Hi,

Sorry, I had to abandon this thread to deal with emails. But it's the relative level of each channel that matters. You can choose an overall volume level that's comfortable and delivers sufficient SPL to activate the SPL meter and override any ambient noise (like a waste-disposal dumpster truck passing by my street-level apt.).

It's hard for me to believe that there is a software error on the AVia disc (in terms of differences in the pink-noise levels for different channels (worse things have happened!) but I suppose it's conceivable. The same software with modifications was used for the Sound&Vision Tune-Up DVD and David Ranada prepared it. He's such a stickler for accuracy that I'm certain he would have spotted errors long ago if they existed.

As to the test-tone generator in A/V receivers, there shouldn't be any variation. The circuit is simply moving a mono pink-noise signal from channel to channel. Any gain differences present between the on-board amplifiers (and there might be some) could be compensated for in your final adjustments.

Regards,

Alan Lofft,
Axiom Resident Expert (Retired)