New 170 SE set up not sounding good..
Hello everyone, I recently bought the !70 SE speakers along with rhythmik 12 ' subwoofer so that I can start my home theatre system. I heard very good reviews but since I got them I am not getting very good sound from them. I am not an audiophile so may not be able to explain in technical language, but the sound seems to be more flat for music listening then I want it to be.
Two problems that I am facing are:
1. Sound from 170 SE for music seems flat and not very sweet with all minor details that one would like to listen from musical instruments. I have Denon 2113 receiver and ran audessy multiple times, but not helping. Sound is clear but doesnt have that dynamic quality for music.
2. And Second also the subwoofer is not playing as loud and sometimes you cannot even hear it during music playing even when U are expecting more bass, and when I turn the subwoofer voice up the other songs get very heavy with bass which gives you tired feeling.
I dont know if there is any setting I am not doing right which is causing this problem.
Please suggest.
Re: New 170 SE set up not sounding good..
I'm not a fan of the 170s tweeter... perhaps the speaker is just not for you. Make sure it is towed in to your ear at ear level. Second is sub placement. Stick it in another position. Once you don't have nulls or voids in sound remove boominess in some frequencies by running audessy. You can't eq a null... only remove sound where there is too much reinforcement. I run mine in the corner.
Re: New 170 SE set up not sounding good..
Welcome to the forum! Sorry you're not getting what you were hoping.
A little background information might help us discern the problem. What speakers are you used to listening to? What kind of music are you playing? I presume that your receiver reported the speakers are in phase. Double check just to me sure. I have a general setup disk that has a phase test.
Do you have the speakers designated as "large" or "small" in your receiver setup? I'd run them as "small". I don't know about Denon, but my Onkyo's Audyssey made some weird decisions that I overrode. It selected crossover at 40hz, I changed it to 80hz and it really helped.
What size and configuration is the room you're using?
BTW, I use 170's as side surrounds in my home theater. I've also used them for 2 channel music. Teamed with a good subwoofer like you have, I think they sound really good!
Re: New 170 SE set up not sounding good..
speakers are only responsible for 50% of the sounds that youre hearing. the other half is the room youre in. so making sure your room is acoustically "good to go" is just as important as the speakers themselves. check out some articles on acoustical treatment. bass traps and acoustical panels will save the day!
Re: New 170 SE set up not sounding good..
Quote:
Originally Posted by
YourDhass
speakers are only responsible for 50% of the sounds that youre hearing
I've heard that 85% of statistics are made up on the spot! :o
Re: New 170 SE set up not sounding good..
Quote:
Originally Posted by
natetg57
I've heard that 85% of statistics are made up on the spot! :o
I heard it was 75% of statistics are made up on the spot.... there must be some confusion somewhere... ;)
anyways, im sure we agree that the room is considerably important in the final sound. you can get sloppy sounds out of a great speaker setup, and you can get solid sounds out of a mediocre setup, according to how well your room acoustics are.
Re: New 170 SE set up not sounding good..
Well I'd disagree with you folks and say that it just sounds like the 170SEs aren't a speaker for
ag82. Here's why, bold:
Quote:
Hello everyone, I recently bought the !70 SE speakers along with rhythmik 12 ' subwoofer so that I can start my home theatre system. I heard very good reviews but since I got them I am not getting very good sound from them. I am not an audiophile so may not be able to explain in technical language, but the sound seems to be more flat for music listening then I want it to be.
Two problems that I am facing are:
1. Sound from 170 SE for music seems flat and not very sweet with all minor details that one would like to listen from musical instruments. I have Denon 2113 receiver and ran audessy multiple times, but not helping. Sound is clear but doesnt have that dynamic quality for music.
2. And Second also the subwoofer is not playing as loud and sometimes you cannot even hear it during music playing even when U are expecting more bass, and when I turn the subwoofer voice up the other songs get very heavy with bass which gives you tired feeling.
I dont know if there is any setting I am not doing right which is causing this problem.
Please suggest.
So 1) The 170s are flat sounding speakers... They do not emphasize the bass, mids or treble, they have a flat sound... That's just how they're intended sound. Same goes for the 340SEs. They're neutral speakers.
2) Dynamism; I'd say it's fairly true, going from just the 340SE to the Sierra-1 gives you a more dynamic sound, and I'm certain the same goes by going from the 170SE to the Sierra-1.
Anyhow, seems to me to be a clear case of user preference. Even lately I've been going back to headphones, got some Beyer 990s, AKG Q701s/K550s as sell as some Etymotics, and reading about the different comments/opinions about headphones just makes you realize how much listener preference plays a huge role.
If someone wants a 'fun', dynamic sound (which usually means the V curve EQ settings; boosted bass & treble), Ascend isn't the place to look as the speakers are designed with a flat frequency response in mind. And as for dynamism, same, a 'small' speaker/woofer just won't sound/feel as dynamic as a larger speaker, especially given an above smaller room size.
Also you're not really supposed to 'hear' a well integrated the subwoofer. Especially since most music don't have much/any sub-bass...
I think it's expectations and choosing the wrong product. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the 170SE are great (love my 340SE which replaced 1600$ speakers..) but if you don't want a neutral/balanced sound, going Ascend probably isn't the best idea...
The advice often given is to spend some times with a new purchase and 'learn' to appreciate what it brings to the table. What sounds 'flat' and boring now might simply be because you're used to boomy and emphasized bass & treble... Going from that, anything better would sound worse. So just give it time and see if you can 'learn' to appreciate their strengths. I'd even say put aside the sub for a while, and just get used to the sound of the speakers. What might seem like a lack of 'detail' now might just be that their treble isn't boosted like what you're used to... More highs and even more distortion in the highs can sound like more detailed...
Plus the sub really adds a significant complexity layer... You just can't put a sub anywhere, turn it on, and expect it to sound great... You need to spend time positioning it correctly in your room, and then will probably need a microphone to calibrate it correctly. So now with new speakers at the same time, it's probably doing more harm than good I fear...
So actually, to conclude... I'd have to contradict myself and say that it might not actually be a case of user preference but maybe more just getting acquainted/used to a better sound... I mean the possibility is there that it's a preference thing, but it's more likely that it's just 'unlearning' what the low-fi/colored systems have taught you...
Btw, what music do you listen to? Recordings make a HUGE difference... Some bad sounding music will just always sound bad.
Also, room as been mentioned, got a pic of the room? Placement also plays a HUGE role in how the speakers will sound...
Re: New 170 SE set up not sounding good..
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ag82
Hello everyone, I recently bought the !70 SE speakers along with rhythmik 12 ' subwoofer so that I can start my home theatre system. I heard very good reviews but since I got them I am not getting very good sound from them. I am not an audiophile so may not be able to explain in technical language, but the sound seems to be more flat for music listening then I want it to be.
Two problems that I am facing are:
1. Sound from 170 SE for music seems flat and not very sweet with all minor details that one would like to listen from musical instruments. I have Denon 2113 receiver and ran audessy multiple times, but not helping. Sound is clear but doesnt have that dynamic quality for music.
2. And Second also the subwoofer is not playing as loud and sometimes you cannot even hear it during music playing even when U are expecting more bass, and when I turn the subwoofer voice up the other songs get very heavy with bass which gives you tired feeling.
I dont know if there is any setting I am not doing right which is causing this problem.
Please suggest.
Just curious if you've checked to make sure that dynamic compression isn't turned on in either the disc player, or the receiver. Often there are settings to enable dynamic compression for late night/quiet listening so as not to bother others.
Post back, let us know how it's going.
Jay
