My home audio system has a few shortcomings.

JDBarrow

JDBarrow

Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2024
Messages
101
Location
Pleasant Hill, Iowa
Here are the specs:

1. Marantz NR1200 Network Audio Receiver
2. Dayton Audio T652 Dual 6-1/2" Woofers and 5/8" Dome Tweeter 2-Way Tower Speaker Pair - 30" Inches Tall - 90 Watts RMS, 150 Watts Max, 6 Ohms Impedance (4 to 8 Ohms Compatible)
3. Klipsch Synergy Black Label Sub-100 10” Front-Firing Subwoofer with 150 Watts of continuous power, 300 watts of Dynamic Power, and All-Digital Amplifier for Powerful Home Theater Bass

My Samsung television connects to the receiver via digital optical. My Panasonic BD player connects to my TV set via HDMI cable. My computer connects to my TV via HDMI cable and to my receiver via 3.50 mm to dual RCA plugs from its line out green jack on the motherboard. The Klipsch self-powered sub connects to the receiver pre-out via a single RCA cable. The receiver, by its A speaker terminals, is connected to the Dayton Audio floor speakers via 18-gauge copper speaker wires.


In some movies, the music is loud but it is hard to hear the people talking. This happens while watching the 1981 horror film "Wolfen" on Blue-Ray disc. I'm sure this disc has surround encoding. This is not a true home theater surround sound system. The Marantz receiver I have provides a pre-out jack to connect what the manual calls a "front speaker" but there needs to be an external power amplifier installed as well. Would installing this "front speaker" as the manual says cause movie dialog to be heard more clearly? Would this front speaker use the center audio channel of surround/Dolby Pro Logic material to produce dialog? The Marantz NR1200 is an oddball receiver. It is not a stereo receiver in the strictest conventional sense but it also is not a "surround sound" receiver, strictly speaking.

In some music, the high hat cymbals get cancelled. This happens in Devo's song "Whip it". I have been able to get good high hat sound by using the Windows Media Player's Enhancements/Equalizer and selecting Techno and also attenuating the highest frequency EQ sliders. The trouble is, when the WMP Equalizer is active, there is this frequent fading in and out of audio volume that does not happen when the EQ is turned off. Again, would an amplified front speaker connected to the receiver's pre-out jack dedicated for this purpose improve high notes and subtle notes like cymbals and brush-played drums? What type of amplified front speaker might attenuate and make crisp the highs such as human voice dialog and high-pitched musical notes and subtle notes such as the high hat? It seems like the tweeters in my Dayton Audio floor speakers suck. I have tried adjusting the receiver's bass knob to zero setting but the treble to the highest 6 Db setting but that alone doesn't bring in Devo's "Whip It" high hat sharp and clear. I really need to amp up my highs somehow.

The Klipsch 10" sub is awesome for lows. You can really feel the diesel locomotives rumble in the train simulator.

​

 
Your receiver is stereo only. No decoding for surround. I would go into the TV and set the digital output you are using to stereo, or it may say PCM. The TV manual should be able to tell you which setting is for stereo only. This should help with the vocals and highs. I suspect some information may be lower or missing if your digital out is set to multichannel. I would do the same with your DVD player, set it for 2-channel only.

I'm not sure what you saw that mentioned front channel unless maybe the receiver has A/B speaker terminals. There is no hook up for a center channel nor the proper decoding for that.

If what I suggested should not remedy the issue it maybe the quality of the speakers. I'm not familiar with that brand. If that's the case you could try something new or look for what some call a "super tweeter". I don't know if any of those are priced reasonable. It's just a add on tweeter like the sub but for highs.

Even with full surround sound I've seen people complain about the dialogue being too low so this is sometimes just a common issue with the mastering. Unfortunately with stereo there's not much you can do to adjust it.

Your subwoofer should be blended with your mains so that you aren't able to hear where it's at in the room. Meaning it should sound non-directional. If this isn't the case if the sub is too loud or crossover too high it could possibly interfere with clarity of the midrange where vocals are.

