Speaker Level Match After Dirac Live

[fernandonero84]

Hi all, should I level match my speakers to 75dB after running Dirac Live? I measured with pink noise and a SPL meter directly on the receiver higher levels alfter Dirac Live finished the measurements.

 

[PENG]

If you have to do that, then I think it is indicative of other issues. I have been using Dirac, Audyssey for a long time, now Anthem ARC, and never felt the need to check levels with a SPL meter. Every time I did that, the SPL meter never showed anything more than 1 or 2 dB max of variance between channels at the mmp. Subwoofer levels are more difficult to check as they don't response well to pink or white noise anyway.

 

[MissEverly]

When you run Dirac Live, it will measure the frequency response of your speakers and room, and then apply corrections to the signal to compensate for any acoustic issues. However, the corrections made by Dirac Live can affect the overall output level of your speakers, which is why you are noticing higher levels after running the measurement.

 

[Sawtaytoes]

Dirac Live set my room to 82dB, the standard for Dolby Atmos. YPAO does this as well.

For Dirac Live, I don't touch the SPL settings after configuring it. I figure they set the levels correctly for my room after having me take 17 measurements.

 

[fernandonero84]

Thanks, I think I will remeasure everything then.

If you have to do that, then I think it is indicative of other issues. I have been using Dirac, Audyssey for a long time, now Anthem ARC, and never felt the need to check levels with a SPL meter. Every time I did that, the SPL meter never showed anything more than 1 or 2 dB max of variance between channels at the mmp. Subwoofer levels are more difficult to check as they don't response well to pink or white noise anyway.

 

[fernandonero84]

When you run Dirac Live, it will measure the frequency response of your speakers and room, and then apply corrections to the signal to compensate for any acoustic issues. However, the corrections made by Dirac Live can affect the overall output level of your speakers, which is why you are noticing higher levels after running the measurement.

Ok understood!

 

[WhiteGhost]

So should you not correct the cut off of certain speakers if you feel there not set correctly by Dirac or is Dirac always right? My front heights are set to a different frequency then the rear heights.

 

[Sawtaytoes]

I recalibrated after moving my couch a few months ago and after setting all speakers to 75dBC, I absolutely didn't like the sound. And I found I really had to turn up movies at lot; typically -7 or even closer to 0 with older ones from the 80s and 90s, but dialog was often hard to hear for some reason.

After recalibrating again last month with Dirac Live Bass Control, I left the levels as-is. Movies are way louder now, so I keep the volume between -9 and -7dBC. Overall, the sound is very nice and lively. Highs are grating at times with certain special effects (a dragon screaming, lightning striking something, etc), but they go away pretty quick. In general, everything sounds really good to my ears, and I've noticed my interest in using my home theater go up again after this recent calibration.

I'm still using the Harmon -10dB curve which bumps the bass and leaves everything else flat or close to it.

 

[WhiteGhost]

I recalibrated after moving my couch a few months ago and after setting all speakers to 75dBC, I absolutely didn't like the sound. And I found I really had to turn up movies at lot; typically -7 or even closer to 0 with older ones from the 80s and 90s, but dialog was often hard to hear for some reason.

After recalibrating again last month with Dirac Live Bass Control, I left the levels as-is. Movies are way louder now, so I keep the volume between -9 and -7dBC. Overall, the sound is very nice and lively. Highs are grating at times with certain special effects (a dragon screaming, lightning striking something, etc), but they go away pretty quick. In general, everything sounds really good to my ears, and I've noticed my interest in using my home theater go up again after this recent calibration.

I'm still using the Harmon -10dB curve which bumps the bass and leaves everything else flat or close to it.

So no adjustment to Dirac except the addition of Harmon curve. Any changes to cut offs?

 

[Sawtaytoes]

Not sure what you mean by "cutoffs". Crossovers? I did have to adjust some crossovers.

I used to have my base layer at 60Hz, but they were all automatically set to 70Hz (which I couldn't set manually on my receiver). No change there.

My height speakers needed some work. But sure why, but 4 were set to 118Hz (I had them at 120Hz), and 4 were set to 70Hz (3) or 136Hz (1). I left the 136Hz one as-is. That's my top speaker. I bumped the 70Hz ones to 118Hz because those speakers bottom out at reference. It's like an older car making a popping sound when it happens.

Does that help?

 

[WhiteGhost]

Not sure what you mean by "cutoffs". Crossovers? I did have to adjust some crossovers.

