my axioms arrived today and i am in the process of setting them up. i have the m60's, vp150, 3 qs8's(6.1). i am new to this so really dont know what to do. how do i set the speakers up on the receiver(fronts big and the rest small??) also what other tests can i do to optimize my listening enjoyment...
congrats chex-
well, first.. it helps if we know what kinda receiver you got? also, if you have a subwoofer?
a good general setting to start would be: WITH SUB- put all your settings to small, and the sub crossover at 80mhz. WITHOUT SUB-leave all your settings on large.
and then check your manual to do any additional tweaks from there.
but let us know what kind of receiver you got, that way, the people with those types of receivers can help you out a lot better.
good luck.
bigjohn
You're on BigJohn! Take it!
do you have a sub?
pretty much follow as i have said above.. i just set up my 701 this past weekend, so i went thru everything you are going thru. your gonna love it when you are done.
the 701 manual is very detailed and explains the set up process very well.. just make sure you have a connection going to the tv(component/svideo/rca) so you can see the on screen displays. follow in the manual step by step, and you should be rockin before no time.
i was a little nervous, i feel you anxiety.. just breath slow, open the manual and get after it..
oh, dont forget to put batteries in the remote. (i am not speaking from experience)
bigjohn
You mean 80Hz...not 80 MEGA Hz? (grin)
Actually, the lowercase m makes it microhertz, which is somehow even funnier.
Bren R.
good point.. hate for him to blow out the 60's as soon as he hits the power button.
crossover at 80Hz.
just kidding on the blowing out the speakers chex.. your 701 will default to 80 anyway due to the THX standard.
OK BREN- i think you have made fun of me enough for today!! save some for tomorrow
bigjohn
i have a hsu stf-2 sub. i have everything setup and now i cant seem to get sound from the surrounds for stereo or tv. i have surround for dvd's but thats it...
OK. you might be listening in the "pure direct" mode which is just your fronts, or "direct" which will just be your fronts and sub. try and push the buttons on the bottom of the remote that say "surr" and "dsp". see if you get sound from them then
bigjohn
Hi cocheex
That's a very nice system you have there, I think you're going to love it. First, you have to go to the advanced set up menu and make your selections.
I'd set all the speakers to SMALL, and cross over at 80 Hz. Make sure you enable your subwoofer "SUB YES/NO."
Onkyo has various surround/DSP options accessible from the remote. I think the default is 2 channel stereo, so go through the other choices while standing next to one of the surround speakers and you should find a number of options which enable your center, surround and sub.
Good luck and report back!
ive tried pro logic 2 music, neo music and theatre modes in the two and still cant get sound from surrounds. just fronts and center...
Go the set up menu again and make sure you have enabled your surround speakers.
i have them enabled 2X6, i can get surround on dvd's, but thats it. is there somewhere in setup that im not seeing??? the on screen setup seems pretty straight forward, but i could be missing something...
that is an odd problem.. i didnt experience that, so i dont really have a ready explanation for you. if you have done all the things listed from me and 2x6, then you should be wkng..?? if i had my manual here at work, i would flip thru it and maybe be able to give some more advice. you might want to check the back of the manual for trouble shooting advice.. they might have something there to help you figure it out.
i am sure you just have some sort of setting wrong, and its just a matter of finding it.
bigjohn
Wouldn't it be millihertz?
Oops, yes... nothing like being wrong when correcting someone else.
Bren R.
Do you hear sound if you use the pink noise generator from the receiver itself? Are they wired correctly? Does setup (the on screen from the receiver) show that you have surrounds?
jr
second James' comments, you should double check wiring to make sure everything is hooked up properly.
Great setup, you'll be very happy with it I'm sure.
yes, it gets pink noise to all speakers fine so i know the speakers are fine. im thinking its has to do with the receiver, some setting i dont have right or something...
That's good. You know that is not the problem. You also stated that you could hear them fine with DVD movies right?
I'll check my own receiver (I have the 601 when I get home), but that won't be until 7:30PM PST.
BigJohn might be able to help you out sooner though.
How do you have the DVD Player hooked up to the receiver? Digital? RCA connectors?
What type of music media are you listening too? CD, DVDA, SACD?
Is it possible that the cables you need for surround left and surround right are not plugged in or not plugged in properly (for music)?
