Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater My New Theater Room Pics

You guys seem to have a lot of experience with HT and how to notice the difference in the "soundstage". Can you give me some examples of what to listen for? Should I set things up while listening to music instead of a movie? Should I have someone move the speakers during playback while I stay positioned in my seat?

I just bought a sound meter from Radio Shack. Can the speakers be calibrated by just using the receivers tone test?

Reciever test tones will work just fine (worked with mine just fine).

Set your meter to "slow" and "C" weighting. THe difference that you noticed from the centre channel and your mains was most likely due to lack of proper calibration, once all your speakers are calibrated to 75db, the soundstage will be seamless from one speaker to another across the front.

When I start the test tone do set the meter reading to 75db by raising the main volume? Then set each individual speaker volume to 0 and as the test moves to each speaker raise each speaker volume until they all read 75db? Is this correct?

This is how I do it with my Yamaha receiver:

The test tone first goes to the left speaker, I have the trim for that speaker set to 0db, I then raise or lower the MAIN volume so that my front left speaker is reading 75db. This speaker is now my reference speaker for the rest of the speakers.

I then goto each other speaker in my system, KEEP THE MAIN VOLUME THE SAME, but change the individual "trim" db for each individual speaker so that it reads at 75db.

There you have it!

Its difference for all receiver companies, but thats how it is done on my Yamaha. I hope this helps!

Wow Rick, your HT is awesome!!! Love the set up and color scheme. I wish I had more room in mine. Is there a reason you have your mains pulled forward?

I notice it doesn't take much trim volume to raise the db to 75. I think the most is about 4. I then notice that the main volume on my Denon 1804 has to be around -10 before I reach a volume that I like and can hear well in quite scenes. Like someone talking without any background noise. But when an action scene begins I need to turn it down a bit. On the Denon, when I start getting close to "0" on the volume, is that the max I should go?

All the readings are taken from the sweetspot in the middle of your seating area or your favorite place to sit if its not in the middle but that will make the system sound really wierd for those in other places. For your 1804(same as mine) the easiest way to calibrate(equalize) the speakers is go into the speaker set up screen and then set them all to small(this can be changed later if you desire) continue through the screens setting up the distances and finally you will get to the test tone screen, go into the manual test tone, so you can have it on longer if needed, and take a reading for the first speaker, they use - LF. Whatever that reading is(probably somewhere in the 70-75db range), use that as the base to set the rest as you move through the speakers adjusting each one up or down to achieve that first reading; Center will be next, then RF, Right surround, Center rear(if turned on), Left surround and finally the sub.

You don't have to set the speakers to 75db the main idea is to have them all sounding equal at the sweetspot, which achieves the nice even soundstage.

A trick for the vocals during the quiet scenes is to run the center 2-4db higher than the others and it doesn't cause any problems for any other effects.

Thanks Jason. I will do that tonight.

Maybe double check the wiring to make sure nothing is crossed as -10 on mine in my room is incredibily loud, -20 to -15 is the norm for me to listen to movies, but it could just be the calibration and/or room differences.