I used to have my base layer at 60Hz, but they were all automatically set to 70Hz (which I couldn't set manually on my receiver). No change there.

My height speakers needed some work. But sure why, but 4 were set to 118Hz (I had them at 120Hz), and 4 were set to 70Hz (3) or 136Hz (1). I left the 136Hz one as-is. That's my top speaker. I bumped the 70Hz ones to 118Hz because those speakers bottom out at reference. It's like an older car making a popping sound when it happens.

Does that help?

Sorry I meant crossover so how would you know looking at graph say in this pic of my left front where would be best to set the crossover?

 

[Sawtaytoes]

Dang, your speakers can get low! I'd probably set it at 50Hz to give it enough room, since the crossover is a gradual decrease. But only if your speaker can pump out that frequency at high volumes.

When watching movies, sometimes they peak at 100dBC even if 0 is 75dBC.

 

[WhiteGhost]

I actually have them set at 63hz as the manufacturer spec is rated for 48hz- 20,000hz so took them up 15hz , the speaker manufacturer said 70hz is good and let the subs do the dirty work. But not really sure what is right or what is best as I have 7 of them do I set them all the same? Dirac set the surround sides to 90hz but there all the same speakers.

 

[Sawtaytoes]

I actually have them set at 63hz as the manufacturer spec is rated for 48hz- 20,000hz so took them up 15hz , the speaker manufacturer said 70hz is good and let the subs do the dirty work. But not really sure what is right or what is best as I have 7 of them do I set them all the same? Dirac set the surround sides to 90hz but there all the same speakers.

Yeah, 63Hz works fine too. I don't know the right spot to set them, so whatever works for you is good.

That's weird.

It might be that the acoustics of your room are preventing your side surrounds from properly getting deep audio at high volumes to your listening position.

Is the graph you showed me is what Dirac sees for the side surrounds?

One of my subs had a suck-out at 40Hz enough that Dirac wasn't able to compensate with eq. I moved the sub around a bit, but what really fixed it was moving the couch forward a foot (as well as getting a new couch). Then the suck-out was between 45-50Hz, but it wasn't as bad, and this time, Dirac was able to compensate with eq. This is after I had Bass Control.

Point being, even a few feet away from this sub wasn't enough to fix it. I had to do more drastic changes to fix it in this particular room.

 

[WhiteGhost]

Ok I see , that graph was front left.

 

[WhiteGhost]

Ok I see , that graph was front left.

So if Dirac is adjusting speaker to different crossovers do you think I should change them to match all the other speakers as there the exact same speake?

 

[Sawtaytoes]

So if Dirac is adjusting speaker to different crossovers do you think I should change them to match all the other speakers as there the exact same speake?

I can't say for sure, but personally, I wouldn't lower the crossover they set. You can raise it safely, but I wouldn't lower it. With that sub I had, Dirac couldn't eq the 40Hz suck-out at the time, so it's possible that's the case with those speakers. Even if they're all the same speaker, the output volume at 40Hz might not be the same for your side surrounds as your front speakers in your room.

But I can also say that in general, you want all your speakers having the same crossover. Still, that might not always be possible. There's a guy in town who set all his speakers to a 120Hz crossover, but he has 8 x 18" subs with 3 of those being nearfield.

I prefer my speakers providing as much bass as possible to fill the room since my subs are in the back, but if they're not able to provide a good enough sound based on the measurements I gave to Dirac, then I'll trust Dirac.

The only time I had an issue was with their crossovers was with my height speakers having too low of a crossover. It's possible Dirac didn't hear the issue which only occurs on very peaky sounds under 120Hz.

Also note the mic you're using. I only have a UMIK-1, so the quality of my calibration is limited to the best that mic can do.

 

[WhiteGhost]

Hmm ok I will try what Dirac is setting and see if I like , would you happen to have any advice on gain setting two subs? Or it that something I do through Dirac?

 

[Sawtaytoes]

I can't remember exactly. My subs are at -10dB at the plate amp, and then Dirac handles the rest.

I could be completely wrong here, but I think it's better to lower the sub volume at the amp and let Dirac raise the volume of the signal coming into the sub so most of the pre-amplification happens in your receiver and not at the sub.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Hmm ok I will try what Dirac is setting and see if I like , would you happen to have any advice on gain setting two subs? Or it that something I do through Dirac?

If you mean gain matching vs level matching, I would use the latter.