Tony Fernandes

I have been given a CD8454 to evaluate. Of course, one of the first things I started messing around with was the time alignment. According to the owner's manual, it says to select the speaker FARTHEST away from you and add the appropriate delay. Now, I'm far from a genius, but common sense would tell me that in order to make the sound from both speakers arrive at my ears at the same time I would need to add some delay to the CLOSEST speaker. Right? Am I missing something? Don?

Tony

Dustyroads

Sounds correct. Since the driver side speakers are closer, then you would want to delay those slightly so that the passenger side speakers sounds can travel the distance across the cabin.

How do you like the MP3 playback??

Eclipse.....mmmmmmmmmm

MannyNJ2k2max

iTrader: (3)

you can increase or decrease the delay time- you have do do it by ear
they give you a method for caslculating the delay- speaker by speaker

A= delay time(ms)
B= distance from farthest(cm)
C=dist. from list. position to spk to be adj.(i.e on the 5th gen its Passenger rear)

A= (B-C) / 34
Pro mode is fun isn't it I'm still playing with the parametric, I get lost in this unit- the
adjustability is endless

Manny

Tony Fernandes

I haven't tried the memory stick yet, although I heard it in the store and it sounded practically CD-quality.

Tony

Tony Fernandes

Yes, I already read the manual. Interestingly enough, tuning it by ear I found that a .8 mS delay sounds about right. Using the math it told me that a .89 mS delay is optimal. Not bad for my first experience with time alignment.

But you totally missed my question:

Why would Eclipse tell you to choose the speaker that's FARTHEST away from you and add delay time to THAT speaker? It totally defies logic. When I try both ways, adding to delay to the driver and passenger side alternatively, it clearly sounds worse using the method described in the owner's manual, NOT the method that any physics book would tell you to do.

I've tried reading the section on the PEQ section. Heck, I even played around with the settings on the unit while reading the manual and I got completely lost. It's not very straight-forward, is it? LOL

Tony

MannyNJ2k2max

iTrader: (3)

My manual does not state that the furthest speaker HAS TO HAVE a time delay, it simply uses the distance of the farthest speaker to calculate the time delay of all other speakers

If you think about it, if the distance per say is 200cm from the listener to the furthest speaker and you attempt to calculate its delay time using the formula you get 0-zero

Also on the 5th gen, I haven't actually measured it, but the distance between the driver and the pass front tweet (mine are in the sails) could be further than the pass rear coaxes-its pretty close
so basically the closest speakers to you get the most delay to achieve a 'centered' sound from the listening position....

I lost everything I had on my unit when I changed batteries, shoot me some delay time #'s so I can check it out
Thanx

Tony Fernandes

Manny,

Either you're misunderstanding what I'm saying, you're posts are directed to someone else, or you think I'm an idiot. Now, I'm far from perfect...but hopefully I'm far from an idiot as well! Why in the world would I calculate delay time using only one speaker?

Okay, here's what the manual states (page 128). I apologize if I'm misinterpreting it and confusing everyone, but it seems fairly clear to me:

1) Turn the SEL button to select Time Alignment.
The selected item will be highlighted.

2) Press the SEL button.
The mode will change to time alignment adjustment mode.

3) Press the SEL button for less than one second to select the speaker
band to be adjusted.
Each time the button is pressed, the selection changes in the following
order. (the manual goes through the speaker selection order)

4) Turn the SEL button to select the speaker that is furthest away, and
then adjust the delay time for the sound to arrive.
The delay time can be adjusted within 0.0 to 5.0 ms (in units of 0.1 ms).
Turn to the right: Increases the time.
Turn to the left: Decreases the time.

My listening position is 140cm from the speakers on the driver's side and 170cm from the passenger side. This equates to a .88ms delay time. Now I'm the last person that would trust some formula and number system to dictate if that is the optimal delay time, but in my case, it actually worked out perfectly that it does indeed sound best (actually, I think I like .8ms a little better than .9ms)

Step 4 above states to select the speaker that is furthest away and adjust the delay time. Why would I want to do that? It's a fact that you would have to add delay time to the speaker CLOSEST to you...just simple proven fact. I'm assuming it's an error that Eclipse did not catch when they printed the manual.

If not, then I'm completely missing something!! Which is why I asked the question.

Tony

MannyNJ2k2max

iTrader: (3)

no ...I do not think you are an idiot....my misunderstanding, my bad

I overlooked that part of step 4- it does not make sense, after reading the whole thing , you'd have to think that the farthest speaker has to remain at 0delay for the other ones to be delayed around it

The example illustration they give you does not illustrate an example on how you would
determine the delay on the farthest speaker itself(since that distance would cancel itself in the equation)

So it could be two things: Eclipse made a mistake on the manual, or whatever delay you put on the furthest speaker somehow(magically) is incorporated into the delay of the other speakers

Tony Fernandes

Thank you so much Manny!!! I agree 100% with your two plausible explanations. Those are exactly what I had come up with as well. I'M NOT CRAZY!!! MUHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Tony