Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Calibration with all DSPs has center very quiet

Hi all,

I just replaced my analogue center, sub, and rear with DSPs and going through calibration I notice that the center (DSP5200HCSE) is very quiet compared to the fronts (DSP5200) and rears (DSP3200)

The fronts come in at about 75dB on my SPL (c-weighted, slow response), but the center is about 15dB less.

Any ideas what could cause this?

You should check if the tweeter of 5200HCSE working or not.

It’s definitely on the centre channel not LFE?

Set all your speaker levels back to zero and report back what the results are.

It is definitely the center channel and not LFE. It is not the tweeter either.

More investigation shows a synchronisation issue with the volume as reported on the 861v8 display and the volume reported on the 5200HCSE display. For example, when calibrating and the center is very quiet, I can raise the center volume using the vol up key on the MSR+. During normal playback when I adjust the volume using the MSR+, the values on the 861 may move up/down, but the values on the 5200HC do not (or do, but at a different rate - i.e. 3 values down on the 861 = 1 value down on the 5200HC).

When I take the 861 out of standby using the front panel, the volume showing on the front 5200s and the 861 is the same, and smoothly scrolls up and down. The 5200HC, however, never came out of standby mode

When everything is in standby and I select "TV" from the MSR+, all three speakers and the 861 come out of standby, but when pressing the power up/down buttons on the front of the 861, only the 861 and 5200 fronts change. The 5200HC does not change value at all!

All speakers are connected using CAT5 SpeakerLink (there is no separate no Meridian comms).

I have tried typing the 861 to type 2 and starting again using the configurator, but the same issue persists.

Make sure the 5200HCSE is set to type 6 and center.

I assume that one of the 5200 left or right is the Master? Also that there is only one master in the system?

In Mconfig, make sure that the speaker that is the master in Mconfig is the physical the master in the room.

When all above is verified, press clear on the remote when all devices are in standby to set the controller assuming the 861 is set to auto.

Yep - that was it exactly!

The 5200 fronts had the master as left channel, and when I added the 5200HC it came pre-configured as master. I typed each one to type 6 then configured the center as master and everything else as slave and voila!

Thank you very much for pointing out the solution

Excellent

That's great news, these niggles most often boil down to configure issue ... and well done Bruce for given the advice ... it was spot on.

Dgerol,
If you have preference for having the centre DSP as Master (rather the front left or right) that works too.
Just make sure that Mconfig is aligned with how you have the speakers configured and the MASTER is plugged into the MASTER bank of SpeakerLink connections on the 861.

(It's how my system is setup, so I know it works.)

I hope the calibration and room correction goes smoothly now ... mine used to be a be hit and miss until I mounted the SPL meter (used a mic) on to drum mic stand with meter pointing vertical up.

Regards,
Carl