RSX 1056 firmware update and bass management

[Vicente]

I just completed my Cobalt S set of loudspeakers with a JM LAB Cobalt SW 27A subwoofer (secondhand) and had the help of an experienced friend to calibrate it.

I have an RSX 1056 and when he saw the OSD menu, he told me that I was using an old firmware and that updating it will help to make a better bass management.

I checked the firmare version and is "V 1.1.4 - 040217", that of course is a pretty old version, but I've been reading what's new with the actual versions up to the 1.2.5 and I don't find a word related to bass management.

Any of you can tell me if updating the firmware will help anything to better calibrate the loudspeakers?

Another question:

I find nosense the setup he made me: He selected all 5 loudspeakers large with sw yes in the speaker setup, but in the advanced speaker setup selected small for all the four different surround modes (Dolby, DTS, Stereo/MPEG and music) and the crossover frequencies 80Hz for the fronts, 100 for the central and 125 for the rears.

The case is that I prefer now the sound of the all analogue outputs of the multi input or the stereo bypass mode (without any bass management) from my rdv1060 and rsx-1056 and I think the system can be better calibrated using a different setup.

Any help where I should start? My loudspeakers are Focal JM Lab Cobalt 816S for fronts, CC800S central and SR800S for surrounds, plus the SW27A from the older Cobalt series (without the "S").

I will appreciate all your inputs.

Best regards

[apodaca]

I have the exact same set up except I use an 1070 stereo amp for the mains. It is useful for the Cobalts to start the crossover points around the -3db mark, or if your receiver is not up to snuff an 80hz crossover which is the recommended value for THX specs. Since I have the extra amp I run my mains at 40hz the center at 60hz and the surrounds at 80hz. I think the 1056 by itself should be OK with all speakers set at 80hz but if you listen to SACD and DVD-A and have all speakers run large - a common configuration used to keep the signal as pure as possible (In my case my Sony SACD player has a default crossover point of 120 which is way too high so I opt out of bass management but a Denon universal DVD-A/SACD player at 80hz crossover would be OK in your case).

[Kevin D]

As far as the upgrade, nothing directly related to bass or speaker setup. There is a lot of tweaks and fixes and I would highly recommend upgrading anyway.

On the setup, very few speakers I would consider LARGE. While setting them to large and then back to small in the advanced setup should get the same results, I'm sure there's some circumstances the would leave you with the LARGE setting. I would change them back to small, sub to yes, advanced set all to master.

On the crossover settings, I have a hard time setting any speaker above 80hz. If it's a small bookshelf or cube, 100hz maybe. Drop everything back down to 80hz and I would try the fronts at 60hz.

Kevin D.

[Vicente]

Thanks for your recommendations. They are what I was thinking about to do.

Maybe my friend has been working with the newer Rotel gear and they have more possibilities for finer adjustments. Even if the new firmware releases don't change anything in the bass management I'll update them.

I will try your set ups and see if I can get my particular musical Nirvana.