Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater volume level?

The volume control on my Denon goes from -80 to +18. I usually have the volume control between -30 to -17 depending on the source (t.v, movies, sports, videogames etc) Playing Gears of War 2 today I had the volume set at -20. I do not know exactly how loud it actually was becaues I never measured it with an SPL metre but I am sure you could here it throughout the entire house:). My system got a workout on that game especially the QS4's and subwoofers:).

Dr. House

If you calibrated your system correctly (using the internal tones), then -10 means 10 less then reference, or 75db. There will be peaks of +20 db. Some AVRs, like my Onkyo, allow you to change the display to absolute. On my system, if I put the volume at 70 db and run a test tone from DVE, I should get 70db reading on my SPL meter (it is pretty close).

Disclaimer: This works with DVD, BluRay, and HD DVD only. TV and music do not follow any standards and may vary greatly.

My Denon 3808 test tones play back at 75db as did my older 1804.I beleive Onkyo as you have stated does use 85db for it's test tones.

The Onkyo's test tones are 75db. The end result should be a volume of 0 (or 85db absolute) will register 85 db on an SPL meter when playing pink noise.

Luc, as others have indicated, simply looking at the volume control settings in different setups doesn't give an accurate picture of the actual volume that the listeners are experiencing in their different rooms. An SPL meter is very useful for this, and regardless of the volume settings used in a particular setup to reach it, an 80dB average listening level can be considered as being comfortably loud. Listening at a louder level than this on a prolonged basis isn't a good idea from the standpoint of hearing loss. Listening at an average of maybe 70dB is more advisable long-term and certainly isn't too low in level(the average level of conversation with someone nearby, for example, is about 60dB).

Which is why you start at 75db, a 0 level, and have the ability to move the speaker levels up or down as needed to aquire 75 SPL on a meter which will allow for some headroom to attain that 85db, I see. Thanks again Dave.

I just posted this in another thread running on the same topic, but to make sure the OP sees it, also see this earlier discussion of the same topic.

By the way... in my room, even after calibrating at 75 dB, I could never watch any source at 0 dB on the Denon 3808's gain. I'm not sure if it's something I did wrong in calibration, but it is far louder than 85 dB at that level (I haven't measured it, but will now at some point to get more information). To answer the original question, I listen to almost all sources at -15 to -30 (and around -35 in night mode).

For others who have calibrated their 3808's to 75 dB, can you really come close to listening at 0? Listening at 85 dB for me would be louder than average, but I think at 0 the sound is significantly louder than that. I'd go test now, but it's 6:45 am and sleeping wife and baby probably wouldn't appreciate my experiment.

Jason

The closest I get on my 3808 is -15 dB. I don't think I'll get to 0 dB.

I have an Onkyo 908 on an A1400-8, (epic80/600) and tend to watch films between -12 and -22. (depending on the time of day and how much I don't care about my neighbors at any point.)

I love when you feel the true dynamic range of a film, where dialogue sounds pretty normal, then an explosion almost caves in your chest.

Yeah, I hope it never actually caves in my chest. I don't need to be quite THAT immersed.