Marty, let me just qualify my statements a little bit further here...If your looking for some answers to fix things on your own, and that is your goal/interest, if you persist, in time I think you'll likely solve a good deal of your challenges and difficulties your having, yes. Like anything else, if your ernestly looking for the answers, your going to find them!!
Your main goal here if indeed your having a "hole" at around 63hz range, is to get the speakers involved with covering that frequency in a better possition to bring that frequency up! Your sub will definitely have to be doing that frequency well in conjunction with your listening possition from what your telling me your crossovers are set at(80hz...?). Actually, this is largely correct setting for more traditional set-up's such as yours. You should be crossing over the mains(which can't do proper justice to full range DD/DTS signals really), and letting a powered/active woofer(s) do the bottom end for sure. STILL, I've found time and time again that, unless your mains are balanced well in that critical 60hz-100hz reigion(or the other speakers as well really..they're all important to balance evenly), your likely going to have problems at the crossover! This usually results in a perceived(and realized) "hole" in that reigion, and lack of pressence, dynamics, and impact where it counts a great deal!
You sub also needs to be set up where it couples with the mains and blends, balances, and "sync's" or coheres with them from your listening possition. This task is also rarely pulled of by even the most seasoned audiophile tweekies unfortunately.
Location, location, location,..is definitely the more significant factor for getting proper sound from ALL speakers. I can't stress this enough. If you get the speakers placed right, the rest of the stuff is comparatively easier, and you're way ahead of the game. Actually, to an extent...really, the other acoustic considerations take some time to understand and master as well. But the speaker possitioning and relative set-up is still the main thing, besides the gear itself of course(50/50)....
.....You know this stuff wer're talking about here is really where the game is at for building truely top notch, even world class, audio and video set-up's! There's a lot of great gear out there, and some of it works better in some situations/rooms/applications than others. However, that only goes so far, and most people don't know that. They spend time getting excited about learing about all the hot ticket, "A" rated products and what not out there, then attempt to put something together. And that's fun, it's all good. However, most people can only ever see this far, and think that, just because they plunked down their hard green for the best, most highly rated products at any given price, means that they're going to have great sound(or picture). And of course, there's a lot more too it.
So, I appreciate when someone takes the time to consider help with set-up, speaker placment, acoustics, etc. It's the most least understood, recognized, considered, or pursued among considerations regarding Audio or HT systems among the vast majority of the consumers out there for sure.
But don't loose heart, I've found most rooms to be at least "workable", with of course acceptable compromises...and there's ALWAYS compromises.
Hey, if you are indeed serious about learning setting up speakers, learning "EQ'ing"(sometimes needed in HT systems largely). room acoustics, indepth room theory, tips, tweeks, design, etc.., you may want to consider contacting the master, Russ Herschellman in San Francisco, and finding out when one of his next 8 hour seminars is going to be held again!
Russ is the leading well known, highly sought after, acoustical engineer/custom theater designer in the world pressently, and has worked on the best projects money can buy. He's also a current Stereophile GHT, Home Theater Mag, and AVInteriors(I think) writer. Anyway, he does good work,and know's his stuff. He charged $750 or so for his last seminar in Frisco, and I think it's probably worth looking into if you've got the bug!
Another consideration worth looking into would be to try to contact Lucas Film THX , and find out about their week long course for THX certification! They charge like between $1200 and $2500 or something like that, but at least you'd learn a whole lot. Heck, for me it's way worth it...but then I do this stuff for a living, as well as serious hobby. You'll have to weight it for sure.
Still for the money, Russ H. Is a great investment I think.
It will still take time for you to learn on your own, but it just may be worth it to you in the long run...or you can just pay someone whos good. Ah decisions, decisions...
Good luck
