Calibration question

[agarwalro]

I re-ran the Yamaha YPAO setup with equalization set to "High" (equalize to correct high frequence room response). What a difference, for the better, in the sound it made. I highly recommend this to people feeling their speakers are bright and are not in a position to setup room treatments.


Now the questions...
1) Does the Yamaha's "Pure Direct" mode use equalization from YPAO? I know it kills the video circuit but does it also kill YPAO settings?

2) When watching movies, -17.5 for master volume is the most I have used and that felt loud, but the SPL meter says to get 75dB from each speaker I have to use -1.5 for master volume. I cannot imagen watching movies with the volume at this setting, it will be deffening. What gives?

 

[jcPanny]

Yamaha features

1. The pure direct mode bypasses all processing and directly connects the analog input signal to the amplifier. Therefore, the EQ functions which are performed by the DSP are bypassed in this mode.

2. I think you may be misinterpreting the manual because the volume level you hear is a function of the volume knob (and settings) on the receiver, your room and distance to the speaker, and the sensitivity of the speakers. Thus, the same volume level on your Yamaha in a different room or with different speakers would produce a different SPL level at the listening position.

 

[agarwalro]

1. The pure direct mode bypasses all processing and directly connects the analog input signal to the amplifier. Therefore, the EQ functions which are performed by the DSP are bypassed in this mode.

But I am using coax from my CD player to the the avr and I get audio with pure direct. That would not be possible if what you mentioned were true. The CD player outputs PCM, and the display on the avr confirms it if pure direct is not engaged (since pure direct kills the display too).

2. I think you may be misinterpreting the manual because the volume level you hear is a function of the volume knob (and settings) on the receiver, your room and distance to the speaker, and the sensitivity of the speakers. Thus, the same volume level on your Yamaha in a different room or with different speakers would produce a different SPL level at the listening position.

Oh... me and my taste for flowery language. What I meant was, to level match the speakers at reference level it is recommended that each speaker be set to put out 75dB using calibration tone. When I do this using the avr's in built test tones the master volume is set at -1.5. Now when I am watching a movie any master volume setting over -15.0 will be painfully loud.

OH CRAP. I think I just figured it out. The test tones built into the avr are approximately 15dB attenuated when compared to playing the test tones from the DVD player. What do you think?

That still leaves getting to the bottom of issue 1.

 

[jcPanny]

Pure direct.

OK, like you suggested, the Yamaha can decode the digital input in pure direct but I am pretty sure that all DSP (EQ) and tone controls are bypassed in this mode. They are on my Yamaha.

Concerning the volume levels. Reference level is between 100 dB and 105 dB which would be painfully loud to most people. Also, only high end amplifiers and speakers can play at these high levels without distortion. Your brain identifies the distortion as being painful/irritating.

 

[fergusonv]

1. The EQ and all processing is defeated in pure direct. (See manual)
2. Setting reference should be done at 75db and can be done two ways.

A. Adjust trim levels until your center produces 75db at 0 on the volume, then adjust other speakers accordingly. Your reference point is now 0 on the volume.
B. Do it how you are. If reference is -1.5 thats fine too.

There is nothing wrong with setting your speaker levels at a lower level say 65db if that is as loud as you will listen to it.
Note: By using a lower reference point you have a better chance of getting inaccurate readings due to background noise.

 

[agarwalro]

Thanks for the replies. Its much more clear now.