izub: thanks! I had not read that article. It answered some but not all of my question. Ironic that I would ask the question and there be this month's article on it! LOL!!
In so many words, I think that he said that the dB scale is referenced to nothing, and there is no standard!
I am sort of lost in the last part of the narrative where he recommends the receiver setting at 80 dB and then talks about the master setting of -10 to -15 dB and the then each channel to + 3 dB.
I think that a far simpler way (since all things appear relative) is to set your master volume such that your meter reads 80 dB SPL. Then go in to the individual channel set up and see what the readings are with pink noise. Take the highest channel reading and set all the rest to it.
Comments???
The Rat.
M80s, VP-150, QS8s,
SVS PC 20-39+, OPPO,
Onkyo 703s, Harmony 880
Sony 60" SXRD HDTV
| 
