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Wharfedale M5 - Speech volume low

squil (Harmless) posted this on Monday, 25th June 2001, 12:48

I have an M5 connected via scart to a Panasonic PK3 (nicam stereo only) TV. The problem is that to here speech I have turn the volume right up but as soon as anything loud happens music effects etc. i need to turn it down again.

Is it just my hearing are do others have the same problem. The film was The Perfect Storm.

Would rigging up to an amp and extra speakers help ?

RE: Wharfedale M5 - Speech volume low

DazMack1979 (Elite) posted this on Monday, 25th June 2001, 18:36

I noiced the same problem, plugged my Digitheatre into the M5, bypassing the decoder so I`d be able to use the DTS option. But not being able to adjust the balance of the speakers without the decoder is a major drawback and now I have to hook the thing up if I want to watch a film in non-DTS.
Anybody know of a way to set the balance through the M5? All I could find was an option to delay the centre and rear speakers.

RE: Wharfedale M5 - Speech volume low

clayts (Elite) posted this on Monday, 25th June 2001, 18:43

Sadly there is no way to adjust speaker volume on the M5.

I take it you have set the audio out on the M5 to analogue if you`re bypassing the Videologic`s decoder, and using the DTS decoder on the M5 ?

I can assure you that with an amplifier and speakers, the M5 will sing like a canary, which will possibly make you wonder why you bought the player with the decoders on-board in the first place !

Go to my site here for the lowdown on all things M5, anyway http://www.area450.co.uk

RE: Wharfedale M5 - Speech volume low

Bowf (Elite) posted this on Wednesday, 27th June 2001, 10:45

Couldn`t help but notice no-on actually replied to the sender`s original query here...
It is, unfortunately, perfectly normal for speech to be quiet then effects to blow your head off, and it is very annoying and it is something which no-on mentions when you buy a DVD player.
I have an LG3350 which I was happy with until my mate bought a Samsung 811 ( might be 511 - can`t remember ) which has a facility where-in the sound can be ` compressed ` so that speech and effects are roughly the same levels. Samsung plug it as being for late night viewing at low volume levels but he leaves it on all the time to avoid the differences in levels you have noticed.
It really is about time the manufacturers did something about this. My missus hates watching DVD`s because of the " what-they-saying-jesus-those-guns-are-loud " effect.
I stand to be corrected here, but I can`t see why an amp and speakers would make any difference as it`s the way the sound has been recorded onto the discs. You`re pretty stuck with it mate unless you ditch the M5 and get a Samsung with that wonderful feature !

RE: Wharfedale M5 - Speech volume low

lees (Competent) posted this on Thursday, 28th June 2001, 19:37

Most amps/decoders have this feature & a lot of DVD players as well.
My Tosh SD2109B has this feature called Dynamic range control.
The trouble is that most of the " dynamics " of DD is lost when you apply this feature, so I really only use it for late night viewing.
Your right about the fact that speech is harder to hear but I have noticed a lot of DVD players have a " dialogue enhance" feature fitted.......maybe this would help?

RE: Wharfedale M5 - Speech volume low

squil (Harmless) posted this on Monday, 9th July 2001, 15:08

Thanks for the info chaps.
Now replaced the M5 with a Panasonic Home Cinema system with speakers etc. Although it`s about the size of an old VHS video recorder the combined amp / dvd player and speakers now give a good quality sound performance.

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