Safe Volume Level

Lowell_M

Ok..I will try to sound the least ignorant that I can here....

In 2 channel mode my reciever is rated at 120 wpc 20-20khz @ 0.08% THD. (5.1 performance is not so hot at 100 wpc , 1khz, 1.0% THD) I don't have a "reference level" on my reciever. The volume control goes from 0 to 90. Right now I am listening to 2 channel music with the volume set at 60. (so about 66% of the total volume) To my ears everything is still very crisp and clear and it would be uncomfortable to listen at any higher volume. (I've got Nickelback in and it actually sounds pretty damn good at this volume)

What I am getting at is I don't want to hurt my speakers and I realize that I don't have that great of an AVR. If everything "sounds" good at this volume is it safe to assume that as long as I don't go any higher that my RTi's will be just fine?

I am probably over simplifying this, but I just want to make sure that I don't hurt my speakers while trying to get too much out of my JVC receiver.

Thanks for any thoughts...

speakergeek

I'd say you're getting close to clipping, but not yet. You still have some room. As long as the music doesn't have huge peaks you should be ok (like the canons in 1812 overture or something). Be careful though.

heiney9

I'd say you are close to the limit as well. All receiver's have different gain characteristics so it's really hard to say, but if you are truely at 66% of the total gain I wouldn't go much higher. If it still sounds clear and there is no bottoming out of the drivers I'd say your good. I might take it down just a tad to make sure the peaks don't cause some distortion. Also keep in mind, depending on the source, you may not ALWAYS be able to listen at this volume so don't assume because it's good for Nickleback it will be good for eveything.

Hey you're just up the road from me (about 10 miles). I'm in Rockford....turn it up a bit more I may be able to hear it down here

H9

Lowell_M

I'll just turn the sub up....there, can you feel it?

I don't normall listen at this volume. It's nearly painful. I was curious to get some thoughts on clipping and the listening level related to the quality of my receiver.

Small world. There was another guy on here from Loves Park.

BobMcG

a_mattison wrote:

I don't normall listen at this volume. It's nearly painful.

As you've been informed you're on the edge of your rcvrs' ability and with the differences in recording levels of source materials you may not be able to use this level with all recordings.

It wouldn't be a problem at all for your JVC rcvr to damage your speakers and it will do so at a considerably lower db output level than a quality high current amp. It doesn't have a very high wattage output rating to begin with and one has to wonder just how accurate that rating is. I don't know what the dynamic headroom is of the unit but it most likely isn't all that much. If the system is requested to try to replicate a high peak at the levels you are listening, the rcvr will clip and you may suffer driver damage. It'll be fine within it's limits but you are running it near that point. Just be careful and enjoy.

Lowell_M

Thanks Bob. This feedback is what I was looking for. I usually listen to music between 40 and 50 and HT at 48 to 53.

kingsqueak

If you have a friend with a db meter, if you are getting clean output approaching 90db C weighting/slow response, you are doing very well.

If your receiver has test tones in it, run the test tones, set the speaker level adjustments to 0 and run the overall volume up to 75db on the sound meter at your listening position. If you have one speaker (my case it's my center channel) that is louder than the others, use that to set the 0db speaker level reference point, then adjust the others L/R/Surrounds to match at 75db by using the speaker levels and not the overall volume control. That's a rough estimate of theater reference level and could give you a rough idea of the comfortable reference level of the receiver.

Wherever the volume overall winds up to get the test tones at 75db on main channels (L/R/C/Surrounds), that's generally speaking a good level for the receiver to run at and still maintain clean output.

Run your sub up to 80db vs 75db for the mains/surrounds or so for good balance and a bass boost for theater.

hoosier21

60 on a dial that goes to 90 does not mean you are at 66% of the total wattage available. Same thing, if you have a preamp of reciever with an analoge volume knob, if you are at 12 oclock, that doesn't mean you are using half the power of the amp.

EVERY I mean EVERY receiver or preamp (not including passive preamps) I have ever used will push an amp at or near it's limits at 11-12 oclock on the analog dial. Even this varies, as CDs have different recording levels.

Very hard to say what this equates to on a digital volume control because they are all over the place, depending on how they indicate the volume level, some use -db, some use possitve numbers volume.

All I am saying is you can't use a number on the volume display to equate how many watts of the amp you are using.

Further boring ramble, if we still had amps that had LED or analoge needles to show how many watts were being used, many of you guys would be amazed and how little power is needed to make a lot of noise, and amazed again how fast you go from using 5-10watts of power to using 100watts and more with just a little turn of the volume dial.

kingsqueak

A discussion on avsforum.com about this

Yet another explanation at resmagonline.com

I like the sub a bit hotter and set it 5db above the other channels, some of this is your own taste.

Dennis Gardner

I have run my JVC RX9010 at 70 on the dial in 2 channel mode without issues, but I have run it into thermal shutdown in 5.1 DTS mode before. Your JVC receiver will put out around 50 watts all channels driven, but not much more.


BTW, I found the sound from RTi70s through my JVC to be much better using the receiver set to small, and letting the sub take over the bass duties. I know that others here will tell you different since towers are built to play full range, but they sound better not having to run full range as long as your sub is calibrated smoothly.

Lowell_M

Great feedback...thank you all so much. The past month or so that I have been reading on this forum has been extremely educational (and expensive...I've convinced myself that I need a new AVR, an SPL meter, I bought a center and rear RTi's to match my towers, bought a Monster 3500 MKII line cleaner, etc...).

I've got to get a meter and try these suggestions out. Is it possible to get a used meter, or does it just make sense to go to radio shack and buy the $40 meter (analog)?

Lowell_M

Dennis Gardner wrote:

I have run my JVC RX9010 at 70 on the dial in 2 channel mode without issues, but I have run it into thermal shutdown in 5.1 DTS mode before. Your JVC receiver will put out around 50 watts all channels driven, but not much more.


BTW, I found the sound from RTi70s through my JVC to be much better using the receiver set to small, and letting the sub take over the bass duties. I know that others here will tell you different since towers are built to play full range, but they sound better not having to run full range as long as your sub is calibrated smoothly.

Thanks Dennis. Actually I set all my speakers to small after a post you had made a month or so ago and am quite happy with the results.

It depresses me how much I spent on this receiver a few years back and what I could have gotten at Harmanaudio (refurbished) for the same price had I known to go there.

Dennis Gardner

The RS analog is the easiest to use. The digital model will work if that is all they have, but hte analog is easier to see subtle changes on when running in C weighted mode with long tones. You can get very precise settings.

Upgrades are never ending in this hobby, I made the jump from the JVC receiver to an HK 7200 AVR and was astonished at how much cleaner and powerful the HK was. With upgrades in my two channel rig, the HK is now only handling movie duties, but I would recommend their receivers highly.

reeltrouble1

You seem to be getting a handle on things, my rule of thumb is to keep the gain control between 9 and 11:00.

Have you calibrated your system yet?

RT1

danger boy

+ 1 for what hoosier21 wrote. His post is right on the money.

In my computer rig is a late 70's Yamaha integrated amp. only 45wpc. but it has Watt VU meters. The speakers hooked up to it are pretty efficient.. so the load on the amp is pretty light. I am always amazed at how few watts it actually takes to run my speakers. Usually less than 10 watts and the volume is pently loud. Plus i like watching the VU meters jump back and forth.

In fact this old Yammi integrated will even run my big SDA SRS's just fine. Never thought it could... but it does just fine.

My message is that i think your receiver would melt if you were using the entire wpc it was designed to put out. Bass sound puts more of a drain on your receiver.