newbie needs help fast!!!

[zombie boy 2000]

i'm really new to all of this, so please refrain from laughing :p
i just purchased the monitor 70's with hk avr240, along with the promotional sub
it seems that i can only get a suitable performance from the receiver using the dolby pro logic II music mode. All other modes range from unsatisfactory to downright unlistenable. I understand many of the modes are intended for surround sound presentation, but shouldn't the vmax and stereo modes provide viable options for using just two speakers? I've checked my delay settings and have the tone on...
at first my speakers seemed too bright -- not enough bass, very high treble
after about 5-6 hours of playing music, the bass settled in, seemingly at the expense of the higher frequencies... that is to say that intially, the "highs" were crisp and sharp, but now seem to blend in with the midrange -- producing a somewhat muddier sound. i think the tweeter is working properly, but i guess i wouldn't know if it went bad (is it all or nothing?) i'm using a digital coax from a standard dvd player, should i be using the analog outputs if i'm only listening to stereo? again, the dolby pro logic II music mode is the only thing that sounds decent, and this is a surround sound mode
any suggestions -- perfectly willing to start set-up from scratch.

[PolkThug]

On the AVR, set front speakers to "small", sub to "yes", crossover to 80hz. Use sub out from receiver to sub. Listen again.

[zombie boy 2000]

i only have the left/right inputs on the back of the sub (no sub input jack),
so i have rcas running from the front left/right preouts on the receiver to the sub
should i still set speakers to small?

[PolkThug]

Still use the sub out on the receiver and connect it to the left RCA input on the sub (or use a splitter and connect it to both). (and do what I mentioned above)

[PolkThug]

Still use the "small" setting. Experiment with the crossover on the HK, try 80, 60 , etc. When you use the 'small' setting, it will direct bass that is below the crossover setting to the sub out. This typically gives increased clarity to your main speakers.

[zombie boy 2000]

thanks for responding so quickly!!!
what about using the standard rcas from the dvd player instead of the digital coax if i'm only using the two fronts (and sub)?
stupid question, i'm sure -- but i'm learning
i would like to make the leap to stereo mode from dolby pro logic II since this seems to be what everyone suggests (this would also serve as a sort of litmus test to ensure that everything is working properly, since every mode but pro logic seems muddy)

[michael_w]

Would you have just a normal stereo mode if you hooked it up without the digital coax or do you still have to do some kind of sound preset? If you just want 2 channel music, it's probably best to just hook up your dvd player through analog rca's (just the two - left and right) and have it running in stereo. Also, like polkthug said, try hooking up your sub with the lfe out / sub out into the left channel of your sub (or use a y splitter for a 6dB gain in the signal) and then go from there.

Your speakers are probably changing their sound due to break in. Most speakers and electronics fresh out of the box take a few hours to break in, some a lot more than others. My sub is said to take around three hours while my Polk LSi7's take closer to 100 hours.

btw none of your questions are stupid... everyone has to start somewhere right?

[zombie boy 2000]

thanks for all of these suggestions... i can't believe how responsive this forum is!!!
is there anything else that i might want to look for? (since my frame of reference is rather limited)

[PolkThug]

thanks for all of these suggestions... i can't believe how responsive this forum is!!!
is there anything else that i might want to look for? (since my frame of reference is rather limited)

Your welcome! I was so fast I forgot to say "Welcome to the forum!" :)

[zombie boy 2000]

one last thing before i head home...
should i set the audio on my dvd player to "raw"?
or should i leave it on "pcm"?
what's the difference?

[cfrizz]

WTH is RAW????

Welcome Zombie!

[faster100]

we are fast and friendly, Just don't try and sell anything for awhile :D

[zombie boy 2000]

so i went home and tried everything polkthug and michael w suggested...
night and day -- i can't believe the improvement!!! the highs are nearly three-dimensional without sacrificing any of the lower frequencies; thanks again..
as for my "pcm" question... the dvd menu has two options for audio set-up-- pcm and "raw", and i simply don't know what any of this means.. would someone mind helping me with this, as well? also, it was suggested that i set my crossover on the receiver to 80 (which i did), but i noticed that the back of my polk sub (psw100) has a "Hz knob" that ranges from 80Hz to 160Hz-- what should i set this to? i'm sure the answer is fairly obvious. thanks again for your help!!

