I dont get it, How can my crappy STR-DB940 sound louder than my Yam 1500?

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beowolf36

Enthusiast
This is really pissing me off. I have tried everything in the settings and the Yamaha just doesnt seem to be driving my speakers. My old strdb940's volume would be only at about 7 oclock and it would be very loud. on the Yamaha 1500 I have to put the volume at twice that to get the same sound.

This cant be right. i am so frustrated, I feel like returning this Yamaha. What am i doing wrong? will a change to larger speakers help?
 
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Duffinator

Duffinator

Audioholic Field Marshall
What does your OSD volume read? The Yamaha goes down (up) to something like +10 to +20. If you are using it in the -30 range it's barely breaking a sweat.
 
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beowolf36

Enthusiast
it is around -30 to about -25.

mine goes as high as +10 but that is still seems too low in volume to my ears.
 
toquemon

toquemon

Full Audioholic
Ok, try your Sony harder than 7 o'clock and let's see what happens. I'm sure that it will clip very soon. Also turn off all your tone controls and equalizers if you have them.

Another thing that you can do is to use your Sony as a power amp to the front speakers and let your Yammie to handle everything else.

Question: Does louder mean better in this case?. Because maybe your Sony is already clipping and you haven't noticed. Does it sound better than the Yammy at high listening levels or just sound louder?
 
Duffinator

Duffinator

Audioholic Field Marshall
beowolf36 said:
it is around -30 to about -25.

mine goes as high as +10 but that is still seems too low in volume to my ears.
Click to expand...
What speakers are you using?

+10 yikes, you are probably now death and can't hear anything! Or, there is a problem with your receiver.
 
Audioholics

Audioholics

Guest
beowolf36 said:
mine goes as high as +10 but that is still seems too low in volume to my ears.
Click to expand...
You have a problem with your setup or the receiver (your unit in particular) is not working. From past experience I'm thinking setup would be a good place to start.

Check your source device for variable output levels and test with a digital input like a coax from DVD or CD player. Your ears should bleed at +10.

Also, please read this article after you find the problem:

Less Equals more? Differing Volume Levels on Receivers
 
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beowolf36

Enthusiast
sorry guys, let me correct myself. when I said that the volume goes as high as +10 i did that with no speakers connected, just to see what the limit was. I could barely listen at about -15db.

I just "appears" to be not as loud as my old sony, but i understand what you guys are saying. Will speakers help? I am using 2 Sony shelf speakers SS-U4033 (probably the main problem) and i have sony surrounds and an advent center, along with the SONY WM40 sub.
 
toquemon

toquemon

Full Audioholic
Ok, i've seen your amp on the internet. It has 110 watts X 5 (8 Ohms, RMS) and the What HiFi magazine said "Exceptional surround performance for the price".

I think maybe it's something wrong with your Yammie because both have almost the same power, it shouldn't be that huge difference that you're describing.
 
Shinerman

Shinerman

Senior Audioholic
The number displayed for volume is not the same on every receiver. Sony may read -10 while an Onkyo may read -30 while a Yamaha may read -20 for the same actual volume.

Don't worry so much about what number is displayed. It's just a number.
Now, if you having to turn it to -10, -5 or louder just to get normal listening levels then you may have a problem.

I have the RX-V1400 and I listen to TV at about -25 to -30. I listen to CDs and DVDs at about -20 if I want to crank it up. I sometimes listen to music at about -15 but that's almost causing plaster to shake off the walls.

Oh, I used to have a Teac and Onkyo receiver and a very small turn of the volume dials would increase the volume a lot. On my Yamaha, it takes much more or a turn to get the same increase in volume. This is completely normal and allows for more precise volume control. It's does mess with your head a bit and you think you are not getting the same amount of power when it fact you are. The volume knob is just calibrated differently.


Shinerman
 
Shinerman

Shinerman

Senior Audioholic
It's kindof like different rearend ratios on vehicles. The same power is getting to the wheels (speakers) , some ratios (volume controls) just accelerate you faster.

Shinerman
 
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beowolf36

Enthusiast
Shinerman said:
The number displayed for volume is not the same on every receiver. Sony may read -10 while an Onkyo may read -30 while a Yamaha may read -20 for the same actual volume.

Don't worry so much about what number is displayed. It's just a number.
Now, if you having to turn it to -10, -5 or louder just to get normal listening levels then you may have a problem.

