When calibrating your home theater receiver did you guys perform the calibration with your furniture in the room or out of the room?

I calibrated my receiver with the furniture in the room as I thought it would produce the most accurate results but a co-worker calibrated his room completely empty and he swears by the results.

When calibrating my room I mounted my Radio Shack sound level meter on a camera tripod placed on the couch at listening level and then I manually adjusted the settings.

Thanks,
Zak

I'd think having the furniture in would give you the most practical reading. That would be how you'd be listening anyway, with the furniture in.

Zak, the calibration should be done with the room in the same condition, including furnishings, as it will be during regular listening sessions. You haven't described what improvement your friend claimed that he experienced. The only possible thing that comes to my mind is that if a particular piece of furniture had been partially blocking the sound from the measuring microphone, the net result may have been better with it removed.If care is taken to position the meter in the clear, as you apparently did, the calibration should be accurate.