Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Trifield question

My system: 562v/565, DSP5k's l,c,r an Oppo 981H and a Pioneer 5070 plasma. When listening to CD's I have the 565 set to Trifield. The 5k's are 9 feet apart center to center so I'm getting good seperation but the center channel seems to dominate. I'm an old two channel guy so I may be missing the psycho acoustic effect of nothing in the middle and imagining the instrument placement in space. My listening position is about 12 feet from the 5000C. Any suggestions on how to tweak the 565 or center speaker so I get a more balanced soundstage? By the way, although I don't yet have rear speakers, the soundstage on Dolby sat tv and DVD's is great.

Ken

It's all about the depth of the centre channel. Do a search through the forum and you'll find quite a bit on setting up Trifield.

Basically, to summarise these learned threads and my own experience, the centre channel snaps into place and 'disappears'when you get the depth right. The fact you can notice the centre channel suggests you haven't got it just yet. It's quite noticeable when you get ti right, it's not fluffy like the 565's phase settings.

Beyond Mr Gimlet's advise, I assume you've calibrated?

For movies, the center will tend to dominate. For music it should disappear.

Yes, I calibrated. I'll do a search and see what I can find. So far though, I haven't been able to get the center channel to "click" using both depth and gain.

Hi, Are your Tweeters in line, this may help although I have no problems with my M33C under the TV. It has a plinth that angles it upwards.
Also, do you Toe in your main speakers? I do, sitting I see the Grills face on.
Have you set the Aspect Ratio correctly on the 565.

I am close to my speakers with the mains wide apart and use an aspect ratio of 0.5. This setting is important and may be worth playing with.

The thing with the 565 is that by the time you get it right, you will understand it fully although this may take some time. It is well worth the journey though.
Hi-Fi per � the 565 is a complete bargain.
A 518 may be of benefit as well. The ability to adjust Gain is a real boon.

+8 db for Freeview TV.
+5db for DAB Radio.
+0 to 3 for CD as required.

Get some rears as they pull the sound out and give a more 3 dimensional shape.
Then you can get the benefits of Mu-Logic etc.

When you find setting you like within Trifield, save them. CD1, CD2 etc
You will in time gavitate to the ones that most satify you.

Dont ignor setting like POP. I use a version of this for DAB Radio and have named it such.
In the finish it is down to your own personal tastes, but you will get it right in time.

These setting for me just get it perfect.

I hope this helps, Chris

Well, just for drill I repeated the calibration and came up with the same settings with a delay of 0.5. My center is 140" from the listening position and my sides are 146". The book recommended adding .5 for a total of 1.0 so I did. The center was still way too dominate in Trifield with CD's so I started increasing the distance until I got to 3.0 and that helped quite a bit. I guess at this point it's just trial and error. By the way, when I make a change on the 565 how do I make it stick permantly? It seems to default to the original settings. I've read my installation guide carefully and I can't seem to find it.

Chris--thanks for the input. I tried toeing the sides in and that helped a bit too. My tweeters are pretty closely aligned. Unfortunately my room doesn't allow for rear speakers, either freestanding or wall mounted. I'm probably going to go with a couple of B&W ceiling speakers and a seperate amp. Next week a D2500 joins the party though.

Hi What about the Aspect Ratio?

You can save your own presets and it is in the manual.

You store it and then name it.

Good Hunting in the Manual, it is there.

Cheers, Chris

Chris,

I read and reread my installation guide and couldn't find how to store changes. I finally went to the library on M's website and discovered there is also a users guide which I downloaded. Whole bunce of new info to work with!

I don't know what my aspect ratio is but does it matter without rear speakers?

Without rears it may not appear. Get rears if you can, even small ones.
The aspect ratio is a method of telling the 565 what shap your listening zone is.
i.e. 'narrow and deep' to 'wide and shallow'.

Good luck, Chris

Yes, aspect ratio is meaning less without rears and/or sides.

Aspect Ratio is mainly used for Ambisonic since it has to know roughly how your speakers are laid out in order to recreate the original wavefronts encoded from its recording, which consists of only vectors. Trifield only does some ambiance extraction from the front channel and dump them into the side and rears. It doesn't try to use the rear/side speakers to create a 360 deg cohesive image.

Kswanson, Hi. I just found how to store pre sets on the 565. It is in the User Guide.

Basicaly you get a sound you like by adjusting parameters in any particular sound mode.
Then press Store to associate it with that input.

Then press Store again.
The display now shows the next available user preset.

Press Store again and the Character flashes, now you can start editing useing the arrows.

When finished, Press Store again and your done.

You can clear them as well, Good luck, Chris