I've used the Audyssey App for room correction, using the three curves below. I have a 4dB low-shelf boost and a slight tilt for all curves, just different cut-offs as the centre and the surround speakers don't run full range. I don't have a sub. Room corrections have a curtain at 4KHz (no room correction beyond that frequency).
My current system:
Denon x6400h AVR, pre-out to Marantz AMP10
Monitor Audio Gold 200 5G, Centre 5G, FX 5G, Monitor Audio in-ceiling speakers.
More details in my profile description.
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I've checked how the room responds using REW and a UMIK mic. I've measured at the main listening position, with the mic at 90 degrees. You can see the aggregated results of the 5 bed channels below (the first picture with uncorrected measurements, the second with Audyssey on, Dynamic EQ off, and the target curves above as filters).
The two speakers sloping down after 2KHz are the surrounds. The three speakers with a slight rise after 2KHz are the fronts and the centre. I think I will try to correct that to match the curves of the surrounds. Overall, the bass response has much improved, imaging has improved, and also the level matching between channels. The surround experience is more immersive. The stereo response is also much better.
I've tried a full-range correction and didn't like it because Audyssey was boosting too much beyond 10KHz. The treble sounded unnatural even if more 'airy' (I wouldn't know how else to describe it). It gives the feeling of a wider soundstage. So, I tried different curtains. I first stopped at 500/600Hz and the result was not as good. Correcting up to 3/4KHz is better and I will try even higher to smoothen the response of the fronts. Some instruments and vocals can sound a tad bright because of that rise between 2KHz and 6KHz.
Rt in the room is higher than what you find in treated theatres. T20 is 0.5 at 1KHz and goes up to 0.7/0.8 at 4KHZ/6KHz. Dirac might be able to reduce these values, but I haven't tried.
Note:
Dynamic EQ is off and stays off. I mainly listen to music and these settings are perfectly fine. Dynamic EQ boosts the surround and height speakers, as well as increasing bass and treble. Using Dynamic EQ at -15dB is better but still not good. For me, the best solution is not using Dynamic EQ at all.
Things to try in the near future:
- Use MultiEQ X with increased headroom to further improve on the target curve and the EQ filters.
- Use REW to create EQ filters (I'm reluctant to try this because I am already quite happy with a basic correction like the one I did)
- Use Dirac and compare it with Audyssey.
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Here, you can see how I measured the room. Pretty typical stuff, UMIK at 90 degrees at the listening position, ear height. There is no wall from where I took the photo, so an uneven response between the left and right speakers is expected. The room also has many reflective surfaces, and could probably use more absorption (or a reduced volume).
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Let me know what you think about the measurements and my ideas. I welcome any suggestion to conduct further tests and aim to improve the results.