I have a JVC Integrated Amp RX-DP9VBK. I have new Klipsch RF 62 mains. Can someone help me setting up the EQ? There are bass, mid, and high DB levels from 1-6 for each. Plus different HZ options for all three. I am just getting started. Thanks. .
Leave the settings at "0" (neutral) and find the correct position in your room for the best sound quality. Just plopping the speakers "where they fit" is a sure way to less than stellar performance. Place "loudspeaker set up" or "loudspeaker placement" in a search engine and do some reading. I prefer the "WASP" set up procedure. Expect to spend an afternoon trying various locations.
Most rooms will require very broad changes at first and then very minimal adjustments as you narrow down the location to just the right spot which provides good bass response and clarity of instruments. Once you've settled into a location for the speakers I would then leave the eq as is - neutral - for several weeks as you acclimate your ears to the sound of your system with a wide variety of musical styles and volumes.
EQ is seldom the real answer to speaker set up and is often used more as a sales gimmick than as a useful tool. Don't be afraid to experiment with your speakers. A few tools such as a ruler and some masking tape will make the process go more smoothly. A laser level is optional but beneficial towards the end of the set up. Always make remarks on some note paper about what you've done and what you've heard as a result so you can always return to a prior location. If after two weeks you think the speakers might benefit from another round of set up (after carefully marking the original location in case you need to return to that spot), do so and again allow your ears to become accustomed to the slightly different sound for a week or two.
If you do not have the speakers well grounded to the floor, either the speakers or the stands they sit on should be spiked to stabilize the system. If the speakers have no provisions for spikes, go back to your dealer and ask for their opinions on options to spiking or contact a company such as Parts Express for their available options. Do not become impatient just because you have a new toy. Finding just the right spot for your speakers can be a long drawn out process if you are serious about obtaining the very best sound you paid for. In this case, you get what you pay for when patience and knowledge are the currency.
If you decide to use the eq, you should first try to make corrections by lowering levels opposed to the area you wish to highlight. In other words, if you wish to boost the midrange, cut the lows and highs first. Jacking up eq levels (most especially in the bass) is the quickest way to minimize the available power which will lead to clipping in the amplifier and damage to the speakers and/or amplifier.
You should find moving your speakers towards and away from walls and corners will increase or decrease the apparent bass response according to the distance away from reflective surfaces. Placed tightly in the corner of the room a speaker will have maximum bass boost by way of room position alone. Placed further away from the corners and walls the speaker will tend toward less bass thump but more clarity overall. Pay attention to set up instructions. A clear, centrally located voice can be found on any NPR radio station and you should adjust your set up to provide a tightly focused vocal sound centered equally between the two speakers. This would be my first point of reference. If the soundstage becomes too wide and the voice is not focussed, the rest of the sound suffers. Make certain you follow wiring diagrams provided with the speaker/amplifier. A red connector must be wired to another red connector by looking for the identification markings on your speaker cable. If you wire the speakers out of phase to one another, the voice will never be centered and the bass response will never be full and tight. Most everyone on this forum has learned the lessons of speakers placement and has benefitted from patient experimentation.
Thanks for the advice. I will try all that. By setting it at "neutral" I am to infere that you mean under EQ settings choose 0 decidels. You can also set Amp output levels as well from 0 to 10 decibels for all the speakers. I assume you would want me to set those at 0 as well at first? Thanks alot.
Great input and very helpful. Makes me want to take another look at my speaker set up as I put the Altecs in the same basic position as my old speakers and I intended to do the same with the new speakers when they showed up. It's a good reminder that sometimes the sound can be improved just by taking some time and not spending some dollars. Well done. Dave