Sub/Reciever set up question (1 Viewer)

[Brian Elwood]

I have a DTS LFE Level setting on my reciever

Use this feature to adjust output level of the LFE channel when playing back DTS signal.

Control range (dB) -10 to +10

Adjust LFE Leve according to the capacity of your subwoofer.

SO - what does that mean anyway and what should I set it at for a SVS 20-39 PCi. ??

 

[Brian Fellmeth]

Brian,

You've got some respectable gear now- its time to get to the next level. You need an SPL meter (Sound Pressure Level, a loudness meter). Most people use one that Radioshack sells for about 35 bucks. You use that meter to set the sub level to match the other speakers, and also to tweak trim levels so that all the satellites match the sub and each other in loudness. If you don't want to use the meter, the next best thing is to try to get reasonably close by ear. Either listen to the tones (either those that the receiver generates or those from a test DVD) and set the sub trim so that it is about as loud as the other speakers. Or, play some bassy music. Raise the trim till the bass is clearly too loud (dominates, jumps out from the rest of the music). Then find the level where it is just too weak. Then close in on the level that is the happy medium.

 

[Brian Elwood]

I have Avia and SPL and so forth - just did not know what the above settings were suppose to do!?

 

[SethH]

Have you used Avia and the SPL meter to calibrate to a reference level? If so, you shouldn't mess with that control (it should be at 0db). If you're calibrating and the sub isn't hot enough, you can turn that control up a couple db. Alternatively, you could use that control to turn your sub up or down a notch depending on the movie you're watching. Using that control is more exact and easier than digging around behind the sub.

 

[ScottCHI]

i vaguely understand this, but i think that that setting is there because sometimes, in certain situations, the dts lfe track is 10dB off in one direction or the other

someone will probably come along with some more info about this

 

[Edward J M]

There were problems years ago with the LFE channel in some early DTS stuff. Don't worry about it for new releases. Leave it "flat" at 0.

You may also have an overall LFE channel level control. It usually is just an attenuator, with a range of 0 to -10. Leave that at 0, also.

Don't confuse these two controls with the subwoofer channel level control, which controls the overall level of the signal being sent to the subwoofer, and includes redirected bass if you have your speakers set to small.

Speaking of DTS, the overall encoding level for DTS tracks on DVDs tends to run a bit hotter than for Dolby Digital. So if you calibrate your system to Dolby Labs Reference Level with Avia, you might find your Master Volume setting running a bit lower for an equivalent overall playback volume on DTS DVDs.