Audyssey & Onkyo Re-Eq button feature interaction

Audyssey MultEQ creates room correction filters to two specific target curves. One is the Audyssey Reference curve that has a slight roll off in the high frequencies above 10 kHz that has to do with the translation required from a large movie theater to a smaller home listening room. The other is Flat that has no roll off. Some AVR makers decide to give the user a manual choice and others, like Onkyo, make the switch automatically.

Re-EQ is not an Onkyo function, it is part of THX. We recommend using the Flat room correction curve so that the intent of THX Re-EQ is preserved. Onkyo allows you to switch Re-EQ on and off separately from the other THX functions and so you could listen to Audyssey Flat if you turn off Re-EQ.

There is no interaction between the Re-EQ button and Audyssey. If you are in THX mode then you are listening to Audyssey Flat regardless of whether you have Re-EQ engaged. Of course, if you do have it engaged it applies a high frequency adjustment that takes you away from Flat. I recommend using Re-EQ with Audyssey Flat for movie listening.

There is no way to have Audyssey Flat in Onkyo products without having the THX mode engaged.

I found this post through Google and have the same question. I have an Onkyo TX-SR707 which allows you to turn RE-EQ on outside of THX modes.

As I understand it the Onkyo will choose the Audyssey reference curve in non-THX modes such as Dolby Digital. If while in a non-THX mode will turning RE-EQ on double the high frequency rolloff (Audyssey's reference curve plus RE-EQ's curve)?

Yes, if you turn on Re-EQ and you are not in THX mode then you will be using the Audyssey Reference curve plus Re-EQ.

Thanks for the great info Chris. I appreciate being able to chat with someone with your knowledge.

Hi Chris,

My understanding is that the Integra DTC9.8 in non THX modes uses the Audyssey curve when Re-EQ is off. If on then the high frequency content is further reduced than the Audyssey curve. My understanding is that the THX mode applies its own high frequency curve such that Re-EQ should likewise be off. Is this correct? To my ears the THX mode with Re-EQ off has higher frequency content than the non THX Modes with Re-EQ off. Is this correct? What is the difference between these 2 curves assuming DTS Master Audio sources?

Now I note in reviewing the DHC-80.3 manual that there is an Audyssey movie and music curve. My understanding is that the movie curve is the Audyssey curve and the music curve is the flat curve. In the case of non THX mode and DTS Master Audio source what is the difference between the music curve with Re-EQ on and the movie curve with Re-EQ off. Are they the same? Likewise how does the THX mode compare with Re-EQ on and off to the non THX modes with movie and music curves and Re-EQ on and off. Thanks for your help and clarifications.

I can't speak about the THX specifics. These clarifications will have to come from them directly. However, you are correct about the interaction between the Audyssey curve and Re-EQ.  To allow Re-EQ to work as intended, Integra switches to Audyssey Flat (Integra calls it Music) when THX is enabled.  That way you are applying THX Re-EQ to the Audyssey Flat curve.  If you switch out of THX mode then Audyssey Ref (Integra calls it Movie) is enabled and the Audyssey high frequency roll off is engaged. Adding Re-EQ on top of that would apply too much roll off.

Just a double check Chris, you said in an earlier post elsewhere that Onkyo calls the Audyssey Reference Curve "Movie", and "Music" is the Audyssey Flat curve.

In the above post, you said the opposite for Integra which of course is made by Onkyo. Did you make a mistake in either of the two descriptions, or does Onkyo in fact switch the curves in the two models?

Good catch Darryl, I got it backwards above.  I have corrected it now, thanks for pointing out.

Ok, thank you Chris.

Hello Chris. I noticed this from your first post up there: "There is no way to have Audyssey Flat in Onkyo products without having the THX mode engaged." In my new Onkyo TX-NR809 I have THX mode turned off, but I can still switch between Reference(Movie) and Flat(Music), and it appears that Music mode does have a bit more treble than Movie mode. I realize that your post was over two years ago, and I just wondered if there has been an update to that, as it appears to be. Thanks again for your help.

Hi Michael,

Yes, in the newer models Onkyo allows you to manually select Audyssey Flat (they call it Music).