I would like to know how does one go about setting levels on stereo only.My system is an amp preamp setup. Parasound P/HP850 and Kenwood Basic M2A.Speakers are Axiom M80's and Hsu VTF-2 sub. Hsu says to use 40 to 80hz test zones but says nothing about what to use for the main speakers.Does one use pink noise or what.

The best way to set the channel levels is through respected calibration software, such as the Avia Guide to Home Theater DVD available here, and an SPL meter such as the $35 analog meter (model #33-2050) available from Radio Shack, which as of this writing is on sale for $25. Depending on your receiver, you might also be able to generate test tones internally but, with few exceptions, would still need the SPL meter.

for stereo speakers you dont need to calibrate... the reason you need to for a 5.1 system is that the center and surround channels arent always the same sensitivity or distance as the main speakers. for stereo obviously they're the same speaker and distance to the listener. they will already be balanced.

I suppose the ouestion should have been is to set the volume level on the sub using a 40 to 80hz test zone would one use the same test zones on the main speakers or would you use pink noise for that.What i did was set the volume on my preamp to achieve 75db on my M80's using pink noise from the test disk from Hsu. Then I used the 40hz test zone from the same disc to get 75db on the Vtf-2.When I did it this way the volume level on the sub was only set at 9'oclock. This seems to be quite low.I was using Radio Shacks spl meter to do this.I was just wondering if this seems to be correct.I used 40hz test zone for the sub because this is where I have the crossover set.

foof,

Au contraire! Due to room interactions, it's also a good idea to calibrate a stereo-only speaker setup, as the left speaker can sound slightly louder than the right (and vice versa) depending on distance from side walls, furniture arrangement, etc.

On equipment without level asjustement circuitry, you will have to rely on the balance knob (or slider). Just remember that the slider adjusts both speakers at the same time, so if your left speaker reads 1db louder than the right, you'll have to use a minute adjustment.

i agree 100% with pmbuko,my left front speaker is closer to a wall then the right one,and i have to set my main balance a little to the right due to reflection off the wall.....ron

Is the analog version of the SPL better?????

In reply to:

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Is the analog version of the SPL better?????

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It's really a matter of personal preference. Some people claim that the analog version is definitely easier to read because it visually relates to you more directly (in the same sense that the analog speedometer remains more popular in cars). Others say just the opposite. As a side, the digital version has the maximum- and mininum-hold feature, which the analog version lacks.

Sooo, back to the original thread... how _do_ you set levels for stereo speakers + sub? Do you need a specific test CD? (I kind of forgot what you told me the other night, Peter...)

You can borrow my test discs. I've got a commercial DVD and a home-made CD. My CD has tones from 10Hz through 50Hz in 1Hz increments, then goes up to something like 100Hz in 5Hz increments (I got lazy).

The commercial DVD will walk you through various tests.

ken, wid, et al.,

I strongly recommend that you calibrate the sub using one of those test CD's that provides the pink-noises specifically designed for sub calibrations. Calibrating the sub using sine-wave (single frequency) tones can be very tricky and misleading unless you are very experienced and well acquinted with your system and your room. The low-pass, high-pass and full-range pink noises are essentially the sum of random tones containing numerous different frequencies (with a flat distribution of average power across the frequency). By using pink-noises as calibration tones, you are assured to correctly calibrate the sub with respect to its "average" sound output over the range of frequency response.