Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Running Audyssey

Ok, so I ran this over the weekend and it turned out well. I changed a couple things, but really not a big deal. It set the levels to 72 db so I turned each speaker up just a little bit to get it to 75 db on the SPL, sounds great.

My question is, even turning the settings up a bit, all my levels are still below the 0 mark. The fronts are all around -3, the sub (with the gain in the middle on the sub itself) and rears are around -6.5 to -8. I find I have to run the Denon at about -18 for a movie. Would it accomplish anything by setting each speaker say, 5 db higher, and then running the Denon at -23?

I think the differences are simply the +- differences between the meters in use (Audyssey vs an SPL meter). It should be OK to raise the levels even more, it is after all just a starting point and for balance.

I guess it doesn't really matter in the end, just wondered if there was a reason to leave it alone.

Lastly, I think I am going to move my sub... Should I re-do the entire Audyssey setup, or can I just set the distance manually and set the level with the SPL after it is moved?

I would redo Audyssey, the sub might have a different impact on the room from a different spot, remember the subcrawl.

Probably a good idea, doesn't take much more than 15 minutes anyway.

Thanks again!

If you mess with the dB levels after Audyssey runs, your defeating the purpose of running Audyssey.

The relations of the speakers to each other stay the same though, which is why I asked the question. If your base is 75, if you subtract 8 through channel level but then add it back in by running the receiver 8 db higher, I don't see why it makes any difference than just having the channel level at 0 in the first place. It seems as if Audyssey figures out the speaker which needs the most level removed from it, and then adds level to the others. So in some cases like mine where one is 8 db too high (right surround), the fronts are still negative because they only need to be 5 db higher.

Like I said it I don't really care, just curious as to why it's done that way. What if the my receiver would only allow -6 db on any given channel? Would Audyssey then calibrate everything else 2 db higher?

I suppose this is why people much smarter than I develop these things.

There's a second thing that Audyssey does in addition to making each of the speakers equal in relation to each other, is to make -0 dB "reference" for movie playback. Changing the speaker levels, even in the same amount will move 0 from reference.

^There's the answer I was looking for.

That also makes sense as to why my SPL levels were at 72 db, and not 75.

Cool beans.

Isn't it the receiver and not Audyssey that sets the speaker levels and distances, Audyssey goes the extra mile and sets up an EQ based on the room environment. You can adjust levels up or down(yes reference is then moved but each to his own, loud is loud) just not the Crossover because Audyssey uses that frequency for its algorithym.