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critical listening - i hear something i don't like

i need some help. I've been around this high end audio and theater thing for a while...but am just finally getting MY system close to the point where i really want to listen to it. I just upgraded a few components and actually (finally)hear 'air' in a movie i was watching this past week. The entire front collection of speakers dissappeared. WOW!.. getting very close to something good.. okay..enough background...

Here's what i need help with. In between these episodes of marvelous listening, when the movie track gets loud, the sound appears incoherent. There are three things i'm guessing i could attribute this to: 1.) the amp speaker relationship - either the speakers can't take the signal output by the amp, or the amp can't keep up with the signal. 2.) my room really does need some anti-reflective treatments - I have stuff in the corners.. but the side walls are bare (rectangular,sealed room, carpeted floor) 3.) the digital cable between DVD and PrePro may need some more thought

Any thoughts on where to focus my efforts? i explicitly didn't include a system description because i don't want to get into equipment conversations yet. If this thread gets interesting, i'll do that next

thanx in advance
objective1
rives
953 posts
 
First, I should say with so little information, my comment may not apply--but it well could. Almost any system can "outplay" the room. As you turn it up the energy held in the room is too great relative to the direct sound--the result is a loss of coherency. When we design rooms, we need to know how load a person will play their system and the room must be designed to properly relieve that energy--I say properly, because it can't just be leaked--it has to be disappated appropriately. My guess is that you are simply outplaying the room (by the way this occurs and is actually much easier to detect on 2 channel systems). High SPLs for HT require much pressure release. THX specifies rooms above 110db (that's really loud in my opinion). I don't listen to movies that loud--but many of our clients do, and we have to design the room with that in mind.
ohlala
1,231 posts
 
Responders are the the ones who are "postulating" in my post. Sorry for the ambiguity.

A more powerful conclusion will result in discovering first hand the cause to your problem instead of relying on present or past responses. I would be surprised if lack room treatment is not partly or totally the cause because the room's sonic affect increases with volume and a "poorer" room commonly results in what you described. Because you are addressing the room already, you can soon eliminate it as a confound or, hopefully, eliminate the problem.
ohlala
1,231 posts
 
Just so it may make more sense, my last post was written immediately in order after Objective1's response to my first post. I don't feel rewriting it to better fit what has come subsequently.
objective1 OP
95 posts
 
thanx for all of this... here are some details.. but i feel i have a little more work to do

room dimensions 13'6" x 19' x 8'

ml 334 and proceed BPA 3 driving requests, theater i and scripts. and a descent sub source is a krell dvd standard through a krell hts 7.1

transparent audio ultra xl's throughout

i don't bleed my ear drums, but i would say i listen loud...probably close to 110 db

either way... i'm thinking the 100$ room analysis by ASC would be the next step... then i'll see if the ml334 is just falling behind trying to drive the requests
objective1 OP
95 posts
 
actually... if my spl meter is accurate... i don't listen above 100 db.. that's really loud in my little room
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