Volume Levels for Surround Sound

bruticus
bruticus Posts: 10
edited February 2008 in Basic Hookup/Wiring Questions
Should the front be set higher than the rears?
Right now I have my front + center speaker set to +7db as well as my rears set to +7db.
Post edited by bruticus on
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited February 2008
    if you're hearing to much sound from your rear surrounds, it will sound akward. if your receiver had a auto speaker calibration. use it.. that will set the correct level for each speaker.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,990
    edited February 2008
    +7 is alot,try leaving the 3 fronts to 0 and bump up the rears to +2 and see how that sounds to you.
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  • jakelm
    jakelm Posts: 4,081
    edited February 2008
    Go buy an SPL meter from rat shack, and callibrate it correctly.
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  • engtaz
    engtaz Posts: 7,664
    edited February 2008
    jakelm wrote: »
    Go buy an SPL meter from rat shack, and callibrate it correctly.

    +1000 it is work the money to set it up right with a SPL meter.


    engtaz
    engtaz

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  • bruticus
    bruticus Posts: 10
    edited February 2008
    is it better to turn up the master volume higher instead of having the db levels higher?
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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited February 2008
    bruticus wrote: »
    is it better to turn up the master volume higher instead of having the db levels higher?

    Yes. You should shoot for setting your mains at 0db. If after you purchase your SPL meter your rears are too high you can bump them a bit. If you have to bump them say +7db then you should cut your mains to about -3db, and raise your rears to +4db. Raising your DB settings can cause clipping at the line level stage be it a receiver, or a PrePro. When it clips at the line level stage the clipped signal will be amplified. Every Receiver/PrePro is different, but general rule is don't bump it more than +4db.

    BTW welcome to Club Polk
    Ben
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  • ward91
    ward91 Posts: 338
    edited February 2008
    just remember, its always better to "cut" than to "gain".
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  • 66chevyIISS
    66chevyIISS Posts: 857
    edited February 2008
    http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/34579/128211.html

    http://www.audiophilia.com/hardware/spl.htm
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