After some TV audio advice, a topic I know nothing about.

[BillyCasper]

Afternoon all,

I’m seeking some audio advice. The problem is television surround sound, dialogue through the central speaker that sits under the television is pretty puny when dialogue is pumped out just through the central speaker. If watching a film and there’s lots going on and sound is pumped out to all speakers then it’s good enough for my needs.

I have: Panasonic television, Marantz amplifier, Sonos box, Sony Blu-ray, Cambridge audio sub-woofer, five Cambridge Audio Minx Min 21 speakers, four wall mounted around the room, one central under the television.

Can the speaker under the television be changed to something that could provide clearer and more umph to television dialogue? Or, is there a lot more to it?

Spotify sound is fine through the full set of speakers, well good enough for me.

Thanks for any comments.

[Casper]

I’m also interested in this as The same happens with my system . I have a 5.1 with a Yamaha amp, AE speakers and a Yamaha sub
Surround sound is fine and plenty loud to hear background music, shootings, explosions etc but when it comes to dialogue especially low voices or whispers then I really struggle and it gets annoying with having to adjust all the time. I did read that that’s how programme is made and there’s not a lot you can do. I’ve messed about with the settings and various sound programmes e.g music theatre, concert hall etc but still not much joy.

[subseastu]

On my yamaha Av amp with monitor audio 5.1 it recommends having speakers set to small and I use cinema dsp setting on the amp. I have no real issues with dialogue levels.

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[craggie]

I think it's a more general problem rather than just related to 5.1 systems. TV and film directors don't prioritise sound, modern actors tend to mumble rather than enunciate their lines, and dubbing editors love to add lots of loud sound fx and (usually) superfluous music. Of course it's not helped by an ageing population with deteriorating hearing, and a younger one with damage from over-loud headphone use. I don't know the solution, other than to complain long and loud to film and programme makers.

[Rod]

On my yamaha Av amp with monitor audio 5.1 it recommends having speakers set to small and I use cinema dsp setting on the amp. I have no real issues with dialogue levels.

Sent from my H8314 using Tapatalk

Quite often it's in the settings of the amplifier such as the above (small/large centre). Also check the volume level of the centre speaker. The centre speaker is the most important speaker in a surround system and a considerable percentage of the front L&R sound bleeds into it.
Sometimes, depending on the amplifier, an upgrade to a quality speaker from e.g. B&W, KEF, and other quality companies can sort out these issues too. But in my experience, it can mostly be solved in the amplifier settings and setting the parameters up for the type of broadcast whether TV (usually ProLogic) or DVD.

[BillyCasper]

Thanks for the tips.


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[Mr.D]

I think it's a more general problem rather than just related to 5.1 systems. TV and film directors don't prioritise sound, modern actors tend to mumble rather than enunciate their lines, and dubbing editors love to add lots of loud sound fx and (usually) superfluous music.

Definitely not the case.

If you have a surround system that's been setup and balanced correctly you usually have to have it cranked up fairly loudly to get the correct volume relationship across the channels .
Most people throttle it back to stop the high bits becoming "too loud" . When they do that they usually end up cranking it up and down to hear the dialogue at the right level and then crank it back down for the loud bits. Thing is the loud events are supposed to sound significantly louder than the quiets and dialogue at correct listening volume .

Here's some workarounds ; engage dynamic range compression sometimes referred to as "night listening mode or volume compensation" Its the same effect that makes adverts suddenly sound louder .

This will crush down the loud stuff and boost the dialogue channel meaning you should be able to have the volume lower.

Try upping the level on the center channel but that can ruin the front soundstage even though its the lesser evil compared with dynamic range compression.

Also most centre speakers below a certain price level frankly suck , you may be better running with a phantom centre imaged from the stereo LR channels ( I actually prefer this to running with a centre especially in smaller rooms).

Surround sound setups are a lot more critical with regard to room setups too , a lot of people just chuck them in and think they should work perfectly. I personally don't think they work well unless you have a dedicated room and can prioritise positioning the speakers relative to the screen and the viewing position....a decent stereo setup works better for most non-critical viewers/listeners.

[Kingstepper]

I think it's a more general problem rather than just related to 5.1 systems. TV and film directors don't prioritise sound, modern actors tend to mumble rather than enunciate their lines, and dubbing editors love to add lots of loud sound fx and (usually) superfluous music. Of course it's not helped by an ageing population with deteriorating hearing, and a younger one with damage from over-loud headphone use. I don't know the solution, other than to complain long and loud to film and programme makers.

Could argue that actors mumbling rather than speaking more clearly are merely playing their part more accurately.

[jcm3]

This problem is really common, and has a pair of common causes.

One, the content is being played back in the wrong surround format. There are a few reasons for this, but usually it is because the system is set to automatically choose the right surround format. Unfortunately, the "auto" programming for surround playback is really unreliable. Pressing the Surround Mode button on your system until the sound is clear is often the best solution. Don't worry if its not the "right" setting, the right one is the one that you can hear clearly, regardless of what the display says. Sometimes that right setting is not a surround mode at all, many programs are sent to your home in Stereo (often by mistake).

Two, most surround systems are not setup correctly. Some of the basics include making sure the front speakers are actually pointed at the listener. Setting the volume levels (please use a meter, there is a free one available for your phone) for each speaker at the listening position is critical. There is a Setup menu for this in your Marantz. Do try not to set the center channel level higher than the other speakers. It will only help some of the time, it makes the problem worse the rest of the time. If you can't hear clearly it is better to turn them all up, not just one.

For most Marantz receivers:
Press “Setup”
Press “Speakers”
Press “Manual Setup”
Press “Levels”
Press “Test Tone Start”
Select desired level per speaker
Press “Setup” to close out.

[rdesouza]

yes i have the same issue and I go inot the speaker settings and raise the volume of the centre speaker