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Sound Calibration question (1 Viewer)

DennisRS

Auditioning
Joined
Dec 5, 2001
Messages
6
Thanks Vince, I appreciate the fine info in the tread you referenced. Even the one on LFE by Brian Florian was very helpful.

Dennis
 

RussellC

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 2, 2000
Messages
97
Sorry, I have a new question. I have been searching the board for a while and I have found some stuff regarding differences in AVIA tones vs. Reciever internal Test tones. I just tested my internal tones at my AVIA calibrated ref level and they are different, especially the sub, and I had it +4 hot on my reciever. Each speaker was about 78db instead of 85 and the sub was a little lower than all the other speakers. Does this sound odd? Especially since I was running it +4 hot? Is this why I am not getting the bass I expect from some familiar scenes in movies. I just watch the end of Fight Club where there is super low bass, and it wasn't impressive at all. Let me know if there is anything further I should check out.

Thanks,

Russell
 

Ryan T

Second Unit
Joined
Sep 10, 2001
Messages
406
Hi,

I have just a few questions. I recently got a hold of a Radio Shack Digital SPL meter. I wanted to calibrate my system with it. So I put in the Toy Story 2 DVD and went into THX optimode. I had my SPL meter set on C weighting and slow response. My receiver is H/K AVR120 and it's volume level goes from -80 db to +9 db. I found that to get 75 db from the test tones I have to crank my receiver up to -8 db! now it sounded a ton louder than 75 db but thats what the meter said. did I do something wrong? I also found my sub was set really high. I had the volume one my sub amp up all the way and the receivers sub setting -10 and it was still 10 db over the mains.

Ryan
 

Vince Maskeeper

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 18, 1999
Messages
6,500
[I said:
A Different control[/I]]Quote:
Yeah- common mistake. Again- get a real calibration disc. You might find that you have to reduce the amplifier level on your sub (see my post earlier in this thread). Most people set their sub way too loud when dialing by ear-- it is very common.
-V
 

Mark Hobbs

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 3, 2002
Messages
142
RussellC, if you have calibrated using AVIA, you do not need to calibrate again using the receivers test tones. The AVIA disk is more accurate. If you are still unsatisfied with the amount of bass you are hearing, it may be that you are used to listening to the bass turned up way too high. The sub is NOT designed to be heard. Like Vince said earlier in this thread
When a sub is used properly, you do not realize it is there. It will call virtually no attention to itself, and you shouldn't even be able to locate it in the room. You should just experience more smooth sound- from highest highs, to the lowest lows
Ryan, to properly calibrate to ref, choose what level you want ref to be on your receiver (0db, for example), then turn your receiver to that volume and set each speaker including the sub to the same volume using the SPL meter and the receiver's speaker controls. What volume you set them to (75db or 85db, etc) depends on what you are using to set them. The AVIA disk uses 85db. The VE disk uses 75db. I do not know what you are supposed to set them to using the Toy Story 2 disk. You might want to buy the AVIA disk anyway, there is a lot of useful info there.
 

Al_M

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 26, 2002
Messages
83
This seems to be a very popular topic on this forum. I can see why because it can be confusing.

Being new to the forum, I have been lurking for a while and trying to absorb as much as possible. But it seems the more I read and learn, the more confused I get.

Some advice I plan on implementing:

1) I have been trying to calibrate my system with the receiver's test tones. Seems I need to get a test disc --probably AVIA. Any place online less than Amazon (39.99)?

2) I need to change my fronts setting to "small". I have been running them "large" for the wrong reasons.

Questions:

Since I use my system pretty much 50/50 music/HT I am finding it difficult to setup my sub.

1) If my receivers crossover is set to 80Hz, should I bypass the xover on the sub?

I have a Velodyne CT-150, Denon AVR-2802, Klipsh KSB 3.1 fronts, SC-1 center and SS-1 surrounds.

2) To complicate things further I have a Panny RP91k DVD. I ran the 6 ch outputs to the Denons 6 ch inputs for DVD-Audio and the coax digital for DD/DTS decoding on the Denon (bitstream out of the RP91). My confusion is how the xover and speaker settings in the Panny might conflict with the Denons settings and the Sub xover settings for DVD movie playback vs DVD-Audio playback. In other words with 2 sets of decoders and 3 sets of xovers I am confused as to how all the settings need to be.

I wasn't sure if I should start a new thread because my questions seem to be related to the original post. I need to have this all sorted out before I can properly calibrate the system.

Thaks in advance for any helpful advice.
 

Vince Maskeeper

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 18, 1999
Messages
6,500
To complicate things further I have a Panny RP91k DVD. I ran the 6 ch outputs to the Denons 6 ch inputs for DVD-Audio and the coax digital for DD/DTS decoding on the Denon (bitstream out of the RP91). My confusion is how the xover and speaker settings in the Panny might conflict with the Denons settings and the Sub xover settings for DVD movie playback vs DVD-Audio playback. In other words with 2 sets of decoders and 3 sets of xovers I am confused as to how all the settings need to be.
Dunno about the xover settings in the Panasonic specifically because I don't own one (to be honest, I didn't think they had internal crossovers)- but the general concepts are simple--
Basically:
1) Bypass the sub xover. Since it isn't even connected to the main speakers- it cannot serve as a "xover"- instead it would serve as only a high pass filter- and you'd filtering material that is already filtered and creating holes in the signal (see above). The signal is already split when it reaches the sub- so keep its x-over out of the formula.
2) The majority of receivers bypass bass management on the 6 channel input. You should consult your manual or other posts on the forum to determine if yours does/does not.
However, if it does bypass bass mgmnt on 6 channel analog in, this means that the only crossover settings that will effect the 6 channel ins will have to come from the source (in your case the panasonic, if it offers a x-over as you have indicated). So, essentially, you don't need to worry about the crossover settings inside the receiver when doing DVD-audio- just set the settings in the source, and they will be absolute and will only apply to signal coming from the analog sends on the player.
3) The digital output for the DVD players will be subject to receiver's bass management-- but won't be affected by the settings in the player. So, the receiver settings will be absolute in the case of dd/dts signal coming from the digital output on the player.
So, bottom line: get the sub xover out of the equation. Set the crossover settings how you want them for DVD-A sources inside the source. Set the crossover settings how you want them for DD/DTS sources inside the receiver.
Done.
Hope that helps
Vince
 

Al_M

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 26, 2002
Messages
83
Vince:

Thanks for the reply. You have definitely cleared up my confusion.

However after reading other posts about the RP91, I have learned that there is no bass management coming from the 6 channel outputs of the DVD player (DVD-Audio). Nor does my receiver have the ability to process the analog inputs to it.

So basically the analog signals from the Panasonic are being sent to all my speakers unfiltered (full-range).

Assuming, I left the crossover on the sub in the circuit I could filter out high frquency signals going to it (variable from 40-120Hz: so long as I dont set it below 80Hz, I shouldn't have any gaps--right?) but I still wouldn't have the ability to filter low freq bass out of my mains and surrounds.

Looks like alot of people are solving this problem by using the Outlaw ICBM, but I just can't justify this upgrade right now, not to mention the crap load of cables required wire it in to my system. Maybe if I REALLY get into DVD-Audio, it maybe worth it.
 

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