decibel level question

[bros400pgm]

Not really....

I am having B&Ws with the yam1500, and till now i watch movies at about -15, while music is always at -5 to 0. The amp goes up to +14.5 but the speakers still manage to play clear but very loud for my preferences (front only, tried 603 S3). I really care about them, but nothing intersted from the amp. I assume it is only designed for movies

 

[bros400pgm]

Mine are B&W 603 S3, yammie1500 is playing at +14.5 max, still drives them nicely.
Have a friend with a 3year old Sony amp, with 602.5 S3, at 3/4 of the max vol, the speakers go really crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do not know waht to assume!

 

[Nick250]

I'm not sure about this...because my receiver will go +18db over the 0db position...how can you go over full power? I've found that with pink noise test tones that 0db on the dial puts out 85db...which happens to be the reference level at which most DVD soundtracks are mastered, so I've always thought that the -(whatever)db was relative to the reference level of 85db...but I could be wrong....logic only goes so far in this hobby

Onkyo's (at least my 3 year old Onkyo does it) do it the old fashioned way the higher the positive number the louder it is.

 

[shokhead]

Strange. -50 and down is louder but you push the plus volume button and it goes less volume. Talking about half a$$ backwards. Then off course in the menu,i think its + for the sub for setting it up. -/+ man,i dont know which way to go.

 

[debs67]

Wow! Sorry I didn't see all these replies!!
Thanks for all the info!

Now can you tell me,what's the difference between the volume and the speaker levels?
I noticed that lowering the speaker decibel levels ( I had mine too high) does not influence the actual volume much!?

Or am I nuts?

 

[shokhead]

Set the speakers at the levels at 75-80db so they are the same,then they work from the master volume. Check out the setup in the manual.

 

[debs67]

Set the speakers at the levels at 75-80db so they are the same,then they work from the master volume. Check out the setup in the manual.

This is why I'm confused...my speaker level can be adjusted from -10db to +10 decibels.
But the volume of the system is from -80db to over +15 db,I haven't had it that loud,as -15db on my unit is very loud! Not sure how high it goes!
The more I try to work it out,the more confused I get!

 

[nibhaz]

This is why I'm confused...my speaker level can be adjusted from -10db to +10 decibels.
But the volume of the system is from -80db to over +15 db,I haven't had it that loud,as -15db on my unit is very loud! Not sure how high it goes!
The more I try to work it out,the more confused I get!

What the speaker level adjustment allows you to do is adjust the volume of each individual speaker usually in increments of .5 or 1dB at a time. With your set you can have a range of 20dB....10+ and 10-. The reason you have speaker level adjustments is because need to level match all of your speakers. Have you used the YAPO yet....I thought it set the speaker levels for you...in which case you shouldn't really be adjusting the individual speaker levels unless you have chosen to go the manual setup route.

if you've chosen that route read this: http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9400

 

[debs67]

Have you used the YAPO yet....I thought it set the speaker levels for you...in which case you shouldn't really be adjusting the individual speaker levels unless you have chosen to go the manual setup route.

Well, after reading somewhere that manualing doing it was for "serious" HT people and auto was for people who are not bothered with good sound, I had a go at manual,but yesterday I did the auto set up and it put my fronts to large (Diamond 9.5's) and at a crossover of 160 .And it set my old diamond 4 bookshelf surrounds to large! It sort of went against everything I have read on any forum or article!!
Confused or what!
It also set my subwoofer as further away from me than my fronts and that is not so!
What do you think,should I just trust it and stop tweaking? I really would love to stop tweaking!!!
I'm a newbie who wants to learn,but the more I learn,the less I know!!!
Debs

 

[shokhead]

I dont use the auto,its not right all the time.

 

[Leprkon]

but yesterday I did the auto set up and it put my fronts to large (Diamond 9.5's) and at a crossover of 160 .And it set my old diamond 4 bookshelf surrounds to large! It sort of went against everything I have read on any forum or article!!
Debs

Debs, mine missed horribly on the subwoofer crossover as well. I had to re-run the set-up using the "front priority" setting to get the receiver to realise I had some decent fronts.

 

[MACCA350]

It also set my subwoofer as further away from me than my fronts and that is not so!

This will because the sub channel has to run through the subs internal components, amp, crossover network etc. thus delaying the final output. This is why the receiver compensates for this time delay, by using the mic, from the listening position. This should be more accurate than the actual measured distance.

The sub channel is sent from the receiver milliseconds before the front channels, so by the time it runs through the extra electronics in the sub(effectively slowing the signal) it reaches your ear at the same time the front channels.

Cheers

 

[debs67]

This will because the sub channel has to run through the subs internal components, amp, crossover network etc. thus delaying the final output. This is why the receiver compensates for this time delay, by using the mic, from the listening position. This should be more accurate than the actual measured distance.

The sub channel is sent from the receiver milliseconds before the front channels, so by the time it runs through the extra electronics in the sub(effectively slowing the signal) it reaches your ear at the same time the front channels.

Cheers

Wow! Another fact to add to my font!
Any thoughts on why it would put my crossover at 160?
Do the surround speakers affect that? I mean if they are small and nasty,would that make the setting be higher?
I want to trust the auto set up...
Leprkon I don't see such a switch for "front priority",that may have helped!
Thanks all!
Debs

 

[nibhaz]

I know I asked about you using the YAPO unit...I don't have a Yammy and I've read a few post of it not working correcly, but then for others it has worked great...I'm more of interactive tweaker...I like to know what adjustments are being made and why they need to be made. Since the YAPO seems to be not working for you, I would seriously consider getting one of the third party calibration disc such as AVIA or Video Essentials and SPL meter and do your own set up, at least IMO.

 

[MACCA350]

Any thoughts on why it would put my crossover at 160?
Do the surround speakers affect that? I mean if they are small and nasty,would that make the setting be higher?

Quite Possibly. I dont have a Yamaha, I have a Denon 3805, so I'm not sure how it determines the xover Fq. With the Denon I manually set xover Fq then run the auto setup. I'd guess the Yamaha would determine the natural rolloff of of all your other speakers and set the xover point at the best compromise.

It seems a bit high as frequencies above 60Hz start to become directional. In other words If you have a sound coming from your rear and part of the sound is around the 100-160Hz you will hear this from the sub, and the overall sound will come from two different places.

This is, in part, why THX advise setting the xover point at 80Hz even though it is just within the realm of being directional there is alot of bass in film tracks around 60-80Hz which is best handled by dedicated subs, so they found 80Hz to be the best compromise.

Having said that, your setup may benifit from a higher xover depending on how well your other speakers handle bass.

Sorry about the long winded response. Try changing the frequency settings and see how it sounds. This game is all about tweaking and finding your sweet spot. Hope this helps.

cheers

 

[shokhead]

It would be a lower x over if he has better bass speakers.