I have the RX-V1400 and I listen to TV at about -25 to -30. I listen to CDs and DVDs at about -20 if I want to crank it up. I sometimes listen to music at about -15 but that's almost causing plaster to shake off the walls.

Oh, I used to have a Teac and Onkyo receiver and a very small turn of the volume dials would increase the volume a lot. On my Yamaha, it takes much more or a turn to get the same increase in volume. This is completely normal and allows for more precise volume control. It's does mess with your head a bit and you think you are not getting the same amount of power when it fact you are. The volume knob is just calibrated differently.


Shinerman
Click to expand...

Thanks Shinerman, that is about where I also listen -25 – -30 for TV, havent tried DVD yet. I guess I am focusing too much on how far the volume knobs turns. I have a lot to learn. It just seems strange that the volume starts at -80 and you dont really hear the stereo till about -50 and that is too low to listen too.

What speakers do you guys recommend? I dont have a fortune. I was looking into the fluance AV-HTB or the Fluance*SX-HTB.
 
Shinerman

Shinerman

Senior Audioholic
Sounds liek your receiver is fine. I probably have to turn the dial 1 1/2 to 2 times just to get it to listening levels. I think there is a way to adjust this but not really sure how. I just got used to it after a couple of weeks.

In terms of speakers, how much do you want to spend? I am assuming you want a 5.1 speaker package.

Shinerman
 
WmAx

WmAx

Audioholic Samurai
It's just the tapering used for the volume. If you are achieving adequate gain at -25 and can no longer listen at -15 and have +10 db range max indication available; then what is the problem?

-Chris

beowolf36 said:
Thanks Shinerman, that is about where I also listen -25 – -30 for TV, havent tried DVD yet. I guess I am focusing too much on how far the volume knobs turns. I have a lot to learn. It just seems strange that the volume starts at -80 and you dont really hear the stereo till about -50 and that is too low to listen too.

What speakers do you guys recommend? I dont have a fortune. I was looking into the fluance AV-HTB or the Fluance*SX-HTB.
Click to expand...
 
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Leprkon

Audioholic General
beowolf36 said:
I just "appears" to be not as loud as my old sony, but i understand what you guys are saying. Will speakers help? I am using 2 Sony shelf speakers SS-U4033 (probably the main problem) and i have sony surrounds and an advent center, along with the SONY WM40 sub.
Click to expand...
if the Sony drives the speakers, the speakers ain't the problem...
 
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PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
beowolf36, just so you feel better, I used to own a Sony STR-DA4ES reciever. My SPL meter registered 75 dB when the volume of the 4ES was at -26 dB. Now I have the Denon AVR3805, I have to turn the volume control all the way up to 0 dB to get the same 75 dB SPL. With the Sony I typically listened to music at -37 to -46 dB. With the Denon, it is - 11 to -20 dB. There is no problem with your Yamaha, just turn the volume up, that's all.
 
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larry7995

Full Audioholic
I have cranked my 1500 to -12 so far that was watching/listening to the Megadeth dvd concert last night. It was very loud and the drums were very percussive and I am sure my next door neighbor was enjoying the drums too (payback for rapping his HD in the driveway all the time) I haven't purchased my speakers yet so I am using Bose 301s for the front and a little pair of Advent Marbls for surround and I have a 250 watt JBL E250P sub. I took the trash out and it was almost as loud in the front yard as the living room heheh. I did the YPAO auto setup and left it set that way. I think my next addition is an Axiom center channel VP150.
 
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beowolf36

Enthusiast
i guess what bothers me is that it feels weak for a receiver to have to be cranked so high to give a good throaty sound. Is this typical for Yamaha receivers. Are there any good receivers that can give good volume at the -40 to -50db range?
 
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PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
beowolf36 said:
Are there any good receivers that can give good volume at the -40 to -50db range?
Click to expand...
You know part of the answer already, Sony DB, or ES receivers will do it. I know the Panasonic HE100 does that too. Denon, Yamaha, and Harman Kardon all seem to give around 75 dB of sound pressure level at 12 to 15 feet from the speakers, with the volume control at "0" dB.

Again, the Denon, Yamaha, HK are not "weaker" than the Sony and Panasonic, they simply calibrate their volume control settings differently (to THX standard perhaps??) than Sony. You should not let those "numbers" bother you.
 
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Redman92

Audiophyte
I cranked my Yamaha 1500 to 0 db and it shut down after about 1 minute. I restarted it a couple of minutes later and it was fine. I suppose I have found its limit.
 
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