Dialogue imbalance
May 12, 2008
I have been searching the archives but can't find the
answer to my question. I have a decent stereo system, but I wish to watch a movie with it.
Whenever I use the DVD player I normally get the background music or sound effects louder
than the spoken words, which drown out the actors' voices. I have been fiddling around
with the DVD player by setting it to stereo out or 2.1 audio, but I can't get the voices
to dominate. Given the fact that I would like to stick to stereo and minimize my
equipment, do you have any other suggestions?
Rajan
Yours is a common problem. With a hard center channel
you have the ability to adjust the level of the center signal, thereby increasing the
dialogue intelligibility in the overall mix. When you run a phantom center channel you
lose that ability. You can try reducing the signal sent to the left and right speakers and
see if that helps (using the level controls in the DVD player's menu system). I’m not
aware of any receiver or processor that allows the user to adjust the center signal before
it is routed out to the left and right speakers. A product like that might exist, but I’ve
never seen it outside of a custom solution that is used by a diehard four-channel
enthusiast I know. One other thought: You could try the late-night mode on your
receiver/processor and see if that lowers the dynamics, thereby bringing the dialogue more
up front in the mix.
B&W or Axiom?
May 8, 2008
I have been looking at two brands of speakers and would
like some help in choosing one of them: B&W CM7 and Axiom M60 or M80. I have heard the
CM7 and love the sound, but I have not heard the Axiom. I came across your review in the
Axiom newsletter and read the review from Sound & Vision. But I would like to
know which speaker is better. I need help before I purchase.
Bernard
Having not heard either speaker myself I just can’t
tell you which speaker is “better.” I could give you some general observations
of other speakers made by those companies that I have heard, but ultimately that would be
of little help and may be incorrect as it applies to those particular speaker models.
Axiom offers a good return policy should you order their speakers and decide not to keep
them, so perhaps the best approach would be to get the Axioms in and compare them with
what you heard from the B&Ws. That will also remove any nagging doubts you have about
which one will be better for you over the long term. Good luck in your decision.
Difference among receivers?
May 5, 2008
Is there really a difference in sound quality among
home-theater receivers? I can’t imagine that much difference between all of these
mass-market boxes, but maybe I’m jaded.
Edwin
There can be huge differences. I remember listening to
a lower-end Sony receiver in my system a few years back and being struck by just how
terrible it sounded. The highs disappeared, the bass became muddy, and the midrange
sounded as if it had a wet blanket thrown on it. On the other hand, I had a chance to
audition one of the nicer Technics models a short time later and it sounded superb: clear
mids and highs, and deep, energetic bass. That doesn’t mean you’ll hear
differences as striking as my examples between each and every model you audition, but it
does mean that some sonic differences do exist and they can have a real impact on your
enjoyment when listening to them.
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