Denon 3806 Volume level seems off

[snatchss454]

Hey all,
I just hooked up my Denon receiver connected to my outlaw 755. I was wondering what your typical listening volume was. With mine it doesnt even start giving any volume until approx. -35 after I tweaked some of the manual settings. I would have it set to about -12 out of the box to where it would be fairly loud.
My friend and I thought that was extremely low number and should be putting out more volume at a lesser(numerically higher) level. Can anyone shed some light on this?
Thanks,
Shane

 

[Nick250]

I don't use an amp and I have not "calibrated" my 3806, but my common listening levels are between about -14 and -22.

Nick

 

[MDS]

What is the maximum volume level? It is usually something like +10 or +16 (this will be lower if any of the channel trims are greater than zero). Assuming it is +16, then -35 is 51 steps below maximum value.

Remember there is nothing magical about the relative volume display. It is the same as the absolute display (0 - whatever) except the scale is different. If the scale is -80 to +16 there are 96 'steps' between min (-80) and max (+16), so -35 is a little bit less than half way up.

Note too that comparing your volume setting to others is meaningless unless both receivers are calibrated to the same level at the same volume number on the display. In other words, if you compare two receivers that were both calibrated so that 0 dB on the volume display is Dolby Reference Level then if both receivers are at -10 dB it would be accurate to say that both are outputting a SPL 10 dB below reference - if they were not calibrated the same, the comparison is meaningless.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Hey all,
I just hooked up my Denon receiver connected to my outlaw 755. I was wondering what your typical listening volume was. With mine it doesnt even start giving any volume until approx. -35 after I tweaked some of the manual settings. I would have it set to about -12 out of the box to where it would be fairly loud.
My friend and I thought that was extremely low number and should be putting out more volume at a lesser(numerically higher) level. Can anyone shed some light on this?
Thanks,
Shane

It's all pretty relative to your specific setup. Room size, speaker impedance, speaker brand, amplifier, amp power, source being used, etc, can all affect where the volume is at on your reciever.

That said, it does sound kind of low to me, but then again I'm no expert. For reference, with my 2805, sound becomes barely audible at -65 when I choose the tuner. I rarely listen to the tuner above -28. I'm powering 4 ohm M&K LCR851's in a small apartment with no external amplification. For movies I usually listen between -18 and -26, depending on how loud it was recorded.

Your 3806 should have a bit more power than my 2805. Remember though, I'm in a small apartment (300 sq ft for whole place incl/bedroom). That affects volume alot. Have you tried powering your speakers directly from the receiver? That may tell you if it's an issue with your amp or not.

 

[Nuglets]

Hey all,
My friend and I thought that was extremely low number and should be putting out more volume at a lesser(numerically higher) level. Can anyone shed some light on this?
Thanks,
Shane

A lesser level is actually numerically lower. ie: -50 < -25, but I see what you mean. Does your amp have level controls? Use the reciever's test tones with the volume level set to 0 and get the sound level to be ~75dB(using an SPL meter) from each channel by using the reciever's level controls or the level controls on the amp itself. If you have no SPL meter to check this, then get all speakers to sound equal in volume and don't worry too much about the volume number on your reciever, just turn it up louder if you want it louder. Like MDS said the number you see on the reciever is a 'relative volume' to your reciever's 0dB.

 

[eirepaul]

Hey all,
I just hooked up my Denon receiver connected to my outlaw 755. I was wondering what your typical listening volume was. With mine it doesnt even start giving any volume until approx. -35 after I tweaked some of the manual settings. I would have it set to about -12 out of the box to where it would be fairly loud.
My friend and I thought that was extremely low number and should be putting out more volume at a lesser(numerically higher) level. Can anyone shed some light on this?
Thanks,
Shane

I have a 3805 with Adcom amps and I don't get much volume below about -40 either. That's not too unusual. The volume rises pretty sharply after that though, and I typically listen at fairly loud levels to multi-channel music (-10 to 0). I have a huge vaulted ceiling room though so I have to crank it up to make an impact in this room. A lot depends on your room, speaker efficiency, signal source, and also what you have your receiver menu settings at for each speaker trim. Get a decibel meter (Radio Shack) and check your sound levels according to standard practice. It should tell you if your settings are in the proper range.

 

[snatchss454]

Thanks s much for the replies. After further educating myself and getting used to this reciever I beleive I have it setup alot better now. Im waiting on my CSi5 center and FXi3 surrounds to get here to further tweak my setup and run the Audyssey EQ.
I also have a SPL meter coming so I will get it set up appropriately. Again thanks for your replies
Shane

 

[Nuglets]

Thanks s much for the replies. After further educating myself and getting used to this reciever I beleive I have it setup alot better now. Im waiting on my CSi5 center and FXi3 surrounds to get here to further tweak my setup and run the Audyssey EQ.
I also have a SPL meter coming so I will get it set up appropriately. Again thanks for your replies
Shane

Yep, it takes a bit to get used to a new reciever. I don't know how well the Auto EQ feature works on the Denon's, but in my Yamaha I prefer not to use it. Good luck.