I didn't know where else to post this so here goes. My wife and I often have trouble distinguishing movie dialog on our system (and our hearing is still good by all other accounts). In a lot of movies the dialog is just kind of muffled and turning up the volume is of limited help. I'm wondering which piece of equipment should be upgraded to correct this, and if it's a common problem. My system is the 1050 receiver, a Sony model DVP-NC655P DVD/CD player(admittedly an older, cheaper player compared to newer stuff), and a good quality KEF speaker system that includes the model 100 center channel. Any input appreciated. Thanks.

Dave

A couple of thoughts... Is the center channel aimed at the listening position? If it is above (or below) the listening position, can you tilt the speaker down (or up) so it is aimed at your ear level?

Another way is to give the center channel an extra couple of dB above what the meter might say is flat and see if that improves the clarity of the dialog. I used to do this before getting my current center channel.

Assuming that the electronics are doing what they’re suppose to be doing and the center speaker is electrically undamaged and correctly in phase with your main speakers, the first thought that comes to mind is ‘destructive interference’ of both the direct and reflected sounds arriving at your listening position(s). Some folks have gone a good way to ‘curing this ill’ with acoustic treatments. (See this interesting discussion and some of the references in it to other information.)

But before spending time and money experimenting with treatments, I would suggest two ‘diagnostic’ intermediary steps. First, at least for a few minutes, listen to the center speaker while standing close to it. Is the dialogue clear as it leaves the speaker? If so, then something is happening in the room after the sound leaves the speaker. Second, carefully relocate the speaker to another location, like on a carpet on the floor, and remove any coffee table or other reflective furniture from between the speaker and the listening position(s) such that the pattern of reflections from the center speaker are radically changed from the way they were originally and the most immediate bounce is likely almost eliminated because of the carpet. I’m not suggesting that you leave the speaker directly on the floor from now on, but just an experiment. The degree to which clarity either improves or becomes worse is indicative of the presence of acoustic reflection interference. Once the center speaker is restored to it’s best placement, it may be time to explore some acoustic changes or modifications to the listening room.

If, no matter where you are or where the speaker is, the dialogue remains unclear, it may be time to think about changes to your system.

there is a difference between unclear and not loud enough or overpowered by the other speakers. id say most times, you would be able to fix this type of issue by increasing the gain only on the center speaker as previously mentioned. particularly on dolby digital playback the center channel dialogue often gets overpowered by music or effects from other speakers. i would turn up the center channel and see how you like it. all of the audio setup tools in the world cant help you if you cant hear what you want to hear after using them. its all about personal taste and using the tools as a reference rather than an end all.... try playing different formats (dts), different sources, or different sound modes and that may shed some light on the problem.

THanks for all the tips. I did as suggested...the center channel is quite clear when my ear is close to it so I'm experimenting with the gain. Unfortunately, the rooms setup doesn't allow for much experimenting with speaker placement, but the other speakers are definitely muddying the sound coming from the center. I'll need to rebalance.

Dave

With my 950 I would play with the speaker distance and adjust the center speaker to a foot closer than the main's. It seemed to help my situation. You may be able to do something similar with the AC-3 delay in your 1070.