[cjl]

Can you set your receiver to simply route all <80Hz content from the main channels to the sub? I know that's achieved on my Denon receiver by setting the speaker size to "small", and then you can fiddle with the crossover frequency if you want (I usually run a 60Hz crossover on mine). I'd imagine your receiver would have a similar capability.

 

[bigshot]

I'll try that. I had manually adjusted the crossover using EQ. I probably am opening up a can of worms with this, but I'll try!

 

[Joe Bloggs]

I say use a computer as the brains of your home AV system and build your software crossover and EQ system on the computer

It can do so much more than crossover and EQ too

 

[bigshot]

The EQ has to be in the amp, I'm afraid. Otherwise the computer would be EQed and the blu-ray player wouldn't. I'd prefer a better equalizer, but I would need to get an outboard one, and that is too much money and trouble right now.
 
I got my new blu-ray player into my system last night, and changed the speaker settings in the amp. I think it is going to add bass management to the 5:0 recordings, but it totally reset the crossover between the mains and sub. I have to start over on that. I got it roughed in last night, but it's going to take a week or so to fine tune. The big bump right at the crossover point is back again, but now it appears to be at a slightly higher frequency.

 

[ferday]

  The EQ has to be in the amp, I'm afraid. Otherwise the computer would be EQed and the blu-ray player wouldn't. I'd prefer a better equalizer, but I would need to get an outboard one, and that is too much money and trouble right now.
 
I got my new blu-ray player into my system last night, and changed the speaker settings in the amp. I think it is going to add bass management to the 5:0 recordings, but it totally reset the crossover between the mains and sub. I have to start over on that. I got it roughed in last night, but it's going to take a week or so to fine tune. The big bump right at the crossover point is back again, but now it appears to be at a slightly higher frequency.

 
there was a time when i hand built all my x-overs....those days are all but done now thanks to excellent EQ/room correction/convolution software.  i can now do in minutes what used to take hours of research and soldering to do.  i got around the blu-ray player etc. issues by building an HTPC....i've never been happier about how much flexibility there is in such a system, although it has required learning a lot of new and often complex software LOL

 

[bigshot]

I don't think I could make my media server do everything my Oppo blu-ray player does. It's a swiss army knife... It plays all kinds of disks (CD, DVD, BD, SACD, DVD-A, BD-A) all kinds of file formats (MKV, MP4) and is completely region free, so I can play DVDs and Blu-Rays from anywhere in the world with no region blocking issues. I think it would be difficult to get a PC to do everything my Roku box does too... especially its totally intuitive interface.
 
My media server is great, but I haven't gone entirely with files for video like I have for music (yet).

 

[swspiers]

  The EQ has to be in the amp, I'm afraid. Otherwise the computer would be EQed and the blu-ray player wouldn't. I'd prefer a better equalizer, but I would need to get an outboard one, and that is too much money and trouble right now.
 
I got my new blu-ray player into my system last night, and changed the speaker settings in the amp. I think it is going to add bass management to the 5:0 recordings, but it totally reset the crossover between the mains and sub. I have to start over on that. I got it roughed in last night, but it's going to take a week or so to fine tune. The big bump right at the crossover point is back again, but now it appears to be at a slightly higher frequency.

I do the inverse of this: Jriver from my laptop, HDMI to my Oppo BDP-103, analog out to my headamp , downmixing 5.1 or 2.1 to my stereo.  Jriver EQ functions just fine through the Oppo.  The Oppo can do some processing for you, set the crossover and you should be good to go into a 2.1 configuration.
 
And yes, the Oppo (with Roku stick) streams video better than my laptop, ditto with music from Sonos.  But if I had to, I could use the laptop on its own through the Oppo.  I'm just glad I don't have to...

 

[bigshot]

Doing it that way means anything played on your Oppo doesn't get EQed, doesn't it? My EQ settings are correcting for my speakers. I want it applied to all my sources the same.

 

[swspiers]

Doing it that way means anything played on your Oppo doesn't get EQed, doesn't it? My EQ settings are correcting for my speakers. I want it applied to all my sources the same.

True.  Just one of a few work-arounds for funky 5.0 recordings.  But yeah- I understand the importance of EQ, especially your desire for audible flatness.  But occassionally, just occassionally, compromise is required.
 
Plus, I suspect you might dig the parametric EQ in something like JRiver.  Multiple bands, crossovers, total control over Q.  It's pretty amazing and powerful.  I use it strictly for headphone listening, although lately I am enjoying the signature of headphones without EQ.  My pre-amp handles my main system EQ, and that is something I don't care to mess with.
 
By the way, I spent like 5 minutes in the DAC/chocolate ice cream thread. I am so glad this part of Head-fi exists.  I think I've done a poor job of expressing my thanks.
 
So to all of you: thanks!

 

[ph0rk]

  I'm doing a little bit of A/B comparison of various masterings (std CD, HD, SACD, DVD-A, audiophile LP) and I am finding massive differences. For instance, the various versions of Talking Heads' "The Great Curve" from Remain in Light not only are mixed completely differently, one of them is playing back at a significantly different speed. And Led Zeppelin 1 seems to sound totally different every time they release it. No wonder people think high bit rates sound different. The *music* is VERY different. If I get a chance, I'll do some short clip samples to post.

I've noticed this a few times before, and I've even hunted for "warmer" versions of some albums (Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables; Killing Joke - Night Time, Fire Dances. Jaz Coleman will even admit that they were doing too much coke back then and mixes were too trebly) and in one rare case, a brighter encoding - (Killing Joke - Hosannas From the Basements of Hell).
 
Of course, with gimmicky formats like SACD, they can really go overboard (Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral) - the SACD version sounds like an entirely new album, even with a completely different bass sound on one track.
 
I feel like much of the idea that "digital is cold" came from some terrible early masters for CD, and invariably every encoding of an LP I've ever heard is fatter down low and rolled off up top. Maybe the ADCs they use aren't up to the job, or their turntables suck, but I doubt that is true in all cases. Hell, some of these were from the oink.me.uk days, and that stuff was all quality.

 

[bigshot]

OH MAN! I'VE FINALLY FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR!
 
I spent the evening fixing the crossover between my sub and mains. And then I put on a DVD-A of Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road that I got on eBay. HOLY CRAP! I'm not a huge fan of Elton John. He's OK. But the engineering and the multichannel mix on this is superb. It maintains the spirit of the original album's mixes while throwing the sound around the room INTELLIGENTLY. The piano is focused up front. Elton's vocals and the primary guitar solos come through the center channel. The rears are accents and phase stuff. I couldn't ask for a better demonstration disk for 5:1. It also makes me happy because as stuff moved from speaker to speaker, it maintained the same level and EQ. It shows I did my job with tweaking. I'm going to get the rest of his surround mixed albums now. I wish there was more stuff like this.
 
I have Steely Dan's Gaucho on the way. I have high hopes for that. I wish they had a multichannel mix of Fagan's Nightfly album.

 

[anetode]

 
I have Steely Dan's Gaucho on the way. I have high hopes for that. I wish they had a multichannel mix of Fagan's Nightfly album.

 
http://www.dvd-a.net/nightfly.html - Limited release, so I doubt you could find it used, but the rip is floating around online.

 

[davidsh]

Shouldnt you get the realizer now you are at it?

 

[bigshot]

I would but it's too much money.
 
By the way, I found a copy of Nightfly in Japan. Ordered.

 

[davidsh]

  I would but it's too much money.
 
By the way, I found a copy of Nightfly in Japan. Ordered.

Yeah, well, there's that detail. If I had better access to hi-end speaker systems, I'd seriously consider it.