I don't think my home theatre system is optimized yet. I've heard alot about calibration using either Avia disc or Video Essentials with a RadioShack SPL analog meter. Does any have or know any step-by-step instruction out there that can show me how to do this? Thanks.

Heavyd,

Here is the step by step guide on the SVS site for the SPL meter.

http://www.svsubwoofers.com/faq.htm#meter

An SPL meter and a DVE or Avia DVD is a must to get the most balanced setup from your HT experience..

My DVE disc gives instructions throughout the disc as how to make your adjustments as well.

Rick

Heavy,

This might help.

However, both disks you mentioned have fairly good instructions on what to do, and either would suffice.

Also, the radio shack meter isn't exact. If you're going to calibrate using the just the tones on the disks you mentioned, or from your receiver, (I forget if the tones are "white" noise or "pink" noise -- white, I think) the meter will do a fine job for you. If you're going to use a separate disk that puts out tones at specific frequencies, keep in mind that the Radio Shack meter needs some correcting. Go here and print this page for your reference.

To clarify the chart. If you're listening to a 40Hz tone, and your meter is reading 75dB, you're actually hearing 77.5dB. So, you would back off on the volume setting in your receiver until the meter read 72.5 dB. Then you would be hearing the correct 75 dB.

I reiterate that if you're just using the tones from the Avia or Video Essentials disk, you needn't worry about the corrections.

Hope this helps.