Since I don't have an HDMI compatible receiver, I'm using the analog outputs on my XA2 HD-DVD player. I'm not sure what to use to calibrate my speaker levels. If I use my Sound and Vision disk there is a choice between DD and DTS, but which one is applicable to the analog outputs? There is a difference in sound between the two, and when I calibrate I end up with different settings for each speaker.

This should be simple, but the more I think about it the more confused I get.

Do you mean cabibrating them in the A2 itself or do you have a receiver capable of processing multi-channels analog?

My receiver, HK 7200, has analog inputs with bass management, so I should have no problems there. I'm curious about what I can use to calibrate speaker levels through this connection.

Anything should do. I don't think the A2 has limits as to what is sent to the analog. You may have to double-check to see if you don't have to disable something in the A2 to avoid double-bass-management.

If I play a disk that has DD+, will that ouput sound matching the levels I've calibrated using the DD portion of my calibration disk.

Conversely, if I play a disk that has HD DTS, will I have to change the settings in my receiver to match what I've calibrated with the DTS portion of my calibration disk?

That's where I'm concerned because I get two different level settings between DD and DTS. Will I have to switch dependent on what sound the HD DVD disk can output? Or, do I need an HD calibration disk?

Or, maybe I should just pony up for an HDMI compatible receiver. . .

As long as you are always using the analog output, the output should be the same. Otherwise, there is something wrong in either the A2 decoders or with the disk.

See, that's where I'm confused. When I use the calibration disk, the output is obviously different between DD and DTS. I don't know which is more applicable when I watch an HD movie.

If the calibration disk (the name sort of imply a normalization) is different between the two, it is either there are fundamental differences in the way movie theaters using either are arranged (in which case you cannot have both well adjusted at the same time) OR the calibration disk itself is not calibrated.

This is what I was afraid of.

If you calibrate using either one you will be fine as the speaker levels are relative to one another. I use the Dolby test tones with my XA2 but the DTS would work just as well.

Sean, my thought would be to simply use EZSet on your 7200, which would likely be at least as accurate as any manual attempts with special discs and a SPL meter.

Thanks guys. Tomorrow I'll play around with things. I've got a tube preamp I want to stick in the mix (just realized it has HT bypass), but I am so full right now from Thanksgiving that there is no way I'm going to be able to crawl behind my equipment and switch cables. Once in tomorrow, I'll recalibrate everything

I don't even want to tell you guys how many dumb things I did today while trying to integrate my tube preamp into the HT mix, but I finally got it figured out. May I remind you that I scored dismally low on the mechanical aptitude test, and today was a reminder why. . .

In any case, good news, I ran the test tones through the analog inputs and everything is fine. Checked both DD and DTS and both come out even across all speakers. I don't know why I was getting different results before. . .well, read the above paragraph. User error more than likely. . .