Help with a basic avr setting

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kbuzz3

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Help with a basic avr setting
« on: 10 Oct 2018, 02:18 am »
Hello all I have never run an avr but was able to cobble together a good sounding 3.1 setup with some spare equipment I had lying around.   My L R fronts are vintage  ads l300s, which go down to about 70.

Since ads did not really make a center to match I sourced the closest thing I could find in timber, size and appearance- an old Boston acoustics mini center.   The center is speced going down to a 100.
I originally set all three to xover with my yahama avr at 80 since there is no 70 setting in the Yamaha.

So my long winded question is is there any basic recommendation to keep all three at the same xover -80?
Or would it be better to raise the center channel speaker to 100 which its specs for.

Yes I have tested it while listening with both scenarios but did not find any consistency where one setting sounds better than the other. In other words it depended on what I was listening to

Thanks for any suggestions or advice

Phil A

Re: Help with a basic avr setting
« Reply #1 on: 10 Oct 2018, 02:51 am »
When you say tested do you mean listened or did you use an instrument to measure like an SPL meter (you can get an app with smartphones too)?

vintagebob

Re: Help with a basic avr setting
« Reply #2 on: 10 Oct 2018, 04:06 am »
What is the subwoofer frequency response?  If the subwoofer is fine with 100Hz, I would set the crossover there.

I imagine that nothing bad happens and that you won't notice a difference if you keep it at 80.

Bendingwave

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Re: Help with a basic avr setting
« Reply #3 on: 10 Oct 2018, 07:26 am »
If playing at high volume the 80hz crossover could cause some distortion to your center channel speaker since its specs is at 100hz....If that is not a concern then 80hz should be fine.

Other considerations to take into account on your AVR is the Center EQ as most up to date Yamaha AVR have it.....followed by SPL adjustments L/C/R....then Distance adjustments L/C/R.

kbuzz3

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Re: Help with a basic avr setting
« Reply #4 on: 10 Oct 2018, 02:57 pm »
First I would like to thank everyone for replying.  While being a two channel enthusiast in 30 years i have never set up and configured an AVR. SO let me provide more info to help.

PhilA.
When you say tested do you mean listened or did you use an instrument to measure like an SPL meter (you can get an app with smartphones too)?


No I only listened by ear to various tv, movies etc. I did not measure any spl's as i have always tuned by ear.  So not sure how or what id be looking for.

VINTAGE BOB
What is the subwoofer frequency response?  If the subwoofer is fine with 100Hz, I would set the crossover there.

I imagine that nothing bad happens and that you won't notice a difference if you keep it at 80.


The subs are dual TBI modules which spec at
FREQUENCY RESPONSE   20 Hz –200 Hz (-6DB)
POWER CAPACITY   100 W RMS (175W IHF)
SENSITIVITY   90db 1w/1m @ 35Hz
IMPEDANCE   8 ohms nominal

Dont know if this changes our reply, but given this are you saying to try the center at 100 and leave the Fronts at 80 where they are?

BENDINDGNWAVE

If playing at high volume the 80hz crossover could cause some distortion to your center channel speaker since its specs is at 100hz....If that is not a concern then 80hz should be fine.

Other considerations to take into account on your AVR is the Center EQ as most up to date Yamaha AVR have it.....followed by SPL adjustments L/C/R....then Distance adjustments L/C/R.


I only noticed a hint of distortion coming from the center at 80...nothing dramatic .....

Re Center EQ: are you saying there may be a separate eq adjustment for the center channel.  im only using a basic AVRX-683 and while i recall seeing general eq settings for YPAO, i dont recall one for each speaker. I will have to check.  I doubt this basic model has that, but f so what am I looking for here?

RE other adjustments
Im totally a rookie here but after running YPAO with the yamaha flat eq i find that the distances set were very very accurate- kind of cool actually. 

RE SPL not sure again here. Are you suggesting to get an spl meter app like the one suggested above and check that the spls are all the same or that in room measurements correlates with what the AVR automatically set ?  This may be beyond my skills (cue Aragon reference) Even so the AVR has plus minus db on the basic menu...not sure how i would check to see actual spl numbers.   With that said how would the spl measurements relate to the center cross over in general?

Thanks again

DM

Phil A

Re: Help with a basic avr setting
« Reply #5 on: 10 Oct 2018, 03:25 pm »
You can get test tones/discs with an SPL meter or you can get an App with an RTA and a microphone like - https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-imm-6-calibrated-measurement-microphone-for-tablets-iphone-ipad-and-android--390-810

The goal would be to see where the various speakers drop off frequency wise.

Bendingwave

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Re: Help with a basic avr setting
« Reply #6 on: 10 Oct 2018, 09:17 pm »
Yes, there is usually a separate eq adjustment only for the center channel.....Yamaha AVR's usually with the YPAO technology have the center eq.

YPAO does adjust the distance controls but you can still manually adjust it if it is not to your satisfaction.

SPL on the Yamaha AVR stands for Speaker Level, in which you can adjust the volumed level of each speaker.