What do you PC+ users set your gain to? (1 Viewer)

[Nick Breckon]

Hey guys. Just set up my PC+, and - wow! Heh. Absolutely stunning. Usual song and dance - hearing things I haven't heard before, feeling things I've never heard before - you know, basically what I expected from what you guys said. Whoever told me to go with Paradigms deserves credit as well - Studio 40's/20's/CC sound AMAZING with this beast.

One thing I want to know is, what do you guys set your gain to, on average? I know this differs from room to room, etc.. but how far is too far? I LOVE how it sounds at about half volume, but I'm paranoid and a little afraid of pushing it any further. But don't get me wrong - I really, really want to.

Oh, I have a 20-39PC+. HK525 is set to -2 decibels, and the PC+ gain is set to just about half way. Thanks.

 

[terence]

Glad you like your sub, I own two 20-39PC+'s. My gain on both is set on half but your YMMV in your case.

First a question.

Did you calibrate your sub w/ a RS SPL Meter?

If not it's very important that you do so in order to get the best out of your sub.

 

[Nick Breckon]

Yeah, I've calibrated it all. I have a vacuous room though. Or maybe I'm a basshead. Not sure which. I calibrated it to 75db using DVE, and it was set to about 1/3 of the way up, -5db on the receiver. That seemed a little too.. well, it didn't shake the room at certain times like I expected it to. I flipped the gain up to half and the receiver up to -2db, and it's quite a difference. I'm just wondering if any more would potentially bottom it out. At this level, it's pretty booming at times, but I sort of expect that from SVS, you know?

 

[Nick Breckon]

I just had a thought - would lowering the xover point on my front Paradigm 40's to 60hz take some of the stress of the SVS and free up more LFE fun? Or is it better to just let the SVS handle all the mid-range stuff?

 

[Edward J M]

Nick:

I recommend an 80 Hz xo. Any lower and you will chuck out some of the LFE channel.

Remember, the setting of the 20-39PC+ 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 h/k around -5 to minimize pre-out distortion levels, and adjust the sub volume at the SVS.

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.

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. Maybe the problem has been fixed for current production, but it sure exists on my disc.

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. There is also some info on the website.

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.

I also asked you a question about your current DVE setting in that other thread where you posted your 20-39PC+ impressions.

Regards,

Ed

 

[Nick Breckon]

Yeah, thanks Ed. I was just going a little nuts last night. I probably should have known better than to start this thread, especially when there is one almost identical to it a few pages back in the search. And I knew that the gain really has no reference. I was just a little worried since I was seemingly overcalibrating on DVE. Thanks for the information - it sure seems like it's 10db low. I'm running at around 86db right now and it sounds great. I may push it up a tad more later. If it really is around 10db soft, then 88db would only be 2-3db hot, eh?

 

[Edward J M]

Nick - please see my other post regarding your sub calibration. Even if your particular copy DVE is 10 dB off (which may or may not be true), running at 83 dB would be considered "flat" due to the C-weighted RS meter reading low on the typical sub rumble tone.

Running at 88 dB on DVE (using the assumption your DVE copy really is 10 dB off, which again may not be true) would actually be 5 dB "hot" due to the fact the meter reads low.

With Avia (which requires 85 dB for Reference Level calibration), I actually calibrate my sub at about 81-82 dB on the meter. Reason being, I have a great deal of room gain starting below 35 Hz, and the 20-25 Hz level is considerably higher than the 40-50 Hz level where the typical sub rumble tone resides. I have more than enough output in the 20-25 Hz region without having to calibrate the sub "hot" at 40-50 Hz.

When the rest of the house wakes up, I'll compare my copies of Avia and DVE at the same exact settings and conditions and tell you what I'm getting. YMMV, but I strongly recommend you buy the S&V disc for comparison, and also follow my advice in that other SPL meter thread.

Regards,

Ed