Muffled Mumbles

all too much

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I hope that my set up for playing DVDs is reasonably half decent (Arcam Solo Movie 5.1 going through ProAc Hexa surround speakers including centre and sub with a Panasonic DMR-BS850 linked into the Arcam for Blu ray).

But I'm disappointed with the sound balance. All the "noises-off" - things like backing music and helicopter sound effects going back and forward across the room - sound fine. It's dialogue that is bad and sometimes barely audible. If I turn the volume up to the level where one can make out clearly what people are saying to each other, all the other stuff becomes uncomfortably loud and frightens the dog. So, particularly on more modern films, I often end up putting the subtitles on.

I suspect that part of the problem is that actors in recent years have been allowed to get away with mumbling their lines in a way that would have been unthinkable in the past when good elocution was universal. But beyond top of that is it a case of crap audio mixing in putting together the finished soundtrack or can I tweak my system to give better results?

When I got the Arcam Solo Movie, it seemed that it was separating the movie soundtrack into a number of different components in a way that my previous Yamaha RX-V795RDS surround amp hadn't done. Is that just my imagination?

I see that there was a similar thread several years ago but wonder whether things may have changed in the meantime.

Many thanks for any views.
 
It is unfortunately the way audio is mixed for surround sound and theatres. The wide dynamic range associated will digital formats means the quiet sounds can be very quiet while loud effects can be astonishingly loud. The industry recognised standard 75db level is not only used to calibrate home setups, but it is the level used whilst the audio is being mixed for cinema output. If you do not turn your volume up to achieve the 75db as measured from where you are sat then you invariably lose some of the quieter audio. You can try employing something called Dynamic Range Compression. DRC narrows the dynamic range, making quiet sounds slightly louder while lowering the louder effects by forcing both into a narrower dynamic range. Most players and AV amps have a setting in relation to DRC. There may also be a night listening mode on your amp which will have a similar effect to DRC?
 
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