My library was lucky enough to contain the DVD Digital Video Essentials...I am used to the old Video Essentials DVD that came out a couple years ago, it's not that easy as the old one was... however, I noticed when I was calibrating my speakers, that with the new Digital Video Essentials, using an SPL meter, the test tones for the 5.1, did not give me the same results than what my results were with the original Video Essentials DVD..now the Digital Video Essentials DVD is giving me a different results for each speaker that is calibrated at 75dB.
Should that be happening, and who should I trust?
Also, Digital Video Essential is harder to control...What is the test tone in the "References" section to properly calibrate all 5.1 speakers to 75dB?

I don't use DVE, but I think they use a 85dB calibration for test tones, so yes your numbers would not be the same on the meter. Maybe someone else will chime in on this one.

Randy, when using DVE you calibrate to 75dB. When using AVIA, you calibrate to 85dB.

I can't explain the differences you have experienced, Mitch. However, it is common knowledge that the subwoofer tones in DVE are off by something like 10dB. If you calibrate your subwoofer to 75dB with DVE, it will be somewhere between 6 and 10dB too low. If you're experiencing differences in results when calibrating your subwoofer, use the VE subwoofer test tone rather than DVE's. As far as I know, the tones on both discs should get virtually the same results for the rest of your speakers.

Thanks guys, the results were so close to what I had before, when I would just do a test tone on the receiver it would be:
OK, these were my results after I calibrated my Harman-Kardon AVR65 receiver using the Radio Shack digital SPL Meter at 75dB.
L=0dB
C=0dB
R=-3dB
RS=+5dB
LS=+4dB


With Video Essential DVD at 75dB..these were my results...
OK, these were my results after I calibrated my Harman-Kardon AVR65 receiver using the Radio Shack digital SPL Meter at 75dB.
L=0dB
C=+3dB
R=-3dB
RS=+6dB
LS=+3dB

Why the difference?

The only one I find curious is the 3dB difference in the center channel. Plus or minus 1 dB is a reasonable difference and could explained by any number of small factors. But, +3dB is not so easily explained.

Is the meter placed where you normally sit (the sweet spot) and at approximately the same height your ears would be? What are the distances from each speaker to the meter's microphone? How is the meter pointed - straight up, straight ahead (toward your TV screen) at a 45 degree angle, or aimed directly at each speaker as you rotate the tones? Are you holding the meter in your hand, or is it on a tripod or propped on something? Are you ensuring that your body is not reflecting any sound to the meter?

Hello Ajax...what I did was I had the meter placed in the sweet spot, same height as my ears, hold the meter in my hands, pointing straight up...I think I could have added the 3dB to just make the dialog clearer.

LOL! Well THAT would explain a 3dB difference, wouldn't it.

Holding the meter in your hands will skew the results. You need to mount it on a tripod and stand a bit back from it.

It may skew the results, especially if you hold the meter directly between you and the speaker -- in which case some sound can reflect from you back to the meter. I'm pretty anal about a lot of things, but not anal enough to buy a tripod just to calibrate my speakers. When I calibrate I just make sure not to be in the same line that the speaker and meter make.

The problem is my sweet spot is right on my bed!

You can shorten the legs on tripods and place it on your bed.

And, you can get a Targus 46" (max height) tripod which will be more than sufficient for about $21 shipped.

I read this thread yesterday and pulled out my analog spl meter (Radio Shack)...attached it to a tripod at listenening position and went to work. After looking around it was apparent that the HK AVR7300 needed to be at -10 on the master volume for calibration at 75db.

I set the spl properly and moved on to calibrating...shockingly enough all of my speakers were set way to high. I had to back everything down..some are now below zero and some at zero.

The results were amazing in that if I held the spl meter without a tripod, I had to up the levels on everything for it to get to 75db...

Definately get a tripod and get to work.

-Tarun