a question regarding volume levels

[sumeshj]

I bought a Denon 1610 few days back and have connected it to a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 9.2 as front speakers. My problem is that the speakers don't sound loud enough.

The AVR is configured in stereo mode so that all power and frequencies go to the fronts. When I play a movie, I need to push the volume level up to -8 db before it produces sound loud enough to enjoy the movie. My source is a Philips DVD player and I tried several action movies (Transformers, recent James Bond movies, etc), but the volume level remains more or less the same.

I have read at a couple of places on this forum that anything above -10 db is very loud, but I don't feel it in my setup. Does that mean something's wrong with my AVR? Or is the 1610 underpowered to drive the 9.2s?

When I play music on this setup I get much louder volumes, and I rarely need to go above -13 db.

Have any of you faced a similar problem? Please tell me what I should do.

PS: The speakers are new and haven't been burned-in yet, if that makes any difference

 

[Kevian]

Hi Sumesh....please check the volume levels of dvd player if it has...I am sure more aid is on its way..

Venkat

 

[svenkateshsmart]

Hi Sumesh....please check the volume levels of dvd player if it has...I am sure more aid is on its way..

Venkat

Hi,

Check if the dynamic volume setting is on on your receiver. This could also be due to "Auto Surround" selection. In my setup, 7.1 stereo DSP will be louder than the other programs.

Also, check the tonal volume of the individual speakers if the setup is done manually or run the Audyssey settings again.

Cheers!

 

[S.P.KRISHNA]

Sir,
It was understood from your post that this is a problem when watching movies . You did not write about the other speakers used in 5.1 set up and their impedence. If you use only fronts while watching movies switch on to sterio mode else the signal is distributed on all 5 channels . You can enjoy its total power when you use all the speakers if the receiver is switched other than sterio mode.

Regards

 

[spirovious]

Auto setup causes front levels drop down,pls check that.

 

[avink]

Its funny .. I have the same setup (1610 + Wharf 9.2) and i have the same question. I also need to go up to -10 to hear some movies comfortably. Switching off auto-levelers does help but not much.

 

[sud98]

Well, I had the same issue with my bdp. In my player I could adjust the same in the player settings. For your player, you are probably connecting it using analog RCA stereo output to the AVR. If you connect it via the digital coaxial you would get better output.

One of the problems is the source settings in the material for CD's the sound is all in stereo, in movies, the sound is mixed in 5.1 (unless they have a stereo track). If it has an option of stereo, then the current connections will also sound loud.

In any case, the DAC's in the 1610 would be better than the DVD player, so it would be a good idea to connect using optical/digi coax to the AVR and then play it in stereo. Also, check in your player setup if you have done the downmix correctly (if you wish to use the analog output).

 

[beta_sweater]

Well one thing I've learned is that some DVD players have an Automatic Volume Limiting system that could be turned on in some modes. You need to check the audio settings on your DVD player if there is such a system and switch it off. This system is useful for preventing loud overpowering sounds during playback such as gunshots, explosions etc. especially while watching at night.
Another thing as was previously mentioned, certain systems allow you to configure individual speaker levels during Dolby or DTS playback. You need to check these settings on your amp and see if they are low, in which case you could raise them to increase the output.
Lastly, if your speakers' sensitivity is not so high, that would most likely be the culprit. Remember that for every 3db increase in sound level, you need to feed your speakers 10watts. So if your speakers' sensitivity is 86db, you would need way more power to reach an acceptable level than a speaker with sensitivity of 91db. Hope that answers all your questions.

 

[sumeshj]

Thanks for the advice everyone. My DVD player doesn't have a volume setting nor the auto volume limiter. And I have connected it to the AVR using HDMI, so all DAC processing is happening on the AVR.

After running Audyssey, there's a slight increase in volume levels but not much. An interesting observation is that MP3s played thru the DVD player sound much louder than movies at the same volume level. And yesterday I played my kid's "Bob The Builder" VCD and that had much louder volume levels.

It looks to me that the DVD player isn't behaving consistenly when playing DVDs, VCDs and MP3s. Not sure if this is indeed so.

I am still waiting for rest of the speakers (have only the 9.2 fronts connected right now). Once they arrive I will do a test on the complete system. Hopefully that should sound better, otherwise I should probably contact the Denon service center and get the 1610 repaired while it is still in warranty.

 

[ajinkya]

I don't think the 1610 is faulty. The easiest check is to get another DVD player (preferably another model/company) from a friend and connect it the same way the current player is connected (via HDMI). See if the new player makes the volume louder. If yes, you know the culprit. If no, then we may have to experiment with manually changing the volume levels without Audyssey.

EDIT: I also remember that the Denon 1507 at my friend's place did not drive WF 9.5s as loudly as an HK receiver did. Because the WF are demanding speakers and need that extra power. But, as far as getting discrepancy between music and movie volume is concerned, I think the DVD player (or Audyssey settings) are the culprit, not the Denon.

 

[beta_sweater]

If you've had no improvements so far, you will have to consider the fact that since Dolby Digital has a far greater dynamic range than stereo sound, it always tends to play softer as compared to music. Another factor is that your speakers are rated at 86db which requires more power to drive them as mentioned before. That would explain why mp3s and vcds play louder than dvds. However as ajinkya has said, the best thing to do is connect another brand of dvd player to the denon and try.

 

[SAMUEL]

Hi Sumesh,
As pointed by ajinkya, I too believe the culprit is audyssey dynamic volume settings. You should check the settings of it and see if there is any difference.Also check the source input volume level and try to increase a little bit and listen for any difference. One more options is to adjust the speaker distance level. The more farther the front speakers are set from the listener the more louder will be the output. I've observed this in onkyo receivers but not checked in denon. Another try is, remove the HDMI connection and use the Digital co-axial or Optical inputs and see if there are any noticable difference.
Some DVD players have Dynamic range compression settings,have that checked too.
I'll try to dig around and come up with some more options.
Pls try the options and give us your feedback.

Regards,
Samuel

 

[alpha1]

The culprit is AC3 sound format.
Usually on PC media players - there is an option to boost the AC3 audio by 10dB (or somethign)

that makes it sound equal to the normal cd / mp3 etc.

Let's Solve the Ac3 Volume issue [Archive] - Doom9's Forum
Hydrogenaudio Forums > Boost AC3 volume without re-encoding
Mini How To - Increase Your AC3 Volume