• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

KEF LS50 METAs + Denon AVR X4700 low dialogue issue

Contango17

New Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2022
Messages
3
Likes
0
Hello forum. I have a pair of KEF LS50 METAs that I use in a 2.0 setup for movies and music, paired with a Denon AVR X4700H. Display is a LG C1 77. I did the calibration where you move the mic to different listening area spots. They sound fantastic. However the dialogue is often difficult to hear in many movies, particularly action ones. The effects/ and other noises often drown out the vocals. It's really annoying to have to make the volume louder in some scenes and then lower in others. I've tried a few different settings on the Denon but haven't had much luck finding an optimal mix. Any thoughts here? Should I be looking at adding an amp or a center? Added a pic of my setup. Thanks in advance. I posted this on a few sites, please let me know if this should be directed elsewhere.
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20211114_220019635.jpg
    PXL_20211114_220019635.jpg
    128.2 KB · Views: 405

Enkay25

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2019
Messages
96
Likes
89
It may be because of improper speaker configuration.
Redo your speaker setup and make it a 2.0 config.

Either do the setting wizard or manually set the speakers.
 

HarmonicTHD

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 18, 2022
Messages
3,326
Likes
4,829
Also use the Dynamic Volume function. Sometimes movies are just mastered that way that vocals are too low.
 

polmuaddib

Senior Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 1, 2020
Messages
479
Likes
852
Speakers are too low and inside the shelf. I think it messes their imaging. Get them out and ear-level high. Experiment with different positions.
Center channel (another speaker) would also help, but might not be essential if you are sitting in the middle and alone.
 

HarmonicTHD

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 18, 2022
Messages
3,326
Likes
4,829
Speakers are too low and inside the shelf. I think it messes their imaging. Get them out and ear-level high. Experiment with different positions.
Center channel (another speaker) would also help, but might not be essential if you are sitting in the middle and alone.
Yes. Very good advice. I did not look at the picture in the first place. Actually current position inside the shelve, can’t get much worse.
 
OP
C

Contango17

New Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2022
Messages
3
Likes
0
Thanks for the feedback. I'll mess around with positioning a bit. Would love to leave in the shelf if possible but maybe that's the problem
 

Battlebeast

Member
Joined
May 25, 2022
Messages
67
Likes
77
Hello forum. I have a pair of KEF LS50 METAs that I use in a 2.0 setup for movies and music, paired with a Denon AVR X4700H. Display is a LG C1 77. I did the calibration where you move the mic to different listening area spots. They sound fantastic. However the dialogue is often difficult to hear in many movies, particularly action ones. The effects/ and other noises often drown out the vocals. It's really annoying to have to make the volume louder in some scenes and then lower in others. I've tried a few different settings on the Denon but haven't had much luck finding an optimal mix. Any thoughts here? Should I be looking at adding an amp or a center? Added a pic of my setup. Thanks in advance. I posted this on a few sites, please let me know if this should be directed elsewhere.
Get a third one and lay all three atop your stand.
 

HarmonicTHD

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 18, 2022
Messages
3,326
Likes
4,829
Thanks for the feedback. I'll mess around with positioning a bit. Would love to leave in the shelf if possible but maybe that's the problem
Don’t have them inside the shelve. It’s the worst you can do, plain and simple.
 

Presently42

Active Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2019
Messages
174
Likes
238
Location
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
However the dialogue is often difficult to hear in many movies
Are you using a computer with windows? It took me forever to figure all of this out, as for some reason, there's literally no documentation anywhere. I should make a tutorial....

Anyway, if that's the case, the issue is incorrect downmixing in both windows and the avr. Using equaliser apo, you must create your own downmix filters (I've attached my own). In windows settings, choose a 7.1 setup and enable all speakers as full. Finally, in the avr, ensure, that multi ch in is being used.
 

Attachments

  • 7-1 to 2-0.txt
    209 bytes · Views: 51

abdo123

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 15, 2020
Messages
7,425
Likes
7,941
Location
Brussels, Belgium
The shelves aren’t a big deal, but you want to plug the port and make them extrude a bit so the whole front baffle is outside the shelf.
 

vert

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
May 30, 2018
Messages
284
Likes
256
Location
Switzerland
I've used 2.0, then 2.1, and now 3.1 with the TV screen acting as the centre channel (Sony TV model). All configurations perfectly usable, no issues with dialogue volume. So it's a settings or other physical (placement) issue probably. In my case when dialogue has been low, settings in source such as Netflix or TV provider box, or on the AVR or the TV itself, may have been on an incompatible setting like 5.1 or dolby XYZ. Settings get switched accidentally (someone sits on a remote control, dog paws, etc.), e.g. from 3.1 to 2.1, and suddenly no dialogue. Etc, etc.
 
OP
C

Contango17

New Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2022
Messages
3
Likes
0
Thanks everyone. To hit on a couple of the above points - not using this setup for my PC - using with cable box and LG apps. I did find that switching the Denon mode to one of the regular stereo options helped a bit. It defaults to an Atmos setting in a lot of Netflix content Going to mess with positioning tonight. Will try extruding them a bit from the shelves and tilting up before removing out entirely.
 

birdog1960

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2022
Messages
309
Likes
329
Location
Virginia
I'd get a center. Not sure what would match well with the KEF's but someone here could tell you. My center isn't matched with my fronts but I think it sounds good and voices are clear. If you need to, you can increase output of the center for voices. Then play in native mix DD+ etc.
 
Top Bottom