Using a decibel meter to double check all speaker levels.

[inspclouseau]

We've owned an old radio-shack analog decibel level meter for years. It has been used for anytime -after- we auto-check the surround system via receiver or amp or we change/moved the room furnishings (Christmas time) or moved, added or changed any gear. All channels are adjusted to 75db at main seating position/head/ear level on a tripod. This using the receivers own tones. After months of no changes at all, we sometimes check again anyway. It has made a difference using this to shore up slightly off auto-setup levels. A recommended item for any surround system. Even if you completely trust the automatic ones. Newer receivers/systems are likely to be fantastic these days across the board. I just like seeing it on an analog meter too. ...but, I do adjust sub levels by ear only...and that sure takes time! Sometime many breaks between levels, phase adjusts too. Just turn em OFF for a bit and listen again. Subwoofers can be a bear. Have a great weekend all

 

[cbmmm3]

I have the trusty Radio Shacker also. My SSP can auto set but I prefer the meter , the old fashioned way

 

[Sonik Wiz]

We've owned an old radio-shack analog decibel level meter for years. It has been used for anytime -after- we auto-check the surround system via receiver or amp or we change/moved the room furnishings (Christmas time) or moved, added or changed any gear. All channels are adjusted to 75db at main seating position/head/ear level on a tripod. This using the receivers own tones. After months of no changes at all, we sometimes check again anyway. It has made a difference using this to shore up slightly off auto-setup levels. A recommended item for any surround system. Even if you completely trust the automatic ones. Newer receivers/systems are likely to be fantastic these days across the board. I just like seeing it on an analog meter too. ...but, I do adjust sub levels by ear only...and that sure takes time! Sometime many breaks between levels, phase adjusts too. Just turn em OFF for a bit and listen again. Subwoofers can be a bear. Have a great weekend all

Absolutely agree with you and my procedure is very similar to yours. I use a good 'ol RS analog SPL meter on a tripod at the sweet spot. My Anthem AVM 30 pre-pro is too old for auto set up but new enough it has built in white noise generators that allow for adjusting the levels.

I start by adjusting left front to 75dB and then cycle through the menu for the other speakers to match too. Altho the speakers are carefully measured & set up to be equidistant from the sweet spot epicenter the right side speakers are closer to the wall then the left side. And behind the front speakers is wrap around floor to ceiling convoluted polyurethane for reflection absorption:

So this arrangement would never sound balanced if I just set all the balance controls at neutral. Tuning it up this way gives me a known value to return too & easy peasy to adjust balance on the fly using the Anthem remote. I set up the subwoofer using the built in rumble tone & the result is always a subwoof that never interferes with the music, or movies, but thunder when real bass is there.

On a device like the Surround Master V2 I have it has individual level pots on each ch I just make a QS encoded file of the main speaker positions & use that set the SM output levels.

And like you I recheck maybe once a year to see if anythings changed. I guess I just like messing with this stuff.

 

[hafquark]

Yep, about the same for me. 75db in the left front speaker and work clockwise to set the rest. Have to agree, the subwoofer is a pain in the nether regions to adjust, but for the fronts, center, and surrounds, the old Rat Shack analog SPL meter has served me well for many years.

 

[gene_stl]

Like everyone else I began with the Mighty Radio Schack!
I was not balancing a multi channel nor quad system but setting my four way electronic crossover setups. My original RS got away from me but I still have three later models that fell into my lap.

Because I didn't really trust the RS' frequency response I graduated to this:
https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/technics/sh-8000.shtmlIt had a horrible warble oscillator and a supposedly calibrated small diameter microphone. A battery leaked in the microphone and the threads were so fine there was no getting it apart. I got another mic then the whole thing got stolen.

Then I managed to get my feelthy paws on one of these which I still use unto this day:
https://www.audiocontrol.com/pro-audio/sa-3052/

Eventually I will give REW a try. I have a local friend who has a very highly calibrated microphone that I will try it out with first.

Love Varner Home Media !!!!

