Hello all you Outlaws,

Newbie here with questions about the dialog performance of the 950.

I have an aging Pioneer Reciever (D906S)that needs replacing bad. I also have 2 amps a Rotel Rb976 & A Mcintosh MC7100. My Speakers are either Complete Klipsch Ref3 set-up or Complete JBL Northridge Set-up. Stepping up to a good AV Preamp is the logical next step for me, I know. The Outlaw 950 is right down my alley (Budget & Spec wise).


Thing I need to know is how does it perform on Dialog? With the set-up I have now Dialog always seems to get lost amoung the heavy action scense. On the quieter passages I have to turn the volume way up to understand what the hell is going on then down when the Boom drops. I was wondering if you guys ever expeirence this with you 950's?


Any and all comments welcome,
Thanks
2B

2B -- I have not had any trouble with dialog on my 950 (which is paired with a Model 750 amp and Paradigm Reference speakers).

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

No such problems at at all. When properly calibrated, all channels come through quite clear and crisp. And then there are the new surround standards that the D906S does not have DTS, Cirus Surround, Dolby Pro Logic II (sweet when listening to stereo television broadcast), etc... It makes for a great upgrade. Since you already have the amps, this processor is a definite good way to go.

Thanks for the response guys....

Oaf: Yes I am aware of all the latest advances in Technology, Thanks Again.

The thing I really needed to know was If after getting the 950 could I finally put My remote down and just enjoy the show. No More Darn Up Down, Up Down???? The only time I wanta touch that remote is to pause for bathroom breaks.

2B

When properly calibrated

Dialogue is great through the 950, (my favorite descriptive word for the unit = transparent)
Calibration is very important for separates. (I've found it to be more so than with receivers for some strange reason) When I received my first 950 I was running Def Techs CP100’s with matching center, When I added my Beethoven mains I ran the Def Tech center for a week till I broke down and ordered the matching VA Maestro. The Maestro was noticeably difficult to distinguish quieter Dialogue before calibration compared to the ‘shriller’ DT center. Dramatic difference on the night my shipment came in and I picked it up, - my husband stopped a movie to switch the centers out …but the kids being in the middle of a BB rental, they howled over me calibrating. (They don’t care they just turn dB up for everything!)

Bugged the heck out of me till I could get the meter on it.

Calibration makes such a difference not only on your soundstage, but dealing with issues like too forward/ or muffled dialogue through center and mains. This does not avoid the director (or sound mixer) who like to have you leaning forward in your seat for a whispered conversation between two characters (b vary vary qyiet!) (just before the bomb goes off and hits your sub!)

But yes I find Dialogue very well translated, very clean (after Calibrating for speakers) through the 950.

Thank you SL Lena.....

Unlike the others here I do have a problem, although I don't think it has anything to do with the 950 since it also occurred with my replaced Denon AVR3300 receiver. On DD broadcast TV or some DD/DTS DVD's my center channel dialog is often muddled by the L/R tracks and general background sound. I'm not talking about action scenes where it's often expected. My speakers are calibrated.

I've read about this anomaly on other venues, especially the AVS forum. To better understand dialog I often toggle to PLII-M mode. A solution also utilized by Jim Fosgate.

I also experience instances where the center channel dialog is not as loud as it should be, and this happens mostly in the matrixed modes. I know this has nothing to do with the 950, and I do know how the center channel is supposed to sound, being present at the mix of a couple films that I have this problem with. I'm afraid there are simply too many variables; surround modes, competing encoding schemes and processing options etc., that problems like this are to be expected.

Calibration makes such a difference! (if you have never) in seamless sound and can (depending on CC dB setting in relation to the rest of your channels really reduce the severity of that problem.) But (whoops) as G and SH pointed out, it won’t help on certain discs and Broadcasts.

If after getting the 950 could I finally put My remote down and just enjoy the show. No More Darn Up Down, Up Down????

When what SH and G are referring to is going on..
There is a trick to try, which can sometime have a net positive. Ever watched a WHOLE movie when the volume is just muffled by everything else? Try bumping up your center channel trim for that particular time period you have the problem (just note your original setting to go back to.) This can in certain scenarios reduce how much volume <> manipulation you have to apply.

Will not always work, depending on what else (besides dialogue) is recorded in the CC. Since your just increasing the volume of the CC in relation to your other speakers, can’t help much if what’s muffling your dialogue is duplicated in your CC. When all of it isn’t’ this can help reduce the issue so that dialogue rises to a clearer level.

Just something which has worked for me occasionaly!

Just what you want to read, another Outlaw stating what everyone just wrote. You can't do much about software issues, but if you are noticing this dialogue "problem" with almost every dvd, then you do have an issue. I find the 950 is very transparent compared with my H/K when it comes to dialogue. Have seldom ever wished to increase the center channel trim, however my dvd player has an optional "dialogue enhancer" feature just for this type of situation, (though I have never used it). I think you will be very surprised how well the 950 processes your surround sound. If it is still "muddy" after calibration, then you may have a center speaker issue. Keep us posted.