Well as the title says, I'm mad. Well let me start. First I got my speakers today, man they are nice but there are a few things.

I bought the Epic Grand Master 500 and I have a ONKYO 806

1) It sounds like crap, it sounds like the band is in a pool with just base. Oh and my 500 has no base, just rumble.

2) I'm getting no audio from my HDMI, so I had to dust off my old Optical cable just to hear crap, get video from the HDMI just no audio.

3) Not a question but a statement I did not care for the stands for the M22's I would take them back but I'm to cheap to pay to send it back.

I don,t know what to do I have been trying for over 3 hrs now and it still sound like a pool with only base. Oh and I have been trying to call axiom for help for the 1 hr now also and no one is there to take my call.

Sounds like you have some settings not quite right in your Onkyo.

I suggest you take a step back and try running Audyssey. Report the results (it will display 3 screens of info at the end). This will help get your system setup and more importantly, give us a clue what may be going on.

Did the mic set up, now I have no sound at all.

Hour later still no sound I have done everything, My xbox sounds ok but the bass is not that deep and the picture blinks on and off sometimes.

Graham, unfortunately you're getting an opportunity to illustrate the aptness of your board name. Relax and try the simplest setup first. With just the M22s, play some FM music from the 806. Does it sound good with plenty of treble and not just bass?

Xbox 360, Radio sounds good. But the HTPC still sounds bad, I had audio for a bit but now its back but its still sounds like a I'm in a tube and I have to crank it to -48db just to hear any little thing.

Sounds like you have a problem with the HTPC. If you try and play a CD through the Xbox, does it sound good?

Regarding the the picture blinking on and off sometimes: It might be the that HDMI cable you are using is bad. The HDMI connectors might be too loose going into the components you're plugging them into.

I had the same problem with my receiver. I bought a few HDMI cables from Target because I didn't feel like waiting for shipping from an online retailer. Well, the cables were causing the picture to randomly blink on and off sometimes. I bought a few HDMI cables from PartsExpress.com to replace them, and the problem went away.

Updated my realtek driver. But I still have to turn it up to -50db just to hear anything, I when to the master volume and it was at max. I will keep trying later in the morning wife is sleeping and I don,t want to be loud

Double check your connections from the HTPC--sounds like you might actually be hearing channel leakage instead of the full signal!

Does it work properly if you use headphones--either direct from the HTPC or from your receiver?

Well I have it going so/so now. I have to only turn it up to -50Db for avg. T.V volume. To watch a movie I have to crank it to -43dB.

I will have to check the HDMI cable from my 360 to see if it is not working right.

Still can't find a happy middle with the sub. But given time I will just have not had time to try all the settings.

Thanks for you help, I will be buying/upgrading my HTPC in a few days so we will see if that helps.

Others opinions may vary but I avoid Realtck like the plague. All my HTPC audio problems have stemmed from their divers. Never had a problem with Sound Blaster. Just my 2 cents.

You say "crank it to -43dB", I usually watch movies from -18dB to -12. I can barely hear my system at -50dB. That goes for all inputs: DVD and PS3 over HDMI, and TV from optical. I know difference receivers have different responses, but I thought the -dB scale was pretty consistent with -0dB being around reference.

I see chris, I was not to sure. The few recivers I have used never went that low, but if it is o.k then I will not try to tweak anymore.

I will play more with the receiver in the morning, I know I will have more questions later on.

Same here. I also usually watch movies at about -20db sometimes as loud as -8db.

Those scales don't mean anything out of context. On my older Yamaha (currently used to power my M22s in my writing room), going to -40 is scary-loud as the 0 is at the end of the dial! My Onkyo (like Denon) makes it 0=dolby reference (exactly, actually). Old Yamaha at -40 is like new Onkyo at +8 (I measured when I switched receiver).

It also depends on the media. I have a Denon that for most music I listen at -12db. Some titles need to be set down to -18db, and some up as high as -6db.

When using the XBox360 and watching HD-DVD a get an even greater variance in volume. Some titles work great at -10db, while some need to be pushed to reference (0db).

But, I would guess -43db is too low on any system.

Wait, you're talking about a 7 dB difference between TV and movies? That's normal, dude!

When you ran Audyssey, it should have setup your speaker so when listening at 0 your average volume is 85 decibels (for DVD/Blu-Ray). So listening at -40 would be very quiet.

I'm assuming you have other issues like double bass and full range settings. Unless you post the results I can't be sure.

Also, remember the phrase "garbage in, garbage out". Depending on what you are playing through your HTPC, it may sound bad because of the source. The better the speakers, the worse compressed audio sounds.

i put some music on and now my sub gives off no sound not even a rumble. I hate my HTPC

Well I have tryed everything guess I will need to buy a sound card.

The scale on my Onkyo 805 is similar to what others (ClubNeon, Listener) have reported. It's not uncommon for me to listen to HDMI sources at -10db and other sources at -25db. I don't consider it particularly loud.

Since your radio and game console sound okay, it must be your sound card. Does it have an optical or coaxial output, or are you using the analog outputs?

I just updated my 5.1 driver. Sub works now but still no 5.1 for movies just stereo works. Well its better then sounding like a playing in a tube. I have auido both from my HDMI and Optical just not 5.1

Also when I use VLC player I have to set the output to stereo not 5.1

oh well I will try later time to listen to some music, it still sounds good.

Well I spoke to soon, the center is now giving off no sound. I hate this I get one thing going then another goes out. Now the Master volume has front,center,sub,side all greyed out I can't use them.

Thanks for your help guys I know it will get going I just have been trying since yesterday at 6pm and just want to hear what I have wanted to for so long

O.k I got them back but now SPDIF is greyed out, what is that anyway. But center still does not work. I know everything is in the right spot, I ran the ONKYO test tone thing and it is working.

Also my ONKYO only shows stereo I can't get anyother formats, All ch. movie mode ect.

SPDIF is your digital connection from your sound card to your receiver, that is how I hook my HTPC to my Denon.

Hey big green fella, it will help a lot if you tell us what you change each time. I found getting my HTPC and receiver to play together was a bit of a challenge. Computers just have too many different places to change things and that greatly confuses setup.

Tell us what you are changing and where you opened it from.

FWIW, at one point I had all speakers putting out only the center channel on analog outs. That was very wierd.

P.S. I think your topic title is one of the all time best (as long as you didn't really smash your system!). Now we need to get to Hulk Happy. Hulk like pretty music...

OK, before you run out and buy a soundblaster try downloading this codec: AC# Filter

If you are outputting through spdif to your Onkyo receiver this should work with this codec. Just be sure to go into setup and select the correct options.