Setting up a 5.1 speaker system
#1
01-16-08, 08:27 AM
Setting up a 5.1 speaker system
I recently purchased a low-end 5.1 surround sound system for a small room.
I have been having a few problems:
#1) My tv is connected via analog connections to the receiver. When the volume gets too high, I get a lot of "noise" Would improving the cable quality get rid of this?
#2) In order to alleviate problem #1, I connected my cable box directly to my receiver using an optical audio cable. The sound is amazing when I watch digital quality channels. When I watch regular cable channels without surround sound, I only get sound out of my front 3 speakers. This wouldn't be so bad except that I get white noise out of my back speakers. Is this due to my cable signal strength (its bad, the picture is blurry) or my system/speakers or my optical cable?
When Im listening via analog mode, I only get sound out of the front and no noise out of the back
I have been having a few problems:
#1) My tv is connected via analog connections to the receiver. When the volume gets too high, I get a lot of "noise" Would improving the cable quality get rid of this?
#2) In order to alleviate problem #1, I connected my cable box directly to my receiver using an optical audio cable. The sound is amazing when I watch digital quality channels. When I watch regular cable channels without surround sound, I only get sound out of my front 3 speakers. This wouldn't be so bad except that I get white noise out of my back speakers. Is this due to my cable signal strength (its bad, the picture is blurry) or my system/speakers or my optical cable?
When Im listening via analog mode, I only get sound out of the front and no noise out of the back
#2
01-16-08, 11:03 AM
The key here is a "low end" system. You get waht you pay for and these things often don't work up to expectations. So, in answer to your quesitons,
#1) Despite what the (unnamed, over-priced and over-hyped) cable maker company available at the big box stores wants you to believe, most probably not.
#2) In reality, far less sound comes out of the rear speakers than you (or, we as consumers) are lead to believe. You probably have the rears turned up too loud and are hearing the hiss supplied bythe low end amp. Your SD analog broadcasts are probably only in stereo (not 5.1), OR the amp is not picking and procesing the sginal properly, so sound through the front three only makes sense.
As sort of an aside, I have MANY problems with my cable company not equalizing volume and a LOT of times commercials are WAY louder than broadcast and we are constantly turning the volume up and down. And different networks seem to have varying qualities of 5.1 broadcasts. So I might spend 5 minutes re-adjsuting my 5.1, only to have to redo it an hour later after changing channels.
See if you can find a DVD with a sound setup and run it thorugh your system. It should help. I have a low end too, and it had a built in white noise generater to equalize the 5 speakers. It helps and at least you have a starting point to go from.
Good luck,
Tom
#1) Despite what the (unnamed, over-priced and over-hyped) cable maker company available at the big box stores wants you to believe, most probably not.
#2) In reality, far less sound comes out of the rear speakers than you (or, we as consumers) are lead to believe. You probably have the rears turned up too loud and are hearing the hiss supplied bythe low end amp. Your SD analog broadcasts are probably only in stereo (not 5.1), OR the amp is not picking and procesing the sginal properly, so sound through the front three only makes sense.
As sort of an aside, I have MANY problems with my cable company not equalizing volume and a LOT of times commercials are WAY louder than broadcast and we are constantly turning the volume up and down. And different networks seem to have varying qualities of 5.1 broadcasts. So I might spend 5 minutes re-adjsuting my 5.1, only to have to redo it an hour later after changing channels.
See if you can find a DVD with a sound setup and run it thorugh your system. It should help. I have a low end too, and it had a built in white noise generater to equalize the 5 speakers. It helps and at least you have a starting point to go from.
Good luck,
Tom