[Willow]

What dvd player do you have? It may help us out figuring what RAW means.

[zombie boy 2000]

sorry... it's a basic low-end toshiba (i know, i know -- my next purchase will definitely be a dedicated cd player); could it have something to do with alternating the dsp beween the receiver and the dvd player? and since i've made the switch to analog cables, does it even matter?

[McLoki]

also, it was suggested that i set my crossover on the receiver to 80 (which i did), but i noticed that the back of my polk sub (psw100) has a "Hz knob" that ranges from 80Hz to 160Hz-- what should i set this to? i'm sure the answer is fairly obvious. thanks again for your help!!Welcome to the forum.

You do not want two crossovers affecting your bass frequencies. In your reciever set your crossover to 80 (don't forget to try other settings to see what sounds best to you, but 80 is a great starting place).

Since your sub does not have an LFE or SUB in (basically bypassing the crossover in the sub) you want to set the crossover built into the sub as high as you can to try and move it out of the way. (set it to 160 or higher if possible)

Michael

[PolkThug]

one last thing before i head home...
should i set the audio on my dvd player to "raw"?
or should i leave it on "pcm"?
what's the difference?

I'm thinking it needs to be set to PCM in order to get DTS when its available. I'm not sure why I think this though....

[adam2434]

If you want your AVR to decode DD and DTS (obviously through a digital coax or optical cable), I believe you will want to select "raw", which should mean the same as "bitstream" on other DVD players. I believe "PCM" will convert a DD or DTS soundtrack to 2 channel in the CD digital format.

If you're only using the analog RCA connections, the digital audio output setting is moot.

Adam

[zombie boy 2000]

thanks again to everyone for indulging me in what must be an extremely tired subject :p (what may seem like a "little bit" to you has actually made a world of difference to me)
as i'm just making my first steps into the world of audio, you've definitely supplied me with a solid foundation to build upon -- i look forward to learning from some of the other "threads" and most of all, sitting back and enjoying my new system
hope someday i might be able to actually help someone else :)
thanks

[Willow]

hope someday i might be able to actually help someone else :)
thanks


Your time will come ;)

[zombie boy 2000]

i'm looking to move away from using my low (and i mean low) end toshiba dvd player, esp for playing cds... any suggestions for a dedicated cd player between 75-150 dollars? and most importantly, will it produce a marked difference in audio quality? i'm happy with my hk avr 240 and monitor 70's -- i just don't know if this would be the next logical step... i've tried researching the cd players, and haven't been very successful
any and all input would be greatly appreciated

[cfrizz]

I think you are going to have to up your dollar amount to get something decent, unless you look at used.

[zombie boy 2000]

so.. you don't think 100 -150 dollars will buy a cd player that produces a better sound than a $50 dvd player? i'm open to this, but as i'm not sure how the technology works, this leaves me somewhat confused... for example, why would one spend 120 on a sony cd player at circuit city, when they can get a sony dvd player for the same price, if not less? forgive me, if i'm fallaciously confusing cost with quality... as you can tell, i'm still wading in the kiddie pool here (without floaties, mind ya)

[fab5valentine]

Hi, just to buzz in.. I too had initial problems with my Toshiba DVD SD-V593, it's a decent player with good reviews on proscan etc.. It too has the PCM & RAW settings.. Set it to "RAW" for sure I had issues with this too. It forces it into a PCM stereo mode and I couldn't get the Dolby Digital or DTS signals thru my AVR only PLCII which is the AVR's forced 5.1.. RAW allows the signal to come in RAW or "Natural" and my AVR picked up digital the signal right away, let your AVR do the work with selecting the modes you want. I think this was a cool way to make the sound better for a direct connection into your TV. Also another thing that drove me crazy was the Q-Sound set-up on this DVD player. Q-sound is a sound enhanser.. Turn this off! If you have it.. It too -I think is made to enhance the direct connection to your TV, but for me made the speakers echo funny like one of the DLP modes on your AVR. --I hope this helps.