 

[cbmmm3]

Absolutely agree with you and my procedure is very similar to yours. I use a good 'ol RS analog SPL meter on a tripod at the sweet spot. My Anthem AVM 30 pre-pro is too old for auto set up but new enough it has built in white noise generators that allow for adjusting the levels.

I start by adjusting left front to 75dB and then cycle through the menu for the other speakers to match too. Altho the speakers are carefully measured & set up to be equidistant from the sweet spot epicenter the right side speakers are closer to the wall then the left side. And behind the front speakers is wrap around floor to ceiling convoluted polyurethane for reflection absorption:

View attachment 89954
So this arrangement would never sound balanced if I just set all the balance controls at neutral. Tuning it up this way gives me a known value to return too & easy peasy to adjust balance on the fly using the Anthem remote. I set up the subwoofer using the built in rumble tone & the result is always a subwoof that never interferes with the music, or movies, but thunder when real bass is there.

On a device like the Surround Master V2 I have it has individual level pots on each ch I just make a QS encoded file of the main speaker positions & use that set the SM output levels.

And like you I recheck maybe once a year to see if anythings changed. I guess I just like messing with this stuff.

hey Sonik - nice set up !! What are your front speakers ? Are those Snells ??

 

[Sonik Wiz]

hey Sonik - nice set up !! What are your front speakers ? Are those Snells ??

Thank you but not Snells. Oldish Infinity Kappa 8's in the front & Kappa 7's in the rear. Both have the same woofer/mid/tweeter but the front speakers have a 6" mid-bass unit. They really sound very close on tonal balance with the fronts going a bit deeper. As the woofer XOVER in the fronts is 80Hz you can think of them as a 4 way speaker or 3 way with built in sub! The rear looks like this:

The room is far, far more humble than many others I've seen here. But I get a peaceful easy feeling when I walk in. Oh, the subwoofer is under neath the glass table top better seen in the 1st picture. It is 2, 12" woofers pointed forward towards the screen. This seem to do a good job of smoothing out room resonances and I do like the kidney punches it gives me when I deserve it!

It's an unusual arrangement I essential to have some sort of real measurements to get things balanced right.

 

[weekendtoy]

The 'ol Radio Shack analog SPL is an essential tool in the tool belt for anybody who even mildly pursues the hobby. No enthusiast should be without one!

The next step is to download Room EQ Wizard (REW) and get a UMIK mic. Now not only can you measure but you can record/graph your results. Use that information to EQ and position your system for optimal results.

 

[Doug G.]

Back in the seventies, my father-in-law bought a Radio Shack level meter and he wondered how accurate it was. I worked at Telex and we had an expensive, regularly calibrated Bruel & Kjaer level meter so I borrowed it to compare and the RS meter was right on the money.

When he passed in 2015 and my sister-in-law told me I could take any of his equipment I wanted (he was heavily into ham radio), I looked for it but couldn't find it.

Doug

 

[ar surround]

Ditto here. I use Audyssey for the initial sound level setup. But then I go back with my trusty old RS SPL meter using both the receiver test tones and an AIX 7.1 channel calibration disc.

On my setup, Audyssey had set both surrounds 3dB too high and the center 2dB too low. Of course that degree of error was noticeable by ear.

 

[fredblue]

Ditto here. I use Audyssey for the initial sound level setup. But then I go back with my trusty old RS SPL meter using both the receiver test tones and an AIX 7.1 channel calibration disc.

On my setup, Audyssey had set both surrounds 3dB too high and the center 2dB too low. Of course that degree of error was noticeable by ear.

that's how Audyssey MultEQ is designed to work, the Rears get boosted +3dB as part of the process

you know, i bet 8/10 people complaining their Rears are too loud on the old Quads are running Audyssey with Dynamic EQ engaged..

 

[barfle]

In my ancient days at Altec, they had a stereo 1/3 octave equalizer, the 729 “Acousta Voicette.” It was kinda noisy, and I never bothered with getting one, although my acquisitions have been revealed here previously. But I did get their test record, which consists of mono pink noise, filtered to 1/3 octave in, iirc, 27 tracks. It was useful even with just bass and treble controls. Once I get vinyl playback working in my room, I’ll undoubtedly use that, in conjunction with my dear old radio shack SPL meter, to see just how bad the room really is.

