# What is Audyssey MultiXT changing?



## dean70 (Jun 27, 2008)

I have recently completed room treatment and bass traps and was doing some comparisons with Audyssey MultiXT eq enabled and disabled.

I know Audyssey flattens the frequency response and cleans up modal response (as I have seen in the REW measurements before and after), but it also appears to narrow the sound stage significantly. I noticed when watching some 5.1ch concert BluRays, disabling Audyssey made the sound-stage that much wider and dynamic and the sound "fuller". 

It seems it is phase shifting a nice wide sound stage and compressing it, so that it is almost like multi-channel Mono. Aydyssey Eq might to movies justice, but it ruins any music or concert material.


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## Kal Rubinson (Aug 3, 2006)

I do not know what your musical tests/tastes are but I have not found Audyssey to make the soundstage narrower or the music less dynamic. However, by curtailing some of the modal decays, it can seem a bit less "full" but one would have to know how "full" the original was to decide whether the change was an improvement or not. My experience tells me it is. YMMV.


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## primetimeguy (Jun 3, 2006)

The Audyssey reference curve rolls off the highs. Try using Audyssey Flat curve for your music, which does not roll off the highs. You may prefer that.


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## dean70 (Jun 27, 2008)

It is a shame my receiver (Integra dtr7.8) does not let you see what changes (other than the basic speaker distance, level and sub crossover freq) or choose different curves. 

Which receivers/processors let you choose eq curves or profiles? This could be the next item on my shopping list 

For now can I use "direct" mode on receiver to bypass any eq for music or concert material.


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## primetimeguy (Jun 3, 2006)

Does your receiver have THX listening modes? The THX Music mode uses the flat curve with no rolloff behind the scenes.


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## dean70 (Jun 27, 2008)

primetimeguy said:


> Does your receiver have THX listening modes? The THX Music mode uses the flat curve with no rolloff behind the scenes.


Yes it does. The receiver is THX Ultra2 certified and has all the various THX surround modes. I will have to try it using this mode.


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## primetimeguy (Jun 3, 2006)

dean70 said:


> Yes it does. The receiver is THX Ultra2 certified and has all the various THX surround modes. I will have to try it using this mode.


The downside is it will have the THX processing applied....but it will bring back the high frequencies.


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Dean, just a thought, but did you re-calibrate Audyssey after you applied your room treatments? If not, you're sort of double-correcting the sound, first, by Audyssey's analysis based on the original measurements, and then second, by applying your room treatments which Audyssey has no idea about. How many times can I type Audyssey in this post? Audyssey.


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## dean70 (Jun 27, 2008)

Owen Bartley said:


> Dean, just a thought, but did you re-calibrate Audyssey after you applied your room treatments? If not, you're sort of double-correcting the sound, first, by Audyssey's analysis based on the original measurements, and then second, by applying your room treatments which Audyssey has no idea about. How many times can I type Audyssey in this post? Audyssey.


I re-ran the calibration after the room treatment was installed, although it was before the door was fitted. When I did this calibration, I did the sample points 3 across in seating position, 3 behind seats with couches reclined and the final 2 in front of couch in between the first 3 points. I am thinking the back 3 are getting too close to the "hot" zone near the back of the room. Although I now have traps covering the windows, the bass is still stronger about .5m in front of this region, but it is even across the width of the room.


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Strange... I wonder if the lack of a door for your measurements would cause that to happen. Maybe you don't need the extra 2 measurement points? I don't know a lot about how Ausyssey works, but just taking measurements for the actual seated listening positions might let it better optimize for those areas.


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## primetimeguy (Jun 3, 2006)

Owen Bartley said:


> Strange... I wonder if the lack of a door for your measurements would cause that to happen. Maybe you don't need the extra 2 measurement points? I don't know a lot about how Ausyssey works, but just taking measurements for the actual seated listening positions might let it better optimize for those areas.


The more measurements you take the better Audyssey can understand what is going on in your room. So it is highly recommended to take the max measurements available.


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Interesting. Thanks, primetime, I didn't know how it sorted out the listening positions, or if "less is more" or "more is more" as seems to be the case.


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