Oh no.....Calibration notes....gone.... (1 Viewer)

[Greg Kennedy]

Well, I messed up. I had a business trip to go on so I had to wait to calibrate my newly purchased SVS PB2+ based on Ed's written instructions. "Ed's notes will still be on HTF when I get back..." Wrong! It seems my post disappeared due to diligent moderator scrubbing. A search of "SVS calibration" and "PB2+ calibration" came up with nothing.

Ed (or anyone else), if you would kindly re-educate me on tuning my PB2+ using the Video Essentials DVD I would eternally grateful.

Thanks.

gk

 

[Edward J M]

Almost missed this thread - sorry, Greg.

DVE has a problem with the subwoofer tone. It was mastered at too high of a level. Calibrating the sub to DVE will result in a weak sub calibration.

Opinions vary greatly, but anywhere from 5-10 dB off is a solid bet. While I own DVE, I cannot recommend it for subwoofer calibration in good conscience.

For more info, there is a HTF thread on the subject. If the thread is old/outdated, email Joe Kane at JKP for advice if you still want to use DVE.

The last I heard, he was recommending 75/80 for sat/sub, but several people I know found that recommendation to still be anemic, and compared to Avia it is still on the low side. The last guy I spoke with was happy with 75/87, believe it or not.

Remember, the setting of the PB2+ volume control doesn't tell you much when taken out of context.

It is best to calibrate the system/sub with a disc like Avia or S&V and a sound meter. Keep your sub level in the AVR around -5 to minimize pre-out distortion levels, and adjust the sub volume at the PB2+.

While bass tastes will vary, most prefer the sub 2-3 dB hot for HT, and flat for music. Because it is C-weighted, the RS sound meter reads about 2 dB LOW on the typical subwoofer rumble tone.

So an average reading of 85-86 dB on the meter is about 87-88 dB in reality - or 2-3 dB "hot". This would be a good starting point for HT.

An average reading of 83-84 dB on the meter is about 85-86 dB in reality - or about "flat". This would be a good starting point for music.

Avia/S&V is true Dolby Digital and uses the surround channels for sub calibration and therefore allows the surround speaker in question to contribute bass to the subwoofer tone.

I have found that the amount of bass each surround speaker contributes to the sub tone is highly dependent on its room location, its inherent bass capabilities, its proximity to the subwoofer, and the xo you have selected.

For example, the left main channel on my system is several dB higher than any other channel on the subwoofer tone. If I selected the left main channel for sub calibration, it would result in undercalibration of the sub.

The best way is to run the Avia sub test tone for each surround channel and note the results. Pick the one that seems most representative of the average and go with it for final sub calibration.

Regards,

Ed

 

[Greg Kennedy]

Thank you, sir. As advertised, I'm eternally grateful.

gk