Holy Moly Bro Anthem, I am feeling the love!!!!
This might be the first music you and I agree on, Alabama Shakes, YES!!!!!
Perhaps I need to explain my comments on the -dB reference thing?
It is pretty much meaningless in home theater, EXCEPT as a reference for your use only.
Your Anthem or someone's Onkyo, or Denon or my XMC-1 has NO way of knowing what volume you
or I will get when played. IF a receiver with its own amps, then they have no idea how efficient your speakers are.
If a pre-processor like my XMC-1, it has no idea how powerful my amps are and the efficiency of my speakers, same
if you are using the pre outs on your receiver to outboard amps.
There is no way that reference in your theater is the same volume level as it is in T. Cobes' theater or in my theater. IF someone hooks up a 25 wpc amp and plays it at -10 dB, and I hook up my 250 wpc amps and play at -10 dB I am gonna get much louder rock and roll, er music.
BUT for my own use it is great, I can play a blu-ray movie and set it at -12 dB and I can be reasonably sure my wife will ask me to turn
it down, but it will be pretty much the same volume as other blu-rays, generally speaking, all things being equal.
It is all relative. But if someone reads peak dB in their playback on a SPL meter and gets a 90, that 90 dB would be the same volume in my theater half way around the world.
Hope this helps clarify what I was trying to share.
God Bless,
Wayne

Wayne and Anthem,

I think properly calibrating your system makes up for extreme variations. Isn't that the point of setting each channel to 75dB with the test tones in a system calibration? That said, there will certainly still be variances.

I set my receiver to reference versus absolute and can go no higher than -15dB before it gets too loud for me. I think I have watched some programming at -12.5dB if it has been quieter. I don't think I could tolerate -6dB for more than a few minutes as a theater demo. That said, are properly calibrated receivers at reference level when set to 0 dB? That would be ridiculously loud for me and my room!

I played around with my center channel crossover last night and still found the 70Hz preferable. I was watching Mr. Robot and the narration comes through the T1s at a high level if I set my crossover to 100Hz. Switching back to 70Hz places the main character's narration squarely back in the center channel.

These are all just based on my listening preferences and my setup. I think each of us has our own quirks when it comes to critical listening. I'm sensitive to unnatural dialogue at the low end of the frequency spectrum, versus Anthem who is sensitive on the high side. Thankfully we have a lot of flexibility in our systems. After hearing Anthem's results of his experiments, I'm convinced the sibilance is based on the source material and not a weakness in any of the equipment, with the possible exception of the television receiver.

Cheers,

T Cobe

When my Anthem Statement d2v was originally set up, they calibrated it at 80db with 0 being the Reference Point (THX Ultra Cinema)

When a properly recording movie is played back at or around the 0 Reference Level, that's what does it for me. The thrill and excitement of gun shots, cars and motorcycles racing, explosions, sword fights, U-571 depth charges, the list goes on and on...that's what gives me goosebumps, that's what makes my heart pound. Everything sounds better cranked up. Achieving life like sound has always fascinated me. The pursuit of a Center Channel speaker that can achieve at or near Reference Level has always been my dream. This My Friends is what Brother Anthem is all about... achieving loud play back levels with absolute intelligibility and extraordinary detail. Is that to much to ask for? Apparently so...the center channel is the weak link.www.thx.com/consumer/thx-technology/thx-reference-level/

Anthem,

I understand where you're coming from. The amps and processor should certainly be capable of reference level playback with ease. I'd be surprised if GET designed a center channel that was not. The speaker is relatively new... Perhaps a bit more break in time will improve the movement of the drivers and offer better high level playback. I'll admit, I'm puzzled.

I suppose there is still a possibility that you're also getting some room interactions as well. Has the sibilance been resolved on good sources such as reference quality Blu-Rays? Hopefully the tonality and naturalness has been resolved/achieved.

Cheers,

T Cobe

Washing down some classic jazz with a Panama Boquete Esmerelda Geisha pour over. Last day of vacation...

Artist/Album: Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall, 1957.
Track: Monk's Mood



Cheers,

T Cobe

Good grief, T Cobe...Panama Bouquete Esmerelda Gelsha AND Thelonious Monk...I'll be right over. I'll bring THE TORII! !