NEED ADVICE ON SETTING MY SPEAKER LEVELS FOR OPTIMUM SOUND

[FMI]

Greetings~

I'm a novice who appreciates a quality sound system. I have slowly pieced my home theater a little at a time. I need help setting my speaker levels via my receiver. I have it all hooked up but I am not getting that wow factor. I think my levels are off. I did the auto set up with the microphone. I wasn't pleased with the sound it recommended. I am not sure what to set the levels to. I would like to achieve optimum levels that my system can produce. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Listed below is my system

RECEIVER=ONKYO TX-SR807

FRONT TOWERS (PAIR)=WF-35

CENTER=WC-24

REAR SURROUND (PAIR)= VF-36

FRONT WIDE= B-2

SUB= SUB10

Respect~

FMI

[tragusa3]

The only way to set levels manually is to have a sound pressure meter. Get one at Radio Shack and you can then measure each channel until it's balanced.

It's very common that the auto setups set the subwoofer levels much lower than most people like it. That could explain the loss of WOW factor. When I let Audyssey set my sub level and then I measure to see what it did, it is usually about 6db lower than balanced.

[CECAA850]

Definitely get an SPL meter as tragusa3 suggested. In adition, you might want to get a calibration disc like AVIA and run it (you'll need a meter for this also).

[Rich_Guy]

Yes a Radio Shack SPL meter works very well. Look for an analog meter it works best, Radio Shack now only carries the digital meters but if you search online you can usually find analog ones still being sold. The analog meters are easier to read and more accurate than the digital meters.

I find that using the manual setttings with my SPL meter sounds much better than what Audyssey sets them at.

First I run Audyssey then when Audyssey is done I go in and manually change my crossover settings to what I have found is best on my system. This widely varies by each system but on my own I found I prefer setting my center and mains to 60hz and my surrounds to 70hz, I turn off the subs LFE crossover. Audyssey sets all my speakers to FULL but I prefer having them set with crossovers.

Next I look at the distances Audyssey has set things to and make any changes I feel needed, Audyssey does good on all my speakers distances except the sub I correct this distance manually to the subs actual distance.

Last I calibrate the sound levels using my SPL meter at the main listening position. I set my center at 0 then match the levels of all my other speakers to the center using the SPL meter. On my current system I turn my subs volume all the way up at the sub and use my processor to match its level to the rest of my speakers. The PHASE setting on my sub I leave at 80 which is what I found seems to be best on my sub in its position in the room, to set PHASE simply use the setting that seems to put out the most bass, if you hear no difference just leave it at 0, the PHASE is used to adjust the sub to its room position.

I have done a lot of experimenting and this is what I have found works and sounds best for me on my current system.

[Chris A]

I did the auto set up with the microphone. I wasn't pleased with the sound it recommended. I am not sure what to set the levels to.

I'd use the "speaker distance" (delays) and the "speaker levels" (channel gains) from the auto setup w/microphone, but I'd turn off the equalization (EQ) and set each EQ by speaker one at a time.

If the speakers sound dramatically different from one another as you go around the room after you EQ them, then you probably need to think about swapping out that/those speakers as you can with speakers that are more closely matched. This is called "timbre matching". Its pretty important if you want an integrated sound all the way around.

What is a "front wide" speaker? Is that like a surround (i.e., to the direct left and right of the listening position)?

Chris

[nezff]

there are other companies that have spl meters out there if you are interested.

[SuBXeRo]

I prefer to sit and listen and just do what i nromal do, watch movies, play games, watch tv and tweak my levels as i go. I have my rears cranked up almost all the way on my processor, but i like to hear whats around me for sure. If you dont think you are hearing enough vocals from your center, turn it up alittle bit.

With a spl, math is math and those numbers, although they match up in the end, still may not sound as you want it to sound. Audessey and Emo-Q and other popular calibration software can be flawed as no 2 rooms are indentical. Although as awesomely kool and sophisticated as those technologies are, they are flawed.

I almost want to throw what you are saying into the same category as "where is the best sub placement?" because you have to do the crawl and see what and where it sounds best.

Check your connections too to make sure things arent canceling eachother out. Sometimes the best settings for when you are calibrating is to open it all up, as in set everything to large, set the freq ranges to full and just make everything as direct and open as possible. From there, start messing with settings and see how the sound changes, I mess with my stuff all the time, always fiddiling to see what sounds best!

[Rich_Guy]

With a spl, math is math and those numbers, although they match up in the end, still may not sound as you want it to sound.

Before I got an SPL meter I use to adjust by ear to what I thought sounded good, but after I started using an SPL meter my system has sound much better, properly calibrated sound levels to your listening position just brings the system together and you really can't do near as well by ear.

Also my Audyssey does a poor job of calibrating the sound levels. The Audyssey may get a novice to get their system working but my own experience with it has been that it sounds very bland. Through learning and experimenting I have found what it takes to really make my system sound amazing with very natural and lifelike effects.

There is no one right way to set up a system, but setting a system up correctly can really make a difference in the way it sounds. My best advice is to listen and learn from others and to experiment to find what works best for you and your system.

Another note on Audyssey calibration levels with Klipsch or other efficient speakers is that the speakers can be too efficient for Audyssey bottoming out its calibrating levels, maxing out speakers at the lowest negative setting it has.

[curt248]

I was about to go out and buy a sound level meter from radioshack today, but remembered a sound engineer was saying that apps for the iphone and droid were pretty accurate for setting up commercial sound systems.

If you have a android phone get the "RTA Analyzer" for it. You can monitor the spl with it. It's a freedownload. I just used it and it worked well. So sweet. You have to love technology.

Even if the spl is not perfectly accurate, the relative spl's should be right. You only need to match all of the speakers to the same sound level.

[curt248]

using the sound meter to match sound levels the bass is way too strong for music and movies. I'm not sure if that was how it was intended or not. Maybe I like to listen to really high db levels normally and the bass is just too much when doing that. I turned my bass down by 10 db and that is just about right. Strange because I am sort of a bass head.