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Problem with bass managment with many universals-

Hi all! I have heard of bass managment issues with certain players before, but I have yet to find one "universal" that has and good solution, or even slightly gets it right. Has everyone else just ignored, not noticed, or not found a good way to comprimise with one "universal" player in a system?
Here are my delimas that I have encountered. I have noticed this with most surround recievers and pre pros that are descent...When using the multichannel input, which one has to with dvda or sacd, one is limited to the non existant bass managmnet within the player.
To further detail: I own a B&K AVR507 and have tried this with 4 different denon and pioneer players as well as a yamaha that all are universal and have "bass managment"...
I own the dvd2900-soon to be modded, but have a dv45a and have tried the dv47ai as well as the dvd2200 and dvd1500 yamaha. Here is my first major problem. I, as many of you, have very capable front speakers that can play all but the lowest octive. I have a sub. I have tuned the room with the notch filter on the AVR507-if owners out there have not done this you are missing the boat!!! I am spoiled with the improvements this makes and it is "global"-in other words, it effects all selected inputs -OTHER than the dvda/sacd multichannel in...On this input, we now have to resort to using bass management that is generally associated with 5 year old pro logic recievers and is geared for htib/sub sat systems that has fixed crossovers at 90-125 hz and has no sub output at all if fronts are selected as anything other that "small"-even then the sound is miserable and makes putting hi rez stuff in sound MUCH WORSE THAN REDBOOK with the proper set up.
DOES ANYONE ELSE FIND THIS ASS BACKWARD???
Better, has anyone found a fix for this ridiculous problem?
I would expect this problem with a 3-400 "universal" but have duplicated the same problem with the Denon dvd2900($1000) and the Pio Elite DV47AI($900)!!!
The only "fix" I have found is to run the fronts as large on the dvd player, tell it you have no sub, and run speaker wire from the mains from your front l&r amp/reciever in addition to the LFE/sub cable so that your sub works when playing HI REZ???????????????SOLUTION??????
It is truly ashame when my properly set up standard compressed dvd's-with highly compressed dolby digital and dts data streams and not to mention Redbook cd's through the same machine absolutely smoke the sound quality of the hi rez stuff because the manufactures and or the studios will not let people manipulate the "perfect???" signal to make it work right for there own systems and or rooms and or listening styles.
Does anyone have any help that will fix my problems, or better will many more chime in just to prove a point-If these type of problems keep occuring, I will never want to buy any of the new super resolution formats, because my old tried and true one still sound much better optimized...
I guess this is why vinal keeps holding on, Eh??? Anyway, I have made the plunge to purchace the new machines that will play the high res stuff in a stellar ht/surroung rig, and so far have halted all buying of dvda/sacd until I can figure this mess out-worse, I am a dealer for this and am supposed to be selling this mess to the public and have been to my dispare-please, if any manufactures and or reps read this TAKE NOTE and make me the fool...FIX THIS!!!
scottshannon
scottshannon OP
42 posts
 
Good advise so far, I have not thought of using the main outs. Maybe this will help if I explain issue more. I have a B&K AVR507 Reciever that has STELLAR bass managment via the analogue or digital inputs that enables me to change the crossover points, as well as slopes, and has notch filtering that helps take some of the 50-60hz room node problems away. I am using Monitor gold ref 20's that have respectable bass to say 35 hz and a logan depth sub that is FLAT to 20hz in my room. I am getting stellar bass on all sources accept when I go to my 6ch input because the b&k as most good pre pros/recievers does not overlay its bass managment or do any processing nor will it let you on the 6ch input.
My problem is little to no bass output on the 6ch input only...If I use pre outs to sub, I loose the better bass managment in the reciever and loose my ablility to adjust the sub via remote-The system pulls double duty-so I do use this often. With it hooked up the way it is now, to get any reasonable sub output, I must turn all speakers to -8to -10 db on the Denon 2900 and jack the sub up to +10. This is the case if fronts are large and sub is on. I get a little more bass output is fronts are small and bass is on. but only a little more. I have yet to try fronts large and sub off because The b&K again doesnt manage the bass on this input, so the only solution I have found is to cheat the managment and run speaker level in addition to lfe/sub rca to sub so that it picks up "whatever" signal is present...
I have had this exact same problem here in my ht shop with pioneer elite dvd players as well as Yamaha's on the B&K-at all price points. I can cheat the managment and make it work, IT just doesnt seam as though it sohould be this way...
cinematic_systems
282 posts
 
There is no answer to your frustrations as clkearly you have experienced that a bits don't matter if the setup is incorrect.

Like all of us you must wait for the big companies to feel comforatable with giving us a multi-channel HD audio intercaqe that is standard. The downside to owning your receiver is that B&K does not make a DVD/SACD player with a custom interface.

I would not worry too much about the hi rez formats yet, once SACD collapses and DVD-A gets traction with HDMI-2?
things will shape up....the state of software/hardware is certainly equivalent to a tortured purgatorial existence.

and you're right it shouldn't be this way but it is.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
About the "optimum" SW crossover frequency...let me repeat my view that this varies a great deal according to the music. In general I think that the upper range of the SW is just as relevant as the lower range of the main speakers. In my particular setup my subwoofer systems are good to about 400 Hz (24 dB/octive XO). The way I know this is that my crossover permits me to vary the X/O frequency while music is playing, and when I input a white noise signal and sweep the X/O frequency over the range of 40 to 400 or so, there is no audible change in the sound. This suggests to me that I have achieved good "integration" of the subs with the mains. I usually use about 90 Hz, and go down to 40 for quiet music, and up to 200 or higher for orchestral and, particularly, organ music.
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