tony^v

Calibration problems

OK I am going to pull my hair out
My setup:
Onkyo 602
Fronts paradigm atoms
Center CC-170
Rears Design acoustics
Sub STF-2

Now I know the fronts and rear don't match but I can't replace them right now besides they look the same and sound very close.

After I do auto setup on my onkyo the sound is pretty good.
After I try using a SPL meter with Sound and vision DVD the sound seems lower and also the bass.
With auto setup my levels are :
Left +4db
center +3db
right +2 db
SR -1
SB -2
SL +1
Sub -1 (the sub volume is about half way)

With SPL and Sound and vision DVD All levels are negative db and my ref level is about 13db (I left the sub level at 0 and adjusted the volume on the sub itself)

After both setups I tested with music and movies (star wars II asteroid seen)
With the auto setup I feel the bass and volume is about 25db.
With SPL the I could not feel the bass ans I had to put the volume about 12db.

What am I doing wrong?
If I just leave the auto setup levels what volume should I put the sub at?

steve nn

Give this http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...by=&sortorder=
a try and see if it helps. I have read in the past anywhere from -5 to -11db on the S&V subwoofer calibration portion.

Jeff Gatie

What level did you calibrate to using the S&V disk? The S&V disk tones are supposed to be calibrated to 85dB , just like Avia, in order to achieve reference. If you calibrated to 75dB, which is recommended by most receivers and by VE, you would have approximately the 10dB difference that is showing on your system. I bet this is what occurred.

tony^v

I think I cal. at 75db if I did it correctly.

From what the disk said I have to put all levels on my receiver to 0 then play tones from the disk then raise the volume on my receiver to 70 db.
If I do that then should I raise the levels for the speakers to 85 db?
And what about the sub?
Where should I start with the sub volume?
What level should I get with the sub cal?

Jeff Gatie

If using the S&V disk to calibrate, set master volume so the left front speaker produces an 85dB tone, then by using the individual speaker levels adjust all others (including the sub) so they also produce an 85dB tone. The master volume level you have set is now considered "reference level". These settings should more closely resemble the results that the auto setup chose for you, give or take a dB.

The problem arose when you tried to calibrate to 75dB (reference for VE and your receiver tones) using an 85dB tone (reference for Avia and S&V). The results were (as expected) around 10dB off.

Note, I believe the instructions for S&V say to calibrate to 75dB. This is correct, unless calibrating to reference. For some reason, S&V instructs the user to calibrate to 10dB below reference.

tony^v

So If I adjust the main volume so the left speaker to read 85db,that level will be 0 on my receiver?
Then adjust all other speakers level to the same as the left speaker. correct?

Jeff Gatie

You've got it. What ever level your master volume is at would now be reference.

tony^v

Cool!
Thanks Jeff
Just one more question when adjusting the sub what level do I adjust?
The subs volume or the level on my receiver?
If I adjust the level on my receiver then what should the subs volume be at?
Half way , 1/4 way?

Sorry I guess thats more that one question

Jeff Gatie

I would say that anywhere between 1/4 and 3/4 is OK. You have to make sure that the signal from the receiver is strong enough to trigger any "instant on" circuitry in the sub, so you would like the level on the receiver to be higher and the level on the sub to be lower. But it is usually not that important. I'd start out around 1/4 on the sub and adjust accordingly (i.e. if you can't hit 85dB with sub's receiver level maxed out, bump up the sub's volume and try again).

tony^v

Thanks

Jim Mcc

I just used the Sound & Vision disc yesterday. It says to set the Radio Shack meter to 70db. Then calibrate all speakers the same, as long as it's above 70db.