How do I use test tones to set up speakers?

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How do I use test tones to set up speakers? #209341 05/26/08 02:22 PM
Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 3,270 Toronto/New York/parry Sound alan OP connoisseur
OP alan connoisseur Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 3,270 Toronto/New York/parry Sound	My question is this, when I use my test tone cd and my sound meter what settings do I need to have my reciever set to. Let me go into a little further detail. I'm using a Denon 2303 and am using 7 speakers and 1 sub for 7.1 surround. The reciever has the Audyssey eq which automatically adjusts the 7 speakers with a 9 band eq thats built in and delay, speaker level ect, but it has no sub eq. After checking with my sound meter and using the rives audio cd I found some areas that need adjusted so I adjusted the sub position a found a better spot. I mostly watch movies and don't listen to a lot of music with this system. When I am checking the sound I've noticed that the readings vary depending on whether I have the receiver set to seven channel stereo ,direct , stereo or DTS neo 6, dolby PLIIx ect. Which one of these settings do I need to use when I use my test cd and sound meter so I can tweak it to be optimum when watching movies? ------------------------------------ Hello Joe, Thanks for your e-mail and for your positive comments on your Axiom speakers. I should tell you that I'm not a fan of Audyssey equalization. If really linear neutral speakers such as Axioms are used, there shouldn't be any need to "equalize" the frequency response of the system. In our tests, equalization often makes really good speakers sound bad. The auto-setup modes are fine for adjusting the individual speaker levels, distance delay, and the like, but I'd suggest you leave the Audyssey turned off. I don't know what main speakers you are using. I'll concede that if the main speakers are flawed (non-linear) you could use Audyssey to improve the spectral balance and get rid of the major peaks and dips in response and those settings would apply to one listening seat only. As far as deep bass response, as you've discovered, both the deep bass extension and the amount of bass output you'll hear is very dependent on the subwoofer location, the specific dimensions of your room, and your listening location. It's impossible to effectively equalize bass response for more than one listening location. If you shift to one seat or the other, the bass you hear will change. By far the best cure for uneven bass response in any room is the addition of a second subwoofer, either one at the front and rear of the room, or one at each side or in diagonally opposite corners. You should use a pink-noise signal to do intitial setup and adjustments with your AV receiver set to Dolby Digital 5.1 or 7.1 or the test mode. Normally, an AV receiver has a pink-noise generator built in (it is a Dolby Labs requirement) and it will distribute the signals one by one to each speaker so you can make level checks with your sound-level meter--which, by the way, is usually more accurate than the auto settings by Audyssey and other auto-setup circuitry. These settings are not cast in stone. I often adjust my subwoofer level depending on the soundtrack mix, whether it's movies or CDs. As you know, the mixes vary a lot. Sometimes the bass is overwhelming; on other recordings, it's hard to hear it. And you may want to vary the center channel level depending on how clearly the dialog mix is. I'd do the initial setup with the AV receiver's built-in test generator (or Audyssey's). As you've found, the readings will vary a lot depending on what mode--ProLogicII, dts, the "all-channel stereo"--you are using because the decoders will distribute signals, including bass, differently. Typically, dts soundtracks are "tweaked" when they are mastered, with somewhat exaggerated deep bass, so deep bass will typically sound heavier from a dts soundtrack than a Dolby Digital one. You may also want to tweak the individual level settings with Dolby ProLogicII or dts Neo:6. Sometimes DPLII throws too much information into the surround channels; dts Neo can also sound quite different, depending of course on the source. I hope this will give you some guidance. Feel free to contact me on my direct line, 1-888-243-3236, 9-5 Eastern Time, Monday to Friday, or call the Axiom toll-free number any time at 1-866-244-8796 - any of our Audio Experts would be pleased to help. Kind regards, Alan Lofft Alan@axiomaudio.com http://www.axiomaudio.com 1-888-243-3236 (direct) Read about me: http://www.axiomaudio.com/lofft.html Alan Lofft, Axiom Resident Expert (Retired)