fab5

[zombie boy 2000]

thanks for chiming in... i have something akin to the "q-sound" feature known as 3d-sound, and when it's activated, my speakers instantly transform into folger coffee cans (or at least, that's what it sounds like)... fab5, i think you might be overestimating my dvd player, as i truly believe it might possibly be a promotional item given away for opening up a checking account... the casing is plastic, slightly sturdier than the material they use to produce sporks at KFC... i'm serious when i say that i'd probably be better off with an apex, as i cannot imagine a world where this player would merit a review (bad or good)
ahem...
i'm anything but dissatisfied with my speakers and receiver, and if i had to, i would be perfectly happy to subsist with the equipment i have
i just can't imagine this dvd player not hindering the performance of my equipment in some way (however small)

[fab5valentine]

I haven't toured much on the electronics side of this forum but I'd be guessn' the same thing that you see here, quick response and good advice.. You can make a requst for something on the flea market side too, for sometimes really good deals. I got mine at Vanns.com with free shipping $149, proscan, HDMI upconverts to 1080p, but these guys here know their stuff and have already been thru a lot of the review process.. Have fun with your toys..

-Fab5

[Skynut]

fab5, i think you might be overestimating my dvd player, as i truly believe it might possibly be a promotional item given away for opening up a checking account... the casing is plastic, slightly sturdier than the material they use to produce sporks at KFC... )


That is some funny chit right there.

I would do homework and find something you know you like and then save up.
If you stick around you will find we all have opnions and most of us would tell you to go to the stores and find out what you like.
You do not like your player but there is someone here who would love to have it because they do not have one or they have one they think could not be better than yours.

[McLoki]

I had a toshiba 4900 dvd player that sucked for playing audio cd's. I ended up purchasing a toshiba 3960 (dvd player that happened to get good reviews for playing audio cd's) that had been modded by a forum member for about $125 and it was a HUGE step up in audio quality. There are a number of highly reguarded CD players in the $500 range, but no more than I listen to audio cd's - they just weren't worth the cost.

For my price range and the amount of time I spend listening to audio cd's it was the perfect upgrade for me. Depending on what you are expecting and starting with - it may be a good upgrade for you as well.

Michael

[michael_w]

I've owned a dvd player just like yours (got mine for $32 with our sofas a few years ago ;) ) and have since then moved to a NAD C540 (http://www.happymedium.com/nad/nadc540.htm) (retailed for about 550 usd) and yes it was an improvement but it wasn't huge.

I had been wanting to upgrade my dvd player for quite a while but I kept putting it off. Finally a really sweet deal showed up here and I jumped on it. Personally IMO you'll only get an improvement worth spending your cash on if you get a kick ass deal on a used piece of gear.

[danger boy]

I've owned a dvd player just like yours (got mine for $32 with our sofas a few years ago ;) ) and have since then moved to a NAD C540 (http://www.happymedium.com/nad/nadc540.htm) (retailed for about 550 usd) and yes it was an improvement but it wasn't huge..

really? i did the same... went from a 3960 to a NAD CDP. and noticed a pretty big improvement.. in general.. the lower cost DVD players don't sound real good for CD playback. that's been my experience. I used to think the same thing. if it can read a CD.. then they all sound the same right? Who cares if it's a DVD player or not...it can read and play it back.

Well, till i purchased a used NAD 5340 CDP... i now think differently. To my ears there is no comparrison. Granted by DVD player was low end.. higher name brand DVD players may be much better. I'm not sure.

[zombie boy 2000]

good advice everyone... always coming through in the clutch!!!
i'll do my research, and if i find anything of merit... i'll get back to ya
(and please feel free any onlookers and/or passerbys to offer your 2 ducets)