LG SN7CY voice channel sounds... well, rubbish

GeX

GeX

GeX

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Our lounge is a bit space constrained, but I've got an LG C2 48" in one of the alcoves.
It came with an LG SN7CY soundbar, which size wise is about all I can fit underneath it. I have the rear speakers too, but this bar does not support a sub (thanks, LG).

I don't often get to watch much Atmos content on it but recently watched Rings of Power and noticed that the voice channel sounds poor. Just flat. It's not that it's too quiet, just sounds bad.

Not really sure what I can do about it. Is it worth swapping it for the SN7Y that has a sub, is the voice channel ever 'helped' by the sub?

Feels like it'd be expensive to change to non-LG as I have the rears. One of the G2 soundbars *might* fit. Are they any better?
 
GeX said:
Our lounge is a bit space constrained, but I've got an LG C2 48" in one of the alcoves.
It came with an LG SN7CY soundbar, which size wise is about all I can fit underneath it. I have the rear speakers too, but this bar does not support a sub (thanks, LG).

I don't often get to watch much Atmos content on it but recently watched Rings of Power and noticed that the voice channel sounds poor. Just flat. It's not that it's too quiet, just sounds bad.

Not really sure what I can do about it. Is it worth swapping it for the SN7Y that has a sub, is the voice channel ever 'helped' by the sub?

Feels like it'd be expensive to change to non-LG as I have the rears. One of the G2 soundbars *might* fit. Are they any better?
Click to expand...

No.
 
hornetstinger said:
Possible if you have bass management setting really high like 250hz

But speakers will sound bad and so will sub
But at typical settings speech shouldn't come from sub. Even James earl Jones
Click to expand...

Just following up here.. I set up an LG S80QR recently and there is a small amount of voice that comes from the sub when playing back Atmos content. The sub does 'help' the voice channel, and it adds depth to it.
 
GeX said:
Just following up here.. I set up an LG S80QR recently and there is a small amount of voice that comes from the sub when playing back Atmos content. The sub does 'help' the voice channel, and it adds depth to it.
Click to expand...

Subs shouldn't be playing back voice. What that means is the crossover on the sub is too high
 
GeX said:
Just following up here.. I set up an LG S80QR recently and there is a small amount of voice that comes from the sub when playing back Atmos content. The sub does 'help' the voice channel, and it adds depth to it.
Click to expand...

Average male speaking voice has a range from around 80Hz to 160Hz for the fundamentals. The overtones (harmonics) will be higher. Barry White spoke lower, to a pitch only African elephants and great whales could detect. :cry: So you're probably correct that you heard voice from the sub as the sound bar speakers themselves might start crossing over to the sub within that range.

There is a dedicated bass channel called LFE. This contains just sound effects to enhance low frequency wallop. There is no voice or music in this. Just effects sound.

The bass management on a properly designed multichannel system will mix the dedicated LFE track with the bass from any channels that can't get down to the 20Hz bass target of the main and air channel's 20Hz-20kHz range. If the sound bar tries to be a 5.1.2 system, then bass sound from the 5 ground channels is added to bass sound for the 2 air channels and then combined with the .1 LFE track. That means the sub is playing upto 8 channels-worth of sound when things get busy.
 
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Understood, thanks.

Unfortuneatly I don't have the space for speakers up front that can do that kind of range (hence using a little soundbar to begin with!). Going back to my original post though, it does seem that adding a sub would help this system. Shame I can't add one.
I'll start looking for others that'll fit and give me a bit more range though.
 
GeX said:
Understood, thanks.

Unfortuneatly I don't have the space for speakers up front that can do that kind of range (hence using a little soundbar to begin with!). Going back to my original post though, it does seem that adding a sub would help this system. Shame I can't add one.
I'll start looking for others that'll fit and give me a bit more range though.
Click to expand...
I wouldnt worry too much about the sub adding some of the bottom-end male dialogue. There are several higher-end sub/sat systems where the satellite speakers are so small that they need the sub to crossover quite high. For example, the Anthony Gallo Micro speakers. They're cricket ball-sized spheres where the lower limit of the bass is somewhere around the 100-120Hz range. A sub would have to crossover at around 130-140Hz. These little speakers are around £200-£250 a piece. That means five of them will cost £1000-£1250 before adding the cost of a sub.

This is all about the balance between performance and aesthetics. Sound bars are mostly about lifestyle rather than performance, but you have a more discerning ear and can tell where the compromises have been made. A better sound bar will not be so heavily compromised.
 
lucid said:
I wouldnt worry too much about the sub adding some of the bottom-end male dialogue. There are several higher-end sub/sat systems where the satellite speakers are so small that they need the sub to crossover quite high. For example, the Anthony Gallo Micro speakers. They're cricket ball-sized spheres where the lower limit of the bass is somewhere around the 100-120Hz range. A sub would have to crossover at around 130-140Hz. These little speakers are around £200-£250 a piece. That means five of them will cost £1000-£1250 before adding the cost of a sub.

