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Hashpot
11-17-2007, 01:29 PM
I have these old Kenwood stereo speakers and I have been trying to set them up for surround back due to the lack of bass in my original surround back speakers. I hooked the Kenwwood speakers (they have 8" woofers with a 1' tweeter they can handle 100w) to my onkyo receiver which can handle 130w per ch. and they dont sound loud like my the rest of the system I had to go to level CAL and put down the volume of the rest of the speakers (front right center surround r and L) so that I can hear the Kenwoods. But the volume between the surround backs and the rest is to wide it I have to turn the receiver gain almost all the way up so i can heear them . I know its not the speakers because they sound very good in there kenwood stereo receiver.Is there anything in the receiver menue I can do to enhance the surround back speakers? Is it even a good idea to hook up stereo speakers to surround sound?

Mr Peabody
11-17-2007, 01:59 PM
Stereo speakers are what you hook to the surround. No matter what they label them to sell them. There are various designs, materials and features for speakers, some are supposed to be better for surround but you don't need a special speaker for surround.

Is your receiver 5.1? What brand are the other speakers? When you say the volume is not equal, is that using the test tone? Receivers with Dolby Digital usually have the same power to all channels. If you have an old Pro Logic receiver, those used to have less amp power to the rear and could account for a problem, but again, I wonder why you wouldn't have noticed it before.... You must set the volume using the test tone, most movies will not provide enough from the surrounds to judge the volume.

You should not have had a lack of bass, if your settings were correct, setting surrounds to "small" your low end should have gone to the sub, providing you have one. And, if you don't you should have an option of where to direct the bass, like to "mains".

Kenwood speakers are usually at are above average sensitivity so I'm thinking there is a problem some where. If your other speakers were mega sensitive you should have noticed the volume difference before unless the surrounds were the same brand. And, if they are mega sensitive, like Klipsch, then you will just have to compensate with the receiver's menu and live with it. Be sure you have good connections to receiver and speakers. You are using digital connection from DVD to receiver?

Other than what I mentioned, sensitivity mismatch, setting error or bad connection, I can't think of what would cause it.

Hashpot
11-17-2007, 03:11 PM
My system is the ONKYO Onkyo HT-S790 the htib im pretty sure you know of it but here the link to the system : www.crutchfield.com/S-Tc2I9BkdFc3/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?i=580HTS790B&tab=morephotos&s=0&cc=01&g=37600
Its a great system but its surrounds are the only cons from what I read from the reviews, and thats why I want the stereo speakers for surround back. The receiver is set to large for surround back and the so is the rest except for the surrounds. It is also set at 100hz for crossover. What I mean by the sound from the surround back to the rest of the speakers is to wide I mean that the rest of the speakers i set to a lower db . So I can hear the surround back If I set the db of rest of speakers to 3 and the stereo speakers to the max 12 If I do that I can also hear them pretty good put there not bassy. The system has Surround Formats such as :

Dolby Pro Logic No
Dolby Pro Logic II Yes
Dolby Digital Yes
Dolby Digital EX Yes
DTS Yes
DTS ES Yes
DTS Neo:6

I have the the dvd player hooked up regular with a rca red white and yellow cable. What is Multiplex i have that setting in my receiver what is more suitable for me if I go with the stereo speakers : main,sub,m/s, what are the differences?

Mr Peabody
11-17-2007, 04:12 PM
DVD HOOK UP, that's your problem. You HAVE TO use digital in order to get 5.1. Now you are ONLY getting DPL2 at best. Do that digital hook up and your world will change. You need to run either a coaxial or Toslink (optical) digital cable from DVD to receiver, this is for sound. If your DVD has it, I recommend using component for video. Your current video, and audio, hook up is the least desireable for optimum HT.