You want to set the crossover on your sub to "off" or to it's highest setting on the subwoofer itself. Your NR1200 has bass management with a crossover built-in. So, for example, if you set the crossover in the receiver to 80hz 80hz and down goes to the sub while 81hz and up goes to your main speakers. 80hz is a good start, I would not go higher but you might go lower if your main speakers can handle it. If you aren't using this bass management it could also be messing up your sound.

Set the gain on the subwoofer to taste but remember you shouldn't hear where in the room the sub is located.
 
I read your post again, the preamp outputs is to add an external amplifier, this would bypass the one built into the receiver, nothing to do with center channel.

Also to clarify when I was explaining how to turn up or off the sub crossover it's to take that crossover out of the mix. You just want to use the crossover inside the receiver.
 
Mr Peabody said:
Your receiver is stereo only. No decoding for surround. I would go into the TV and set the digital output you are using to stereo, or it may say PCM. The TV manual should be able to tell you which setting is for stereo only. This should help with the vocals and highs. I suspect some information may be lower or missing if your digital out is set to multichannel. I would do the same with your DVD player, set it for 2-channel only.

I'm not sure what you saw that mentioned front channel unless maybe the receiver has A/B speaker terminals. There is no hook up for a center channel nor the proper decoding for that.

If what I suggested should not remedy the issue it maybe the quality of the speakers. I'm not familiar with that brand. If that's the case you could try something new or look for what some call a "super tweeter". I don't know if any of those are priced reasonable. It's just a add on tweeter like the sub but for highs.

Even with full surround sound I've seen people complain about the dialogue being too low so this is sometimes just a common issue with the mastering. Unfortunately with stereo there's not much you can do to adjust it.

Your subwoofer should be blended with your mains so that you aren't able to hear where it's at in the room. Meaning it should sound non-directional. If this isn't the case if the sub is too loud or crossover too high it could possibly interfere with clarity of the midrange where vocals are.

You want to set the crossover on your sub to "off" or to it's highest setting on the subwoofer itself. Your NR1200 has bass management with a crossover built-in. So, for example, if you set the crossover in the receiver to 80hz 80hz and down goes to the sub while 81hz and up goes to your main speakers. 80hz is a good start, I would not go higher but you might go lower if your main speakers can handle it. If you aren't using this bass management it could also be messing up your sound.

Set the gain on the subwoofer to taste but remember you shouldn't hear where in the room the sub is located.
Click to expand...

Certainly good starting advice.

Your receiver is capable of much better sound than the Dayton speakers are capable of.

Having said that you have system setting issues that are separate of your speakers that is causing you these many of these issues.

Have you tried reading the manual to get it set up right? (I don't mean that sarcastically).
 
Here is what the Marantz book says about setting the speakers. The term CROSSOVER is not used in the book. There are TEST tones and making physical measurements of speaker distances. The manual mentions LOW PASS FILTER.

Speakers Make speaker-related settings. Subwoofer
Select whether or not subwoofer is present, playback capacity for low bass frequencies.
o Subwoofer

Set the presence of a subwoofer. Yes
(Default): No:

o Low Pass Filter Set the low pass filter of the subwoofer channel.
40 Hz / 60 Hz / 80 Hz / 90 Hz / 100 Hz / 110 Hz / 120 Hz / 150 Hz / 200 Hz / 250 Hz (Default: 80 Hz)

Use a subwoofer.
Select when a subwoofer is not connected.

Distances
Set distance from listening position to speakers. Measure beforehand the distance from the listening position to each speaker.
o Unit

Set the unit of distance. Feet (Default) Meters
o Step
Set the minimum variable width of the distance. 1 ft / 0.1 ft (Default: 1 ft) 0.1 m / 0.01 m

Connections Playback Settings Tips Appendix 0 This item cannot be set when “Subwoofer” is set to “No”. Front panel

Display Rear panel 129 Remote IndexContents o Set the distance 0.0 ft – 60.0 ft / 0.00 m – 18.00 m (Default: 12.0 ft (3.60 m))
0 The subwoofer cannot be set when the “Subwoofer” - “Subwoofer” is set to “No”. (v p. 129)
0 Set the difference in the distance between the speakers to less than 20.0 ft (6.00 m).
o Set Defaults The “Distances” settings are returned to the default settings.
Connections Playback Settings Levels
Set the volume of the test tone to be the same at the listening position when it is output from each speaker.

