Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Speaker sensitivities / calibration question

No, it doesn't matter whether it's sensitivity, distance or something else, and how much each contributes to the difference; the only factor of significance is sound level at the listening position.

I'm going to accept this since my brain is too tired to continue. I have no doubt you're right, since it would be too big of an oversight for the entire industry if it wasn't right, but I still can't quite see how it doesn't matter how much each contributes if you're listening at volumes other than reference.

No, the receiver (or more accurately, the calibration process) determines the trim based on the speaker's sensitvity and distance.



Again, it's not trying to figure out sensitivity or create any type of sensitivity curve, it's trying to determine the trim setting based on distance and speaker sensitivity.

The amount of juice sent to a speaker is not predtermined or predicted in any fashion whatsoever. The amount of juice sent to a speaker is a result of the speaker's sensitivity and how loud it is being played.

To illustrate why changing volume doesn't affect the calibration, try and think of EQ'ing certain frequencies. When you tweak certain frequencies to suit your tastes, your changes all remain in tact when you move up/down in volume. Same applies to the calibration found in receivers.

That still doesn't explain how the levels for the speakers stay consistent at all volume levels. It just tells me that they won't stay consistent because of differing sensitivities that won't be taken into account. This is making me feel seriously dumb. I'm sure it's easy for anyone who knows how electricity and speakers work.

But the differing sensitvities HAVE been taken into account. That's why when you look at your speaker trim / channel level settings, one speaker may need a +8dB boost, one speaker may only need a +1dB boost, one speaker may have a -3dB cut, etc.

Yes, at the calibration volume those are the appropriate corrections. But if the sensitivities are different, how do those corrections still apply perfectly? That's what I'm asking. Is this totally linear correction really working no matter if it's distance or sensitivity that's calling for those corrections to be made at reference volume? Because if it's not totally linear, then there's an increasing disparity the further you get from reference volume.

Yes; sensitivity is a given number, as is distance. Neither can be changed by changes in sound level.

I think the mist is clearing a bit. I apologize if I was sounding a bit flustered, because I was. It's frustrating when I can't wrap my head around something that should be simple. Thanks, guys.