calabration question? (1 Viewer)

[Nathan Porteous]

I was wondering i live in canada and the cheapest spl meter is $90 and i have know idea where to get a avia disc other than online, what kind of stores if any have these discs? and how much better could it actually sound i have a da4es all my channels are turned to +5 and i sounds good to me because i like lots of sound out of rear and back surrounds. i've gat a cerwin-vega, paradigm setup with a ps-1000 sub how much difference do you think it would make and would it be worth the $150 to buy the gear? and does the disc tell you what to set everything to? i look forward to hearing from you!

 

[EricSm]

It sounds like you answered your own question. What you like is what matters most. If it sounds good to you then it sounds good.

That said, if you are trying to recreate in your home theater-- as best you can-- what the filmmakers intend for you to hear as far as speaker balance goes then the SPL would certainly help out. You might find you get better balance and a more even soundstage with a properly calibrated system. But if louder and more rear sound equals better sound from the rears, a calibration will most likely ruin that sonic nirvana for you.

If you are just looking at doing a basic adjustment you could rent any number of THX certified DVDs that have the THX optimizer and with the SPL they will probably do for a casual users one time adjustment. Personally, I love the Avia disk. It's like a good friend to me, but it may not be for everyone.

 

[Lee Carbray]

Nathan, I got my SPL meter off ebay for $30 US. Unfortunately I did have to pay $70 for the Avia disk.

Also do not forget that the disk will help your video set up as well.

 

[Leonard B]

A&B Sound carries Avia for $73.00. I got it online from Amazon.ca for $68.00, including free shipping and taxes. Hope this helps.