o Test Tone Start
A test tone is output from the selected speaker. While listening to the test tone, adjust the volume output from the selected speaker. –12.0 dB – +12.0 dB (Default : 0.0 dB)
0 The set “Levels” are reflected in all sound modes. 0 If you wish to adjust the left and right balance for each input source, carry out the settings in “Balance”. (v p. 86)
0 When headphones are connected to the PHONES connector on this unit, you cannot set “Levels”.
o Set Defaults The “Levels” settings are returned to the default settings.

Tips Appendix
 
Here is what the manual says about a "front speaker". Does this improve ambiance in the room in some way? What is the purpose of connecting a "front speaker" that uses a power amplifier according to Marantz?

marantz front speaker.jpg
 
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Using the equalizer for the free Musicolet music player app from Google Play Store installed on my Motorola Moto E6 Android 9 phone, I am able to make adjustments to frequencies that make the high-hat symbols come in crisp and clear even on my humble Dayton Audio speakers. This of course requires Bluetooth paring to the receiver. But when EQ attenuations are monkeyed with, sound does improve. My phone app lets me save custom EQ settings for various music types. I found that "techno" type music requires a good boost of the highs and not so much on the lower to mid-range frequencies. The equalizer function under Microsoft Corporation Windows Media Player Enhancements is pure crap. The music player app on my phone let's me dial in refinements to music playback quality.

Do any people here use an equalizer audio component?
 
"Filter" is the same thing as crossover. Set the receiver to subwoofer - "Yes" Do as I suggested on the subwoofer's physical settings, turn the crossover off or to its highest point.

I would begin setting your "filter" to 80hz. Then use the test tone to adjust the volume of the speakers and sub to where they sound the same volume when playing the tone.

After that you may need to do some fine adjustments like trying 60hz to see which point sounds the best to you.

You can use a tape measure to measure how far the speakers are from your listening position and set that.

As I explained in the prior post the preamp output is for an external amp. It just bypasses the internal amp (the one built into the receiver) It would allow you to add an external amp for more power or better sound then the one built-in.
 
JDBarrow said:
Using the equalizer for the free Musicolet music player app from Google Play Store installed on my Motorola Moto E6 Android 9 phone, I am able to make adjustments to frequencies that make the high-hat symbols come in crisp and clear even on my humble Dayton Audio speakers. This of course requires Bluetooth paring to the receiver. But when EQ attenuations are monkeyed with, sound does improve. My phone app lets me save custom EQ settings for various music types. I found that "techno" type music requires a good boost of the highs and not so much on the lower to mid-range frequencies. The equalizer function under Microsoft Corporation Windows Media Player Enhancements is pure crap. The music player app on my phone let's me dial in refinements to music playback quality.

Do any people here use an equalizer audio component?
Click to expand...

Schiit makes some reasonably priced EQ's. You could actually use that preamp output to loop in an EQ. Come out of the preamp output into the EQ and back out of the EQ back into the receiver. Now that I think about that you need the input back into the receiver I'd have to check to see if there is one.

I really think once you filter out the lows in your main speakers you will hear more clarity. Let me know how it goes.
 
Mr Peabody said:
Schiit makes some reasonably priced EQ's. You could actually use that preamp output to loop in an EQ. Come out of the preamp output into the EQ and back out of the EQ back into the receiver. Now that I think about that you need the input back into the receiver I'd have to check to see if there is one.

I really think once you filter out the lows in your main speakers you will hear more clarity. Let me know how it goes.
Click to expand...

Sorry, you would not be able to use an EQ on your receiver. The preamp outputs are there but no input back into the internal amp. You could go from preamp out to EQ to external amp but that seems like a lot just for EQ.

If you do the subwoofer setup I suggested any signal above your selected filter point would go to your mains and anything below to the sub. This allows your receiver to only have to reproduce the frequencies above the filter cutoff and your speakers not to have to reproduce those frequencies which often adds clarity to your midrange.
 
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