HT not loud

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

For some reason, my HT setup doesn't get very loud. I don't want to rock the house or anything, but it doesn't even make noise until over halfway.

Here is my reciever/dvd player:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,32171715_32252799_35026337_tab=B,00.html?compName=PNA_ProductDetailComponent

Here are my speakers:

Center : http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/csr/

Towers: http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/r30/

Surrounds: http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/r150/

How much difference does it make that the speakers are 8 ohms and the reciever is 6 ohms?

Click to read more...

 

[ballstothewall 10+ year member]

Did you check if you wired the speakers in phase with eachother?

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

I really wouldnt expect thos speakers to get too loud. You need to add a sub too.

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

Did you check if you wired the speakers in phase with eachother?

What do you mean? I just wired everything the same...red terminal = positive, black terminal = negative

I really wouldnt expect thos speakers to get too loud. You need to add a sub too.

I do, it's that $25 eD sub powered by a dayton plate amp. It works decently.

--------------------

None of this sounds better or louder than my mom's phillips HTIB @ ~ 40 wpc

 

[joetama 5,000+ posts]

The impedance really probably doesn't make that big of a difference, with impedance swings.

What isn't getting loud about it? Lows I am assuming? I would say get a subwoofer and call it a day...

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

The impedance really probably doesn't make that big of a difference, with impedance swings.
What isn't getting loud about it? Lows I am assuming? I would say get a subwoofer and call it a day...

No the vocals. It is more about video games and stuff.

Is it normal that I have to turn up the volume most of the way to get it loud? I mean my TV can get louder.

I think the reciever goes from -90 to -20....there is no volume at all unti -45 or so.

There is a hum/static coming from the speakers (including the sub). I do not know what that is from.

 

[1loudsuv 10+ year member]

do you mean it doesnt get loud for music or for movie viewing? i highly recommend you get an amp. anything from rotel,parasound etc et c should work perfectly. maybe a three channel amp and just power the rears off your receiver.

maybe the rotel 1075 but i doubt it will get a whole lot louder but it should get louder. i know my setup gets loud never do i need to crank it past -25 (mine varies in volume from -80 to +18 or something like that ) and mostly for easy listining i have it at -40. while watching a movie anything higher then -25 is just ridiculously to loud

 

[Mr. C 10+ year member]

What size room is this in? That makes a bit of a difference.

Those amps in that style of receiver aren't about brute force power or filling up largish rooms. They were designed for mostly small to medium sized rooms. My mini system is the same way, but the room is not large at all, so it works well enough.

 

[joetama 5,000+ posts]

I would say that getting a bigger more powerful amp would help. With Polk, you really aren't going to need anything like Rotel. (Amp would cost more than your speakers)

What type of source unit are you using, ie what game console? And what type of audio inputs are you using?

If that amplifier is rated at 6 ohms the 8 ohm load means you aren't getting your full power. Mr. C is right, that the amps in those systems are not designed to be high current. I don't have much experience with the polk equipment, but I believe it should be louder than you say.

One thing to try if you are using a digital source, is try some different decoding options. Meaning, Dolby Game Mode/Movie. It might just be set on the incorect format...

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

What size room is this in? That makes a bit of a difference.
Those amps in that style of receiver aren't about brute force power or filling up largish rooms. They were designed for mostly small to medium sized rooms. My mini system is the same way, but the room is not large at all, so it works well enough.

Room is a converted upstairs....the rooms itself is about 18*26, but the "living room" portion is maybe 10*12.

I would say that getting a bigger more powerful amp would help. With Polk, you really aren't going to need anything like Rotel. (Amp would cost more than your speakers)
What type of source unit are you using, ie what game console? And what type of audio inputs are you using?

If that amplifier is rated at 6 ohms the 8 ohm load means you aren't getting your full power. Mr. C is right, that the amps in those systems are not designed to be high current. I don't have much experience with the polk equipment, but I believe it should be louder than you say.

One thing to try if you are using a digital source, is try some different decoding options. Meaning, Dolby Game Mode/Movie. It might just be set on the incorect format...

I am hooking the games to the TV and from the TV to the reciever via RCAs. There os a choice for optical and I have a cable but it doesn't work.

I need to do some testing with some other speakers to see if it is an amp issue, a speaker issue, or a settings issue. I think it is a settings issue....

When I test with a DMM, I get a resistance of ~ 6.x ohms with the towers, but of course, that changes when music is applied.

 

[Ku-sama]

I am hooking the games to the TV and from the TV to the reciever via RCAs. There os a choice for optical and I have a cable but it doesn't work.

hook sound up straight to your receiver..... hell, do what I do and input your video to your receiver and then run an S-Video line out to your TV.... it makes a difference...

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

hook sound up straight to your receiver..... hell, do what I do and input your video to your receiver and then run an S-Video line out to your TV.... it makes a difference...

I'll give that a shot. I have an output for it.

Thanks

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

yea deff use your receiver for everything and your tv as basically just a moniter only

 

[joetama 5,000+ posts]

yea deff use your receiver for everything and your tv as basically just a moniter only

Indeed.... Using the TV as a 'pass-through' will almost always give you a bit of attenuation...