Advice Needed: Best calibration gear

[wilkenboy]

With the multi-thousands I'm planning on spending on HT gear, I'd like to know that the audio and video are calibrated correctly.

Advice? I'm not scared of doing it myself and would like to budget around $80 or so, but would enterain suggestions.

I'm aware of the Avia / Radioshack SPL meter, what else is out there?

What is easiest to use?

 

[Audioholics]

That combo would be my choice for $80.

 

[saurabh]

Digital Video Essentials Disc by Joe Kane and a ginny pig with a pair of good ears

 

[wilkenboy]

What is a ginny pig?

 

[sabedra211]

Its a over sized hamster

 

[marty]

I've only ever used the Radio Shack meter (digital as I can't find the analog one) and Joe Kane's Digital Video Essentials disc. I've found DVE for sale at a few chain stores, but I got mine through Widescreen Review's store which came with a DTS demo disc full of car crashes and the such. There's plenty of tests on DVE for audio (up to 7.1) and video. You shouldn't need more than that combo for A/V calibration. It really helped me find a sub crossover setting that worked best in my room, as well as being much more helpful than the basic speaker level tests my preamp has.

...and isn't it "guinea pig"? In any case, I'd use a puppy for the hearing tests instead of a rodent. Forget bats- that's radar...

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

The Sound&Vision disk is cheaper ( <$20).

 

[Takeereasy]

and isn't it "guinea pig"? In any case,

I believe they prefer to be called Italian American Pigs. Jeesh, no political correctness on this site whatsoever. LOL JK

The sound & Vision disc is cheaper, but it is also more basic. It was great the first time I ran through it, but the third time I was hoping that the male narrator would keel over. The S&V disc is made by Ovation, the same guys who do AVIA.

 

[saurabh]

ginny pig with a pair of good ears

Would be nothing but a person who it patient enough to work as your slave and even use his/her ears on your command and reply back with his/her results from hearing the sounds during the complete configuration of your HTS without making a single grudge . Very rare to find!!!!