spl meter vs. auto setup

sterling bug

Anybody here ever done a comparison betweeen using an spl meter vs. the auto setup feature with microphone option in receivers to calibrate speakers? Just curious what other members think. To me it seems the spl meter gives me a more accurate reading. I never knew receivers could do this until I bought my Denon receiver late last year.

HBombToo

for me it was the first cal. then I got a meter and a disk. after that I realized my room and my system was more personal and tuned it from there.

I like tools because they reaffirm what we really like:D

Twin

mantis

Maybe it's just personal taste but I always feel after a auto cal the system sounds bright to me. Mostly Yamaha as I already feel there bright, they sound excessively bright after a auto cal.

Even Denon and Pioneer Elite I find to be just not quite right. I perfer doing the setup myself. Some rooms however do sound better as the Pioneer Elite setup is quite nice. The Air studio McACC does a nice job.

Dan

cnjvh

What they all said. My auto setup worked MOSTLY, but it got the LCR distances wrong by a foot...I think it depends on the room. I bet it works alot better in a room where the setup mic isn't picking up alot of room reflections.

I vote SPL - at least that way you've seen your results rather than trusting the machine :-)

sterling bug

I agree with you guys. My channel levels were not close when I did both calibrations. It seems the spl meter along with the Sound And Vision tune up DVD was more accurate than the auto setup. One thing that I'm not sure on is whether I should have the room eq on or off. Right now its off. Whats the benefit of this feature?

reeltrouble1

I believe your receiver equlization is an attempt to process some of the brightness out of the system when using Dolby Digital software, cant say for sure because I dont own your brand. I would set it to off in any event when calibrating.

cnjvh

Originally posted by sterling bug
I agree with you guys. My channel levels were not close when I did both calibrations. It seems the spl meter along with the Sound And Vision tune up DVD was more accurate than the auto setup. One thing that I'm not sure on is whether I should have the room eq on or off. Right now its off. Whats the benefit of this feature?

Now the room EQ is a different story as far as the auto setup goes. On the Denon 3805, the room EQ is a 9 band per channel parametric EQ that is set by running the auto setup. After setup, you can select frome several presets (flat, front , and normal I think) that have been created by the auto process. These presets can not be user modified.

If the room EQ is of interest, then I advise running the auto setup to create those curves and then use your SPL to re-adjust large/small, levels, and distances (phase).

What reeltrouble is referring to is the Cinema EQ which is different and independant of the room EQ. It is not customizable and it can only be on or off. It is found in the Surround Parr screen and sounds just like he described - it just seems to attenuate the highs (much like THX mode seemed to do on my old Pioneer elite). Maybe its Denons stab at THX and they just never certified it...who knows


:cool:

sterling bug

Thanks for all the replies. I have another question regarding volume. When doing the calibration with the spl meter and Sound & Vision test disk I came up with the volume setting at -11.0. Once I established the volume using the test tone for the left front speaker I then did the calibration for my speakers. The test yield these results: LF 0.0db, C -0.5db, RF 0.0db, surrounds -1.5db, sub -5.0db (the sub part I found a little confusing so this setting might not even be 100% accurate). So my question is this, the -11.0 volume setting I used for the calibration, is this considered my master volume? Normally I'll watch movies with the volume set between -10.0 and -13.0 and its comfortable, music between -17.0 and -22.0. I always thought that the master volume will be too loud so I want to make sure I didn't mess up because I do go below that -11.0 volume setting on occasion for certain movies. The Sound & Vision test disk has the spl meter set at 70db for the calibration. I think that covers it.

cnjvh

The master volume is simply the main volume on the AVR, not a specific level.

The -11 on your MV is now considered "reference" level which is the level at which movies are intended by the sound studios to be played back at. (actaully I think the THX standard is like 75 or 80, not 70).

However, don't get to hung up on having all your channels exactly at 70db - the main goal is having them all the same, not necessarily at THX reference. Adjusting it to refrence allows you to know where on YOUR MV the sound engineers intended listening level is but alot of people find that too loud for home use.

I've calibrated my MV to 75 db at 0 on the dial and listen at around -20 (I'm in a townhouse).

But again, just be sure all channels are equal.

Also just set the sub by ear - low frequency sounds louder to the meter than it does to your ear. Most people find the sub too quiet when adjusted "correctly" via the SPL meter. So adjust all other channels via the meter (which you've already done) and set the sub to taste.

sterling bug

I'm a little familiar with Avia, I'm wondering if that would give more accurate readings than the S&V disk. I know the same company made both but with that price difference there better be a difference.