 

[Sonik Wiz]

P

Like everyone else I began with the Mighty Radio Schack!
I was not balancing a multi channel nor quad system but setting my four way electronic crossover setups. My original RS got away from me but I still have three later models that fell into my lap.

Because I didn't really trust the RS' frequency response I graduated to this:
https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/technics/sh-8000.shtmlIt had a horrible warble oscillator and a supposedly calibrated small diameter microphone. A battery leaked in the microphone and the threads were so fine there was no getting it apart. I got another mic then the whole thing got stolen.

Then I managed to get my feelthy paws on one of these which I still use unto this day:
https://www.audiocontrol.com/pro-audio/sa-3052/

Eventually I will give REW a try. I have a local friend who has a very highly calibrated microphone that I will try it out with first.

Love Varner Home Media !!!!

That SA-3052 looks very nice & expensive too! I can see how it would be extremely useful to set up bi/tri-amping of speakers. I don't know what you mean by REW. But I'm thinking there must be USB/PC solutions today that will do the same thing as the 3052.

 

[LB-V]

I'm feeling really unsophisticated........the vintage amps I'm using are lately dropping or at least attenuating one channel at will, whenever they feel like it. No dB meter necessary! Lol. I just clearly hear it's wrong with my bad ears. The one just needs to be turned off and on, then she's fine.

Fortunately with the big Phase Linear I currently have in rotation as I wait for the Amp Master to come home, has level trims for each channel. I use those to zero in my front center phantom. That works nicely.

Until I upgrade amps, I'm afraid a dB meter might contribute to my insanity. But....love the concept. Look forward to trying that out.


Edit:

I am getting motivated to break out the Anthem ARC gear reading this thread. Seemed a bit overwhelming when I got my Anthem earlier this year. When I get the Amp Master back, I think I'll give it a try.

 

[gene_stl]

Ditto here. I use Audyssey for the initial sound level setup. But then I go back with my trusty old RS SPL meter using both the receiver test tones and an AIX 7.1 channel calibration disc.

I am a COMPLETE sucker for test discs, calibration discs, label show off music samplers and any kind of special disc, going back to day one (JBL test records , radio shack test records) and everything in between including AIX and others.

 

[gene_stl]

P

That SA-3052 looks very nice & expensive too! I can see how it would be extremely useful to set up bi/tri-amping of speakers. I don't know what you mean by REW. But I'm thinking there must be USB/PC solutions today that will do the same thing as the 3052.

REW is a software program that takes a mike input usually from a USB mike and also has test outputs and tests a lot of things. It depends a little on the quality of your mike and sound card but the guys over at Audio Science Review love it.

The 3052 is a pricey item but it was one of my excellent deals , bought right, new in the box from someone who wanted to be rid of it. It used to be the official adjudicator of car stereo competitions.

 

[ar surround]

that's how Audyssey MultEQ is designed to work, the Rears get boosted +3dB as part of the process

you know, i bet 8/10 people complaining their Rears are too loud on the old Quads are running Audyssey with Dynamic EQ engaged..

That is interesting. It makes one wonder why they include the 3dB boost as the “neutral” sound level. I never use Dynamic EQ, but the first time I played a quad with straight MultEQ I was aware of the SPL tsunami from the surrounds. I guess it’s even worse with Dynamic EQ engaged.

 

[gene_stl]

I wonder how much of this sort of thing is only aimed at home theater / cinemaphiles. At the recent sales event I attended I thought the sound was terrible. Too much bass and everything way too loud.

 

[JohnN]

Adding to the crowded room for Radio Shack. Though all my Infinity speakers read 0 on the receiver's test.

 

[fredblue]

I wonder how much of this sort of thing is only aimed at home theater / cinemaphiles. At the recent sales event I attended I thought the sound was terrible. Too much bass and everything way too loud.

probably setup with Audyssey