$5000 Audio Gear Upgrade: Benefits & Regrets

[DeadBeatAnon]

Have you recalibrated Audyssey since you possibly had the impedance switch in an undesirable position the 1st time you calibrated?

You may also want to consider bringing back the center channel for this recal since you should no longer have the "power suck".

After switching my HTR back to default 8 ohm impedance earlier this week, I played Resident Evil Village on my PS5 (Dolby Atmos) and still got center distortion. That's when i pulled the center. But I'll try the Polk center again with the Audyssey setup. I originally did a manual setup by measuring the distance from each speaker to my primary listening area. I also need to do something about the mirror directly behind my primary listening area. But no distortion in 4.1 mode, even with the mirror--so there's definitely something wrong with my center setup.

 

[peng]

After switching my HTR back to default 8 ohm impedance earlier this week, I played Resident Evil Village on my PS5 (Dolby Atmos) and still got center distortion. That's when i pulled the center. But I'll try the Polk center again with the Audyssey setup. I originally did a manual setup by measuring the distance from each speaker to my primary listening area. I also need to do something about the mirror directly behind my primary listening area. But no distortion in 4.1 mode, even with the mirror--so there's definitely something wrong with my center setup.

At what volume did the distortion become audible?

 

[Ruediger]

I noticed your source is 10 years old. That seems like a long time in a tech field. Anyone else want to weigh in on this issue? I’m not being combative—I’m genuinely confused now.

Yamaha does the same on the A-S line of amps. Don't use that switch. It's misleading. More a very limited safemode and not impedance adjustment, however that would work anyway.

 

[DeadBeatAnon]

At what volume did the distortion become audible?

I usually have the HTR volume set around -15 db to -10 db when watching films or playing games. I often drop the volume when just streaming YouTube via the Roku. Distortion typically occurs when there's a sudden audio spike in a film/game. In Resident Evil--Village on my PS5 (Dolby Atmos), distortion occurs in the cut-scene introducing Lady Dimitrescu. See below, the lady is dying to meet you lol.

 

[peng]

I usually have the HTR volume set around -15 db to -10 db when watching films or playing games. I often drop the volume when just streaming YouTube via the Roku. Distortion typically occurs when there's a sudden audio spike in a film/game. In Resident Evil--Village on my PS5 (Dolby Atmos), distortion occurs in the cut-scene introducing Lady Dimitrescu. See below, the lady is dying to meet you lol.

Then it seems likely that the audible distortion is due to a) the amp started to clip at volume -15 and above, b) the digital signal might be too high for the C60's input, in that case you can lower it, as that's the case for some of the previous models for sure but I am not 100% sure about the C60 so you might want to check with the owner's manual, c) both a) and b), or c) the Polk center speaker started to distort bad enough to be audible at that level. I would think that it shouldn't be as bad when watching movies that adheres to a large extent to THX, but for games, and You tube streaming, all bets are off.

If the cause is mainly a) then it is an easy fix, use a powerful external amp for the center channel.

 

[DeadBeatAnon]

Then it seems likely that the audible distortion is due to a) the amp started to clip at volume -15 and above, b) the digital signal might be too high for the C60's input, in that case you can lower it, as that's the case for some of the previous models for sure but I am not 100% sure about the C60 so you might want to check with the owner's manual, c) both a) and b), or c) the Polk center speaker started to distort bad enough to be audible at that level. I would think that it shouldn't be as bad when watching movies that adheres to a large extent to THX, but for games, and You tube streaming, all bets are off. If the cause is mainly a) then it is an easy fix, use a powerful external amp for the center channel.

No distortion with a 4.1 config--if the problem was the C60, wouldn't it still clip with a 4.1 config? I specifically chose the film Greenland because I've seen it before and it's a pretty good stress test for any home theater. With my 5.1 setup, all distortion seemed to emanate from the center channel, and going with a phantom center eliminated distortion. I'll reconnect the Polk center and run odyssey setup, per advice from EWL5. I'm also going to bump the center crossover from 100 Hz to 120 Hz.

 

[DeadBeatAnon]

If there’s any interest here, I’m willing to ship & loan my Wharfedale EVO 5.2 speakers (3-way, large bookshelf ) for a ASR review. I don’t see an ASR review for either the EVO 4.2 / 5.2. I’ll move my ELACs to my home theater fronts while the Wharfedales are being reviewed. I’ve had the EVO 5.2 pair for over a month with daily use, so they should be “broken in” (if that even means anything). I still have the Wharfedale box and most of the packing material. Since I’m a ASR newbie, I’m hesitant to contact Amir. If anyone here knows him and thinks there’s interest in reviewing Wharfedale EVO 5.2 speakers, let me know.

 

[peng]

No distortion with a 4.1 config--if the problem was the C60, wouldn't it still clip with a 4.1 config? I specifically chose the film Greenland because I've seen it before and it's a pretty good stress test for any home theater. With my 5.1 setup, all distortion seemed to emanate from the center channel, and going with a phantom center eliminated distortion. I'll reconnect the Polk center and run odyssey setup, per advice from EWL5. I'm also going to bump the center crossover from 100 Hz to 120 Hz.

The issue seems to be specific to the Polk Audio center speaker, don't you think? The C60 is not the issue, all AV receivers, even the flag ship models such as the C30, will clip if you push it hard enough, either by applying too strong a signal to the input or turning the volume up too high, that does not mean the AVR is the problem, more appropriate to say in such cases, the user is the "problem". For example, if you back the volume off to below -15 you would not hear the distortion you were hearing.

 

[Raj21p]

Honestly, this is a very grounded and realistic upgrade path compared to a lot of “audiophile” spending spirals. I completely agree that speakers usually give the biggest audible improvement per dollar, and the Wharfedales + ELACs are both smart choices if you prefer a smoother, less fatiguing sound. Also not surprised about the center channel frustration getting truly seamless LCR integration in real rooms is harder than most people expect.

 

[thcdru2k]

I think speaker placement and SBIR deserve more attention because moving speakers even a few inches can audibly change tonal balance. Small placement changes can significantly alter boundary interaction, bass/lower-mid integration, and subwoofer integration.

I also think there is no universally ideal distance from the front wall. Different speakers, crossover strategies, speaker voicing, rooms, and listening goals may all favor different placement compromises.

Once placement and integration are reasonably optimized, then I would consider speaker upgrades.

 

[thcdru2k]

These three measurements are the same bedroom system, same speakers, same room, and same UMIK-2/RoomFit process, but with different distances from the front wall. Moving the speakers only a few inches changed the bass balance, lower-mid body, and how naturally the sound blended together.

I do not think there is one universally ideal distance from the wall. It depends on the speaker, port behavior, crossover strategy, room geometry, listening position, and personal goals. But it is worth getting placement reasonably optimized before spending money on a new speaker.