Would you guys say the M50's have any bass? I have a pair and I'm really not getting any bass or rich quality sounds. I have an EP 350 that kills in the bass department, it not a problem when they are teamed up. Do the M60s or M80s sound a lot better in the bass department? Is there a big difference in sound quality?
Also, I'm using the VP150 as center, M3's as the rears with a QS8 as a center rear. If the sub is off they do not sound that great. I'm using a decent Yamaha receiver @ 120 watts per channel.
The M80s are more significant in the bass department, but my M50s are pretty good on the bass. Double check if all the drivers are working. What are your receiver settings? If your 50s are set to small with a crossover over, say 100, or so, then if the sub's turned off, you ain't getting no bass!
When you turn off the sub, do you set the M50's to large in the receiver settings so they run full range. If you leave the subwoofer off the receiver will still recognize them set as small and it will cut off the lower frequences below the crossover point. If they are anything like the M3's they should put out some decent bass.
Good luck!
I believe most receivers will set the mains to large automatically once you turn off the sub in the receiver, at least that has been my experience.
Correct. My question is if he is just turning off the sub itself.
It's a lot easier to flip the switch on the sub than to go into the menus and turn off the sub. Unless things have significantly improved in that department since I got my H/K 525.
I going to review all my settings when I get home, at work now. The receiver has a little mic that you place in the middle of the room and it automatically adjusts all the settings. I'm thinking that its not really doing me justice.
I have hard wood floors, does that help or hurt the sound quality?
If you have not gone into the receiver settings and checked it is quite possible the M50's are set as small. Settings to look for in the receiver is subwoofer set to "off" and front speakers set to "large"
Hard wood floors are not ideal for a rooms acoustics (this has nothing to do with your issue though). Placing a few area rugs in your room can help treat the room.
Aha, the auto calibration probably isn't doing you any favors at all--especially if it has an equalizer.
To test the M50s bass properly, you should put the receiver in pure direct, direct, or stereo-only mode, depending on your receiver.
I've pressed the "pure direct" button before and I get no sound at all.
Your not getting any bass at all? Are the drivers moving? The 50's should put out some good bass. How are they position from the walls?
I've pressed the "pure direct" button before and I get no sound at all.
The pure direct function is to turn everything off except the audio in a pure pass (unmanipulated) from the source. This means if you're watching a DVD, then you would loose the picture and any sound processing would be removed leaving you with 2 channel stereo only.
I've used this feature many times with different sources on my yamaha and never had an issue.
Give it try listening to the radio to see if it works.
I was able to use the tuner in pure direct, in the past I only tested it while watching TV or a DVD. I could also play music cd's in the DVD player but not actual DVD's. I listened to "Dark side of the moon" in "pure direct" mode. WOW...OMG! I've had these speakers for several years and never knew what I was missing out on!!! It's just amazing. I'm shocked at the bass these things produce! I have to figure out what the heck my receiver is set to and FIX IT!
I'm happy because it's like I have all new speakers, and pissed because I've been seriously missing out.
BTW, How far should the speakers be away from the wall? Mine are about a foot.
The 50's set to LARGE
The two rear M3's set at? small or large?
The center rear QS8 set at?
The Center 150 set at?
For movies all speakers should be set to small in the receiver, with a crossover setting that routes the frequencies below the crossover to the sub. Even for music, my 80's are set to small, with either a 60 or 80hz crossover point.
I would set all the speakers to small, 80 crossover and direct the LFE to the subwoofer .
The only time I would set the M50's to large is for 2 channel listening without using a sub.
Are you gettting bass from the M50's now?
I suspect the problem is the room equalization.
Michael, as Randy suggested, all your speakers should be set "Small", and an 80Hz crossover should work well for all of them. I'd also suggest that with 2-channel source material that you apply DPLIIx to allow all your speakers to work and give you surround sound.
When you set the receiver to show no sub you should then be getting pretty good bass from the M50s alone if the woofers are operating.
That would make a good sig line.
All this "bass" talk on a Friday is making me crave Fish n' Chips.
Cod Tongues <--- Excellent name for a band.
They could open for Negative Orange on the next tour.