This is all about the balance between performance and aesthetics. Sound bars are mostly about lifestyle rather than performance, but you have a more discerning ear and can tell where the compromises have been made. A better sound bar will not be so heavily compromised.
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no

archimago.blogspot.com

REVIEW / MEASUREMENTS: (Anthony) Gallo Acoustics A'Diva Ti (~2005) & Nucleus Micro Speakers (~2000).

A blog for audiophiles about more objective topics. Measurements of audio gear. Reasonable, realistic, no snakeoil assessment of sound, and equipment.
archimago.blogspot.com archimago.blogspot.com
 
hornetstinger said:
no

archimago.blogspot.com

REVIEW / MEASUREMENTS: (Anthony) Gallo Acoustics A'Diva Ti (~2005) & Nucleus Micro Speakers (~2000).

A blog for audiophiles about more objective topics. Measurements of audio gear. Reasonable, realistic, no snakeoil assessment of sound, and equipment.
archimago.blogspot.com archimago.blogspot.com
Click to expand...
[Sigh]

I was quoting from Gallo's own web site. They claim 100-120Hz. https://galloacoustics.com/micro/

IgMJO9.jpg


But lets look at the bigger picture. You wrote this...
hornetstinger said:
Subs shouldn't be playing back voice. What that means is the crossover on the sub is too high
Click to expand...

and then followed up with this that contradicts your above post. Average male speaking voce can extend down to 80Hz. If a sub is covering 120Hz then it's going to be contributing to dialogue.
hornetstinger said:
Typically you want the subs to output 120hz and lower.
Click to expand...

@GeX himself said in post #7 that he set up a sound bar where some of the voice was coming from the sub. The numbers tell us there's an overlap and @GeX's experience confirms it.

I filled in that some speaker systems use the sub in the same way, and quoted Gallo's figures. What was your response? 'No' And then you linked to some page which goes to prove my point because it says Gallo Micros only go down to 200Hz! Way to score an own goal there, @hornetstinger

I'm truly puzzled. In your race to prove me wrong you end up confirming exactly what I said, and that some expensive sub/sat systems do indeed use the sub for a lot of the voice. Did you not stop to think while reading the Archimago blog that this undermines your whole position?

You have some good knowledge on subs, and decent general knowledge, so why do you insist on trying to turn so many enquiries into a version of what you have at home? Wouldn't it be more sensible to try to help the people asking to get a solution that's appropriate for their needs? Sure, explain the limitations and give them other options, but leave the choice up to them rather than trying to railroad them down a different path. It's up to you how you want to continue to contribute in the forum. I just think you have a lot more to offer, but the rigidity in your thinking is kind of holding you back from doing great things here.
 
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No +/- figure for those Gallo so could be +/- 10db. Where I highlighted in bold you were incorrect.

"Well... Clearly these are the most bass-limited speakers I have measured to this point. If we look at the larger A'Diva Ti, -6dB from 1kHz is around 105Hz. For the smaller Nucleus Micro, we're looking at -6dB around 200Hz. Sure, you could put these against a wall for bass reinforcement, but IMO that would still not be enough. Clearly, these, especially the Nucleus Micro simply must be paired with a woofer/sub to reproduce a more complete frequency response.

Notice that both speakers have a high frequency extension to around 15kHz, beyond which it drops off quick"

So that means very high crossover and sub playing high also
 
hornetstinger said:
No +/- figure for those Gallo so could be +/- 10db. Where I highlighted in bold you were incorrect.

"Well... Clearly these are the most bass-limited speakers I have measured to this point. If we look at the larger A'Diva Ti, -6dB from 1kHz is around 105Hz. For the smaller Nucleus Micro, we're looking at -6dB around 200Hz. Sure, you could put these against a wall for bass reinforcement, but IMO that would still not be enough. Clearly, these, especially the Nucleus Micro simply must be paired with a woofer/sub to reproduce a more complete frequency response.

Notice that both speakers have a high frequency extension to around 15kHz, beyond which it drops off quick"

So that means very high crossover and sub playing high also
Click to expand...
Once again, you're getting in your own way.

I quoted the Gallo figures, and I even gave you a picture of the Gallo Web site to help you avoid putting your foot in your mouth again.

I don't care what some independent measured because (a) I was quoting the manufacturers figures - and correctly too - and (b), the point is that with a 100-120Hz crossover figure then the sub will be contributing towards dialogue content.

Step back and just re-read the thread without trying to score points. The question is whether some dialogue content could be coming from a sub. The answer to that question is yes. @GeX said it. I said it. That blog says it. Even you said it indirectly.

That's the point. The whole point, and nothing but the point. Do you get it now?
 
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