Is there a setting on the DVD that you need to check to set which connection to the receiver to use for different types of music/video?
jr
thats a great idea to eliminate if its the receiver or the dvd player..
also, put it on tuner, and see if the radio plays out of all the speakers.. if the radio comes from all speakers in the "all channel stereo" mode, or the "neo6" mode, then you know it m8ust be something in how the dvd player is hooked up.
bigjohn
Oooh. Nice all BigJohn. I had not thought of that.
jr
i now have sound coming from my surrounds in all modes, thanks all. but the surround doesn't have that "kick butt" surround if you know what i mean, it seems kinda week. the fronts and center seem to be doing all the work and i dont have that 'sound coming from all angles' feeling... is there something i need to do to get the surrounds to do their job so to say....
Hmmm. I don't know that I would say my surrounds ever gave me a kick butt feeling, but maybe I don't understand your meaning. Can you describe what you mean by "kick butt"? Also, have you configured everything with an SPL and a test disc?
For the most part what really kicks butt about my surrounds is that I think I hear a bird chirping up and to my left. Or I duck because a bullet just zinged past my head. Or I feel like I'm smack dab in the middle of a Midwestern Thunderstorm.
jr
I think most people are confused by the impact of surround speakers... they're the most expensive piece of the puzzle (minus the sub) and yet they're the least present - in fact, if you realize they're there they're not doing their job - but take them away and you don't feel as much a part of the action.
Try "All Speaker Stereo" for a while, you'll hear them all you want, and when you get tired of hearing them, choose a DSP that puts them back in their supporting role and you'll appreciate them more.
Bren R.
thats what im talking about, that look over your shoulder feeling or that hearing sound behind you like your talking about. thats what i mean by kick butt, maybe bad choice of words but basically turn your head and make you look type deal... i configured all speakers with a spl meter to 80 whatever (not sure db, mhz, etc...). should i configure the surrounds different???
Once you get the calibration done with the SPL meter, I think you'll find all is right with the world. James R hit it squarely - the surrounds aren't there to kick butt, that's what the fronts and the sub deliver. The surrounds are there to give you a really good dose of ambient sound.
Your ears can't do the job an SPL meter can. When properly calibrated, you won't really hear each speaker. Rather, you will find the audio wash over you from everywhere. THAT'S what makes the Qs so special. Take a deep breath, don't get anxious - you have only had the speakers for a few hours. Take the time to calibrate and your experience with these things will begin to amaze you.
Aside - we may have to start referring to you as "Dr. bigjohn." Very nice guided tour you provided for cocheex.
. On the other hand, I suspect my future input may go unheeded. Who listens to the advice of a 250 lb. Tick???
Ok, it sounds like you are moving in the right direction. The other thing to consider is the DD or DTS mix you are listening too. Some of them kinda suck and others make you go WOW.
Bourne Identity, Finding Nemo, Saving Private Ryan, Titan AE, any Star Wars Movie... These are just a few that others (and myself) on the board have enjoyed the surround mix of or been especially impressed with.
jr
Now how was that for help? Talking about a 911 call and having all that help and of course it would not be complete without the sly Axiom sarcasm.
Semper Fi
I'm curious as to why you have your sub set at 80 when you are also using the crossover in the receiver? Seems redundant. I know when I got my SVS they recommend that if you are going to be using the receivers crossover, there is no point in using the sub's. Crank the crossover on the sub to max as it's not doing anything anyway. Why add yet another crossover into the signal path when you don't it!
:-)
On another note. I'm also running the QS8's and you will find on some movies etc that the surround mix is subtle. This is normal as has been mentioned above. Keep in mind they are surrounds, not mains!
Many times have I heard before that the surrounds are not supposed to take your attention away from the screen, rather, they are supposed to support what is going on in the film. Their presence should not necessarily be known at all times and quite often, they aren't supposed to be known at all. The purpose of the surrounds is to give you a more enveloping feeling. To draw you into the movie just that much more. If there are specific directional cues coming from the surround sound, then you might want to check over your shoulders, but for the most part, even with directionality is used, it is not there to take your attention away from the screen. I've heard it mentioned before on the THX Demo disk and Digital Video Essentials.
The better the surround sound speakers, the more they seem to disappear.
Just my .02
Regards,
Jon