Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Calibrate Denon 3805

I just got the Denon 3805 and wondering whether to buy the Denon microphone for auto setup or do it manually using the SPL meter and the Avia disk? Thanks.

Hi "V" and welcome to the forum!
Many here (myself included) seem to feel that the auto-calibration modes generally do a very good job of setting speaker distances, but are otherwise not the best choices for the EQ and crossover settings that are factored.

I know that the best EQ setting for my 3805 is "off" and that I prefer to set the crossover settings myself. If you already owned the mic, I'd say give it a try and see how it works for you; if you don't own the mic, I think the money is much better spent on the audio meter and a test disc!

i almost posted a similar topic yesturday. my 3805 should be ib next week. let me know how it goes because i will need some help also.

vball,

I have the 3805 as well. It was the first real audio/visual component I have ever owned and was quite intimidated by it. That was a year ago almost to the day. I purchased the mic thinking that was the way to go and to be honest, it was a very helpful learning tool for me as I experimented with various speaker placements and eq settings that I might otherwise never had done. That being said, I'm like Mark, my eq is turned off. If you don't own it, I wouldn't buy it. If you really must try one, you can borrow mine. Just email me and we'll make arrangements.

John

Don,
i ordered the 3805 and should be here next week. did you end up buying a spl meter from radio shack? from reading most post here that seems to be the way to go.

I also agree with Mark that the Denon mic is not nearly worth the $60 (or whatever) they are charging for it. Its one of the reasons I went for the 2805 but I'm sure you can tweak your setup a little better with an SPL meter and Avia dvd.

Sure did. Until the Denon and Axiom speakers arrived, my home theater consisted of a Sony HTIB, which had no crossover settings nor level adjustments. When I opened the Denon and Axiom boxes and began reading the instructions, I about crapped in my pants. I really started hitting the forums then looking for information on what to's and how to's. By far, the Axiom boards have been the best in terms of objectivity and hospitality. Every here recommends an spl meter of some type and most have a Radioshack. It's not that expensive and we highly recommend owning one. Besides calibrating your system, its also fun to check sound levels in your house. Surprising stuff.

Highly recommend the do it yourself with the meter and test disc.

You will get more enjoyment out of the system knowing you set it up.

You will more than likely end up with a more balanced system than with using the denon mic.

You will get to know your receiver and its settings much better and thus be better able to operate your system. (lets face it there are an incredible amount of settings in these new receivers and it definetly helps to know what they do and don't do in order to get the best sound you can)

DonJuan,

Thank you for your generous offer. I think I will listen to everyone here and purchase SPL meter at RadioShack. Any preference between digital or analog meter?

what is an avia dvd and where can i get it?
thanks