Brandon A

Help, running Paradigm Monitors from Onkyo SR601

Ok, now I wish I had gotten a better receiver, but I thought this would have been fine for me.

I just got my CC-350 to go with two Monitor 7s up front. I don't have anything running as surrounds yet, hopefully this won't make the problem worse?

I have been running the 7s off of a Pioneer VSX-D509S with a B&W Center, the highest good listening level was reached at about -21dB on the Pioneer.

Hooking up the new center and the 7s on the Onkyo, the same levels were reached at about -11dB. I'm assuming that 0dB is the max output of the receiver. Should I be concerned? Do I need to be cautious of damaging anything if I play it at this level or higher?

-Brandon

John Garcia

The volume scales of each brand has nothing to do with one another.

If 0 is full tilt (it will likely turn up more than that), then running your receiver at 90% leaves you with practically no headroom at all for dynamic peaks and will be asking for trouble.

"The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that ain't so." - Mark Twain

HT: Marantz SR-8300, MA500 monoblocks x 2, 5X GR Research A/V-2s, Adire Audio Tempest sub, Denon 2900, Oppo 980H, Toshiba HD-A2, RC2000MkII remote, Panamax 5100, Panamax Max2 sub, Slim PS2, PS3 60G + 320G USB

Bedroom: Marantz PM-7200 Integrated, GR Research A/V-1s, Sony 222ES SACD, RC3200 remote, Panamax M8EX

Audio: Audioquest * Video: Bluejeans

My DVDs My HT

Rob Kramer

Most receivers do go higher than 0dB.

A 0dB reading on a THX receiver is considered to be the reference level not the max level.

However, you dont have a THX receiver, so the volume scale is based on some other standard, and you cant compare receivers from different manufacturers [since they do not conform to the same standards]. You cant even be sure that the scale is in dBs. It might just be divided up into even increments.

With my Onkyo 800 (a THX receiver), I can select a either a THX scale (where 0 is the standard reference level) or Onkyo's scale (where 0 is just some arbitrary number set by Onkyo).

With all that said, I used to have the Onkyo 600. And yes, I couldnt figure out what exactly the reading was based on (your 601 may be different). However, it is a nice receiver. The Onkyo "sound" is VERY good.