Currently setup is: Triton Twos, Supercenter XL and Aon3s powered by a Denon 1712. Been told I can get better sound by upgrading my receiver. Power wise I have no issues with loudness. I am looking for better clarity from the cc. 80% tv/dvd and 20% music. Sometimes hard to hear dialogue from DVDs and tv. Have no issues listening to Pandora for music though.

I disabled Audyssey after going thru the setup as I'm one of those people who dislike it and see it is not recommended for GoldenEar speakers.

I did try a NAD 710 but it sounded worse, mainly because I like to modify the eq settings and this was not an option. Of course I have bumped up the cc a few db which helped but tired of my wife saying she can't hear the dialogue.

Did try a Yamaha 1040 a while ago but didn't sound any better than my Denon. I am partial to Marantz as I have a 1504 in another room that sounds great.

Should I stick with what I have or possibly consider upgrading to a Marantz that has pre-outs and also using an amplifier to go with it?

Thanks,
Mark

Hi, nowhere892

That's a great set of speakers in your system! Re hearing center channel dialogue more clearly, sometimes adjusting the center's crossover to, say, 80 HZ (if it's lower than that), can clean up human voices by taking some of the bass load below that off the drivers. When I was using a SCXL, I found that an 80 HZ crossover was a good setting for keeping voices clear. Also, have you tried increasing the gain on the center channel to also make that channel more pronounced, at least for tv and DVD's?

Re receivers, if you like the Marantz sound, would it be fairly easy to try connecting your Marantz 1504, currently in the other room, to the GEt system and see how you like the sound on that system, and what it does for center channel clarity?

Re upgrading receivers and/or amps, there's lots of folks on this forum who have added or use external amps , including for SCXL center channels, and felt they got better clarity. Also, the same is true for upgrading receivers. Per the Moderator Dude, most GEt systems are driven by AVR's without the help of external amps.

If you reach the point where you feel you've done all you can with your present set up, then testing a receiver or amp upgrade makes some sense. You could consider trying a step at a time, starting with a receiver upgrade, and adding an external amp or amps via the pre outs at a later date if you're still wanting to get another performance boost and the budget allows.

GEt speakers do reward good audio inputs with great sound. Keep at it. Good, clear dialogue is well within the capabilities of the great speakers you have!

Rick

Nowhere892

Rick, as usual, has given you some very good advice. Temporarily replacing the Denon with the Marantz is a great idea. Turning up the gain is also a another good idea. If things don't improve, it may be a positioning issue. How far away is your seating area? Does dialogue become clearer the closer you get to the speaker...you may need to move closer. It may need to be tilted up or down.

You can throw alot of money into this and be no better off then when you started. It may be something as simple as moving closer or positioning (tilt) up or down. Give some of the simple things a try first, and if that doesn't work, look at purchasing another receiver.

Nowhere892,

Rick and Anthem have provided some great advice, as always. The only thing I could add would be to look at your acoustics. I have the SCXL as well and was having a difficult time getting my sound where I wanted. I played with positioning, added amplification, and many other tweaks, but it wasn't until I addressed the acoustics of the room that I cleaned things up. The environment greatly effects your sound. If your tweaking your EQ manually and your dialogue is not clear, that would be my first consideration.

If you want to post some pics of your room, some of our members may be able to offer some good advice. You could also consult with a home theater custom installer in your area. I received some great advice from my GET retailer and implemented some very effective and inexpensive solutions. There are also companies that manufacture acoustic treatments and offer free consultation. Just some food for thought.

As Rick said, you have great speakers! They are certainly not the limiting factor here. Good luck getting things sorted out. Please let us know what works so others can learn from your experience.

Cheers,

T Cobe

Hi Rick/T Cobe,

Thanks for your comments. I have tried most of what you suggested. The Marantz sounds similar to the Denon. About 10 months ago I ordered the Emotiva UMC-200 and XPA-5 and borrowed a Marantz SR 7008. I liked the sound of the 7008 better than the Emotiva after tweaking the eq so I sent the Emotiva back. Before doing so, I hooked up the XPA-5 to the 7008 to the pre-outs hoping to hear better clarity but couldn't discern any differences.

My center is raised and on the middle shelf of my tv stand pulled out as far as reasonably possible. For now i will be the only one listening to it so I position myself directly in front. As with most MTM designs there is a drop off of dialogue off-axis but my testing is consistent as far as positioning in front. My crossover is at 80 HZ.

I would say that be removing the center from the stand and putting it on a mock up stand did make a noticeable difference - things sounded better. Perhaps I need to consider getting a dedicated stand in front to let it breathe.

Where do you have your center positioned?

Mark

Hi Mark, Great system and great questions.
The other guys have all given super advise. Especially to change out the Denon with the Marantz, that could tell you a LOT!
I just want to confirm what others have said, your speakers are NOT the problem.
I have the T 2s up front and only a SC X, not even the XL, and I love my system!!!! You should too.
I had a Marantz pre-processor which was great and then amps all around for the speakers. I recently upgraded to the Emo XMC-1 processor. With it and monoblocks for each of the 3 front speakers all I can say is WOW!!!!!
A system like that gives you control over every aspect of the sound.
BUT you don't need to go that expensive (I mention this because, IF money is no object, then this is what I highly recommend).
A Good receiver with pre-outs and later be augmented by external amps and you will be much better off, IMHO.
Just some thoughts, but please tell us what you decide to do and how it turns out.
I am sure you will get a killer system going for you soon.
Have fun, God Bless, Wayne