Audyssey DSX

[OldiesButGoodies]

Found a useful DSX setup site here: http://www.audyssey.com/blog/practical-guide-audyssey-dsx

Based on this diagram my heights and wides are incorrectly positioned - going to get the ladder and move things around a bit 

[Sir Thrift-a-Lot]

Is that your setup currently or what the software recommends?   It looks pretty good to me.   I am a firm believer that good setup elevates even mediocre gear and poor setup hinders great gear.

[OldiesButGoodies]

I had DSX set up so wrong it is not funny.  I now have the front wides at a 60 degree angle along the side wall several feet away from the back wall,  and the front heights almost directly on top  of the front left and right.  Bifg difference.  Now it makes sense that they could productize DSX. Not sure I will use it more often (the effect should be entertaining during football games and such),  but glad to have it set up properly.

[bearjew]

I am a firm believer that good setup elevates even mediocre gear and poor setup hinders great gear.

that's more than just a belief.  that's a bigger guarantee than the sun rising in the morning.  you can make 100000000 dollar speakers sound like dog shit if you put them in a bad spot.  when i was auditioning my speakers down at carverfest, we actually had to cover a window and move a cabinet just to try to get the sound to stop bouncing everywhere.  that's kind of the catch with side-firing drivers though; they sound GREAT when placed right, but sound god awful if the sound starts shooting and ricocheting everywhere.

[treos33]

Why go with front height instead of rear surrounds? A 7.1 track would have rear surround tracks in the mix but front height or front wide will always have to be interpolated by the processor. It looks like you have more than enough room behind your seating position to benefit from rear surrounds.

[OldiesButGoodies]

Treos -

That drawing came from a conversation in an Audyssey blog somewhere,  it is not the basement setup I have.   I do have surrounds and surround backs in addition to front height and wides.  And I agree with your that sides and surround backs are of much higher priority.  I have those in my HT,  using dipoles.  The height and wides are direct radiators.

What I tested yesterday (with help from Jim P who loaned me an Adcom amp) was properly set up (as properly as I am able to get it anyway) Audyssey DSX 11.2 - so 11 channels.  My Denon 4520 receiver has the DSX2 feature that extracts 11 channels from a stereo signal if you want,  but requires an outboard amp as it 'only'  has 9 amps inside. 

The next frontier is to test the home theater using the Carver Amazings for front left and right. Willreport on that eventually...

OBG   

[treos33]

Oh OK! That makes a lot more sense. I thought that was a diagram you created that you also uploaded to the audyssey forum.

My only concern with the Amazings as front left and right would be panning between your center and Amazings because I'm sure there will be some significant tonal differences. It's almost worth experimenting with no center if the Amazings image well enough.

Sounds like a fun problem to have though! Definitely interested in how it turns out.