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Receiver volume question (1 Viewer)

TomHo

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Dec 30, 2003
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I just have a quick comment and then a question. I just wanted to commend the people who run this site. I am just getting interested in this great hobby and found this site to be a great resource. I have a Sony home theater in a box that I got last year and it has been performing well. I read about the Avia calibration DVD and have ordered that so I can calibrate my system. Now the question. When I'm watching a DVD and am adjusting my volume, I cannot really start to hear sound until about the 20 mark (the volume control goes from 1-40). It seems like I should start hearing sound at 1. It has been this way since I bought it brand new. If anyone can help me with possible answers I would be very thankful.

TomHo
 

John S

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Nov 4, 2003
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5,460
Different setups/products scale the volume increments differently than others, as long as it gets as loud as you want it to, and sounds good when it gets there, I would not be to concerened about it at all.
 

TomHo

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Dec 30, 2003
Messages
4
John,

Thats part of the problem. I would like it to be louder. Not a whole bunch but a little.
 

John S

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I think you need a better system is all.

I don't think anything is wrong with it.
 

Johnny Mo

Agent
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Aug 22, 1999
Messages
43
Tom,

I think it depends on where you set your reference point of your volume prior to set-up. If you set your reference volume too low and had to max out the independent speaker levels to get you to 75dB then I think that may be your issue. Same thing if you set it too high, you would be attenuating the independent speaker levels too much.

How is it for Music? Does it get loud enough for you at the volume level you set it at? If it's not loud enough for music, it probably won't get loud enough for movies. The power from your amp and the efficiency of the speakers will also limit your system.

I don't know if you've read this anywhere before, but in order to get 3dB of sound increase you need to double the wattage output (i.e. going from 50watts/channel to 100watts/channel will not get you double the volume).
 

TomHo

Auditioning
Joined
Dec 30, 2003
Messages
4
Johnny,

The reference point is not something I have looked at. I had a friend help me set the system up and this was not something I noticed, but I will look into it. Can you tell me the best way to go about it. I don't have that much knowledge about it and any info. is greatly appreciated.
 

Johnny Mo

Agent
Joined
Aug 22, 1999
Messages
43
Tom,

basically a reference point volume is the volume level you will most likely listen to your system at, it is different for different people, but it could be the volume knob at 12 o'clock, or at some pre-determined volume/attenuation number. My receiver counts up from -45 to +6, this is considered an attenuator as opposed to a volume knob. The negative number is the amount of attenuation (silencing) that the "volume" knob is performing, 0 being no attenuation. Per my recievers instructions I used 0 as my reference point and then using an Avia disc or DVD essentials, or an internal test tone (pink noise) generator, you would set the volume level of each speaker so that at the seating position a SPL meter will register 75dB (c-weighted).

Many recievers now have foregone this method and made it a little more user friendly by having you enter the number of feet each speaker is from the listening/viewing position and it automatically adjusts the levels based on this. Not sure which yours does, but this is essentially what needs to be done.

Pick a volume number you think you'd normally listen at and then, set your individual speaker levels. If this doesn't get you the volume you want then I'd say you will probably be lookig at an upgrade situation.

Hope that helps.
 

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