Audio set-up imbalance help

GreiginFife

GreiginFife

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As we are blessed on this forum with experts in so many fields just a question on audio set up.
I run a 7.1 system from an Onkyo TX-NR636 which is network enabled and connected, firmware is up to date.
Speakers are Dali Zensor 7 floorstands at front, Zensor 1 satellites rear L/R and a Monitor Audio Bronze 3-way Centre. Sub is a Tannoy SFX active.
I recently added a set of Tannoy Mercury V1 standmounts as a set of high fronts and since this the centre chsnnel presence has all but gone, its on and producing but its not referencing in amongst the Fronts and High Fronts. I have run Audessey room detection several times and it states the levels are correct for L/R and F/R distance and echo.

So, I think the little MA bronze can't cope now with the bigger sound and think it needs an upgrade. Would love thd Zensor for obvious reasons but can't go to that price point.
So, forum multiexperts, what do you suggest? Is there something I can do to get the balance back, simply increasing the CC level makes it worse. Or can an alternative CC block be recommended (no more than £170 in budget) but would compete with the new set up high fronts?

Cheers
 
Hobbit

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Ah yes, that old chestnut. I'd go with trying a vulcan death grip... if she'll sit still long enough.
 
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GreiginFife said:
As we are blessed on this forum with experts in so many fields just a question on audio set up.
I run a 7.1 system from an Onkyo TX-NR636 which is network enabled and connected, firmware is up to date.
Speakers are Dali Zensor 7 floorstands at front, Zensor 1 satellites rear L/R and a Monitor Audio Bronze 3-way Centre. Sub is a Tannoy SFX active.
I recently added a set of Tannoy Mercury V1 standmounts as a set of high fronts and since this the centre chsnnel presence has all but gone, its on and producing but its not referencing in amongst the Fronts and High Fronts. I have run Audessey room detection several times and it states the levels are correct for L/R and F/R distance and echo.

So, I think the little MA bronze can't cope now with the bigger sound and think it needs an upgrade. Would love thd Zensor for obvious reasons but can't go to that price point.
So, forum multiexperts, what do you suggest? Is there something I can do to get the balance back, simply increasing the CC level makes it worse. Or can an alternative CC block be recommended (no more than £170 in budget) but would compete with the new set up high fronts?

Cheers
Click to expand...

Greig, AVForums are the experts. You will def get your answer there.
 
palindromicbob

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It been a long time since I had a good fiddle around with audio systems but,rather than increasing the centre levels have you tried lowering that of the fronts? Always tempting to try and increase the levels where something isn't performing as expected when it's safer to lower the levels around it instead. I'd be very careful with the Tannoys as they are probably at the highest risk of being overdriven. A mix and match approach to speaker selection doesn't place you in the best position for optimisation though.

At 120W/8ohms (if I'm looking at the correct centre speaker) if shouldn't really have an issue power wise.

I'm assuming your speaker placement is correct for the set-up. The room calibration features for system are great in my experience but usually require a little additional tweaking to suit the users ear.
 
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GreiginFife

GreiginFife

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palindromicbob said:
It been a long time since I had a good fiddle around with audio systems but,rather than increasing the centre levels have you tried lowering that of the fronts? Always tempting to try and increase the levels where something isn't performing as expected when it's safer to lower the levels around it instead. I'd be very careful with the Tannoys as they are probably at the highest risk of being overdriven. A mix and match approach to speaker selection doesn't place you in the best position for optimisation though.

I'm assuming your speaker placement is correct for the set-up. The room calibration features for system are great in my experience but usually require a little additional tweaking to suit the users ear.
Click to expand...

Tried lowering front and front highs but it just sounds coloured down to -6db.
The Tannoys are 80w nominal and high front output is 50w PC max.

I think the centre is too narrow to cope with the wider soundscape the high fronts create.
Audessey is superb, minimal tweaking ever needed, room set-up is as near spot on as I can get. Been messing with the levels all afternoon to no avail.
 
palindromicbob

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GreiginFife said:
Tried lowering front and front highs but it just sounds coloured down to -6db.
The Tannoys are 80w nominal and high front output is 50w PC max.

I think the centre is too narrow to cope with the wider soundscape the high fronts create.
Audessey is superb, minimal tweaking ever needed, room set-up is as near spot on as I can get. Been messing with the levels all afternoon to no avail.
Click to expand...

Not so bad then. Reading the data sheet it simply stated 160W for all channels.

Maybe best to run this on the AVforums for an answer from people that live this stuff, if you can handle the audiophiles that is. You've probably tried everything sensible and obvious and there will be more brains to pick over there.

Will be another while before I get a house that will suit a proper surround set up again. My old set-up Onkyo 5.1 but I sold it when I moved. Just got my Sony sound bar and it'll do the job for now.
 
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GreiginFife

GreiginFife

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Temporary solution has been to reduce the width of the soundscape. Centre is too narrow as suspected. Zensor ordered as Bob is right, keep them the same for optimisation.
 
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