust "the staic sounding test" I get close the the fronts and think all is well with my level adjust. It seems 2-3 dB is enuf to make the center sound even in volume to the fronts but when I play a movie the center sounds muted and lacks bass compaired to the fronts by a large amount. I try to increase the center even more but still I get the same effect, more volume but muted and lacks bass, like the woffers don't work right. So it's like the center level adjust doesn't work in an actual movie.

The only thing that makes the center sound full like the fronts is using the "matrix" mode and I think all that does is mix the sterio from the fronts into the center, not true 5.1. I have no clue but it's the only way I have found to get the center even in tone and volume to the fronts.

Shouldn't I just be able to start a movie and the denon select the surround mode so that the center is separate from the fronts or am I confused about "matrix" mode? I try direct and pure modes but the center then goes back to sounding muted with little bass. What is matrix mode anyway and why is it the only thing on my reciever that makes the center sound full like the fronts?

I have played with all the manual input modes like dts and dolby but none give me the full center tone like matrix mode. Is this normal?