How long have you been tweaking your Rotel gear

[Azeke]

I thought this might be something slightly different.

I've been tweaking my RSP-1098 for approximately 6 months and it is still a fun on-going process.

How about you?

Regards,

Azeke

[Andrew Pratt]

for as long as I've owned my 1098

Actually I haven't changed much lately...though with the new PLIIx code coming soon that's about to change

[Adz]

This seems like a related question and I didn't want to start a new string. I need some help from you guys. Right now I am using Advanced Speaker Set-up on the 1098 - page 34 of the manual. My question is for Dolby and DTS right now - Given my speakers, I was advised to set my Front L&R and Center to large. My surrounds are set to small with the crossover point being set to 40 for the sides and 60 for the centerback. Here's my Q - On the Advanced Speaker Set-up menu there is also a speaker selection for the subwoofer. For the Speaker: Sub, there is a Crossover setting which includes the option "None" and there is a Yes/No/Max setting for each mode which for this question I am asking about Dolby and DTS. What should I be setting the Sub to given what I've stated above? I don't really understand how this setting fits in to the overall advanced speaker set-up. Thanks




Adz

[Aussie Geoff]

Adz,

The short answer is set the SUB to YES.

The longer answer is that for any speaker that is not LARGE the RSP-1098 will redirect bass to the SUB if you have one (SUB set to YES) or to the LARGE speakers if you don't have one (SUB set to NO) or to both if you wish (SUB set to MAX).

Sub=MAX is quite a tricky setting since you can easily get cancellation etc between the bass from your speakers and sub etc and different volume levels at (say 40hz) where your speakers and sub can play at similar volumes when compared to lower frequencies (say 20 Hz) where in all probability your sub will be playing louder than the speakers. Also the deep bass from the LFE track can easily overwhelm the main speakers or strain the amplifiers (reference for LFE is 10 dB louder than for your speakers).

DD and DTS are mixed (generally) on THX or cinema style systems that crossover all bass to a sub at 80 Hz - so Sub = YES is a really good default. You may even want to try your speakers as 80 Hz crossover vs your 60 or 40 to see which you prefer. For me for DD and DTS I like all 80 Hz - it's only for music that I go for the lower crossover.

Geoff Costello

[Adz]

Thanks Geoff. I set my sub to YES, but then what should I set the crossover to? Or does that not matter because its overridden by my other settings for the speakers in the system?




Adz

[Aussie Geoff]

Adz,

In my view, you are down to personal preference here and some serious tweaking opportunities. Your Def Techs all have quality built in power subs except the centre backs so for me the raw advice you were given looks pretty reasonable. Two settings make me slightly nervous and I suggest you experiment with:
1) The LARGE on the centre channel - I'd be tempted to try SMALL with a 40 Hz crossover just in case as for some music DVDs you can get some serious drumming etc on the centre channel.
2) The SMALL with 60 Hz on the Center Backs without the Powered Subs – I’d be tempted to try SMALL with 80 Hz just to be sure – bass power starts to build below 80 Hz rapidly and there’s no point given them bass that your sub is made for.

Either way, for most DVD tracks you should get good results - because the serious LFE bass will be in the LFE channel but you will still get some localised bass that your speakers should handle well.

Now some would get religious and say for all DD or DTS movies set the crossover at 80 Hz to the sub because that's what they are mastered at, while for music you can go for the lower frequencies. I'd listen though and decide. As long at your sub is on with the crossovers you have you should easily get great bass from all speakers and a nice crossover to the sub.

Why don't you do a post "Def Tech Owners - what do you do for bass management” in the HT section of the guide. I know we have some passionate Def Tech owners like Louis Cajiga who may give some really useful real world experience.

Geoff

[Adz]

Thanks Geoff for helping me out so much. I will do that Def Tech post. One question (okay maybe two). Can you explain to me why in all the posts I read, pretty much everyone recommends that all speakers be set to small with the 60-80 crossover for the sub for watching movies. When in your opinion does it make sense to set the speakers (at least the front L&R) to large? I know this isn't directly Rotel related but this should end this string. My situation may be different since the Def Techs have the built-in subs.




Adz

[Andrew Pratt]

There's are exceptionally few speakers (even those with built in subs) that are truely capable of playing a 20 hz tone loudly enough to warrant them being set to large...and really there's very little point in doing so if you have a quality subwoofer. Its also a lot easier to tame peaks and nulls with fewer sources of low freq's so that's your typical reason most people should be running with all there speakers set to small. If you really feel you need more bass just lower the cross over point down from 80 on those speakers with built in low bass woofers.

[Aussie Geoff]

Adz,

Let me attempt to reconcile my and Andrew's advice for you and further answer your questions. There are two completing forces normally affecting the choice of SMALL or LARGE for the front speakers.

Force for LARGE If you have a high quality analogue signal source (e.g. CD player) for stereo then the RSP-1098 needs to digitize this analogue signal (which it is good at) in order to apply bass processing. This digitisation reduces quality since it is undoing what the CD player has just done. So many people with excellent front speakers and quality analogue connections use the RSP-1098's advanced settings to operate the speakers as LARGE for Stereo Bypass and SMALL for other modes.

Force for SMALL As Andrew has touched on, there are very few speakers that can play deep loud bass down to the 25-20 Hz range of a good subwoofer. And music has a surprising amount of impact in this range. So by setting the speakers to SMALL the low bass is sent to the speaker best able to handle it. The trade off is you need digital processing – negating some of the benefit of any high quality stereo analogue input you may have.

Def Techs Definitive Technologies way of addressing this dilemma is to put powered subwoofers in many of their speakers. In some of their speakers (such as the 7000 series) these are very serious subwoofers indeed. So in your case, with the front mains having good subwoofers and the centre and sides having and OK subwoofer (8 inch I think) I was comfortable with LARGE on the front mains but suggesting SMALL on the Centre and Rears.

Hopefully this all makes sense

Geoff Costello

[Adz]

Thanks Guys. What a great club.

Two thoughts:

1. The Def Tech speakers all have full range 6 1/2 inch drivers. The manuals and all the reviews dictate that you set the speakers for my front L&R and Center to Large and either run the optional LFE in (subwoofer set to Yes) or run the Full Range Low Level in (an set the sub to No). I've been experimenting with these two options but haven't yet tried setting the speakers to small. I know you have explained this in some detail, but what do you think the difference will be and why does Def Tech not recommend setting to small?

2. Rotel related - I need to understand some of the more recent posts regarding how to hook up the 1098 for music CDs. I have a Denon 3800. Should I be running a Digital Coaxial from the Denon to the 1098 digital inputs which I guess is just leaving m DVD movie connections to listen to CDs -- Is that right? OR should I be using the front left and right analog on the CD to 1098 - to where on the 1098? I understand if you use the analog inputs to play CDs, I am taking a digital signal,
changing it to analog to go into the 1098, changing it to digital for
processing, and then changing it back to analog to output to the power
amp. I see some posts on the stereo bypass - is that what I should be doing? Help!!!!




Adz