Purchased the Yamaha RXZ7

[64met]

Guys, I decided to go w/ the Yamaha in lieu of the Marantz AV8003; $/$ the Yamaha clearly wins! I set e/thing up yesterday and while pairing the Yamaha with my RTi10's as my mains while listening to music (regardless of source; CD, Music DVD (Mastered in 5.1) etc. I can't get the Rti10's dialed in appropriately; they sound very hollow... I am using the Rxz7 as a preamp and paring it with my outlaw 7 X 200 amp. For example, I am listening to God Smack Bastalla de los Tambores right now and for those of U who know this song... it is just 6 minutes of drum/bongo solo.... I just can't hear the deepness that I like. I am running an outlaw sub; and Polk Csi5 CC and Fxi3 rears.... My front stage is all set to "large". I have set/re-set the sub as well trying to tweak e/thing. I am at a loss; any other members using this set up? Any ideas on where to set e/thing? This Yamaha has more freaking sound fields, settings, etc. Maybe I just missed something very basic.

Any help is appreciated!!!

[bigred7078]

hmmmm i dont know what to tell ya man. I used a 3900 for awhile and it did an awesome job. Did you run YPAO?

[WilliamM2]

If you have your fronts set to large, you won't get any sub output on 2 channel sources. Could that be the fullness you are lacking?

[Erik Tracy]

I have a Yamaha V1800 - the 'lower end' sibling to the RXZ7, so this may not exactly work for you, but...

Start simple with the setup before applying the fancy sound fields - not all of them sound good...just cuz they are there doesn't mean you need to use them.

First off - I'd check to make sure your speakers are wired in phase to the amp and not out of phase - that could make the bass sound 'hollow'. If they are wired up right then - I would re-run YPAO and set everything to "auto" to establish a baseline setting.

YPAO will undoubtedly set your fronts to large, set the levels, distances, apply the Parametric EQ settings (which I think the default is "Natural"), etc.

With the default settings, start listening to your CDs, but select the "Straight" mode which will put the AVR into a mode where 2-channels sources are kept as 2-channels and not mixed to the center or surrounds, but you still get sound from the sub.

If the avr is connected correctly to your amp and the speakers are properly connected to the amp - then CDs should sound full on the RTI10s.

To check, put the AVR into "Pure Direct" - this will send outputs to ONLY the RTI10s and disable the sub.

You should now hear only what the RTI10s are capable of doing, but two things to be aware of:

If the source is digitally connected to the avr (via toslink, coax, or hdmi) then whatever you have selected for speaker settings and bass management will STILL BE applied to the RTI10s -even in Pure Direct.

This means that if YPAO or you have manually tweaked the settings so that speakers=small or bass=subwoofer (but not fronts) then that is what is sent to the RTI10s.

If the source is analog connected, then speaker settings and bass management are bypassed and the fronts default to large.

I have verified this on my V1800 with my CD connected via toslink and analog and switching back and forth between the two.

If you do not like the way YPAO sounds with the auto defaults, go back into setup and manually force Fronts=Large, Bass/LFE=BOTH.

Then go back and listen to CDs in Straight (sub will be active) and Pure Direct (sub will turn off).

If the RTI10s still sound hollow, then I would try wiring the RTI10s to just the avr - maybe your amp is faulty?

Or - placement could be a factor - move them closer to the wall for more bass re-inforcement.

Hope you get to that sweet spot! :)

[64met]

Erik; Thxs for the list of ideas.... looks like I know what I am doing this afternoon! I will report back later.

Thank you!!

[Erik Tracy]

Start with the simple checks first to verify everything is hooked up correctly.

Another thing to check - may sound silly - but check the backs of the RTI10s and verify the terminal jumpers are installed and making contact between the upper set and the lower set.

If you have your speakers wired to the tops terminals, and the jumpers are missing or not installed correctly, then that also may explain the 'hollow' sound.

Check the speaker wiring is in phase and then proceed on to YPAO and all the settings.

I have my RTIA3s hooked up via an external amp via preouts on my V1800 and I've done my own listening tests with Pure Direct (no sub) and I'm pleasantly surprised with the amount of bass that can come out of these bookshelves - so the RTI10s should definitely pump out the bottom end.

Slow, methodical, logical - you'll get there.

[avhomedesigns]

did you adjust the gain on the subwoofer through the reciever +10 / - 10