Hey guys,
So this is a pretty popular receiver at the moment, especially with the specials being run by Dion Wired. After you get it and run the auto-setup, it will still most likely sound a bit flat. This is because the default settings are pretty conservative.
As a result some people have asked which settings to tweak to get it sounding right. So after much fiddling, farting and reading myself, I'll walk you through the main settings to change, as well as what the the more important menu functions mean. For reference I have the Jamo S416 speakers, but it should applies to any speaker set.
Firstly you'll need to press Amp Menu to get to the main menu, and Return to go back one menu. If connected via HDMI to your TV, you should get an onscreen display of the menu.
The first thing to do would be the auto calibration using the mic. You can do that from the Setup Wizard. It doesn't get all the settings right, but is still important in terms of determining the speaker distance etc. based on your various seating positions. Perform the auto setup at a suitable volume, say -45dB, depending on the size of your room.
For the settings below, I've use the numbering system A, 1, i etc. to differentiate top level menus from lower level ones.
A) Audio Adjust menu:
1) Audyssey Settings:
- MultEQ: Choose either Audyssey or Audyssey Flat. You can change these later based on your preference. Choosing Manual will allow you to adjust the equaliser, but I wouldn't recommend this since it still doesn't sound as vibrant as the Audyssey modes. I have mine set to Audyssey Flat.
- Dynamic EQ: On
- Reference Offset: 0dB
- Dynamic Volume: choose either Light, Medium or Heavy. I have mine set to Light. Don't choose Off. This equalises the difference between low and high frequencies, such as loud special fx and soft dialogue in movies. It also automatically reduces the volume during ad breaks, so it's a very handy setting.
B) System Setup menu:
1) Speaker Setup:
i) Bass Setting:
- Subwoofer Mode: choose between LFE or LFE+Main. LFE only means that no signal will be sent to the sub, unless it's a 5.1 signal for which there is a dedicated signal to be sent to your sub. My preference is LFE+Main - this means that all signals below a certain frequency will be sent to the sub, even for stereo sound. I prefer this because subs produce deeper and richer bass than the main speakers, and it also reduces the load on the main speakers.
- LPF for LFE: this is the low pass filter for the sub. It means that any frequency below this setting will be sent to the sub, and anything higher will be sent to the main speakers. I have mine set to 100Hz, meaning everything lower than 100Hz will be sent to the sub. The default value is 80Hz so you can tweak this to your preference, just be careful not to set it too high.
ii) Crossover Frequency:
- Crossover: 80Hz
C) Input Setup menu:
1) Source Level:
- Digital Input: this is probably the most important setting. The default is 0dB, which results in the system sounding a bit flat. Increase it to suit your preference. I have mine set to +7dB.
That should cover it, but it's late and I may have skipped over a few things
If you have any questions then feel free to ask them here.
