marantz sr 6011 volume maxed out at 82

[bravo79]

Hi I have a marantz sr 6011 connected to

6 Pioneer SP-BS21-LR Bookshelf speakers 6 ohm and

2 front klipsch rp 8000f 8 ohm

1 center

klipsch rp-504c 8 ohm

Subwoofer SPL Speedwoofer 10s


When I play music or movie I cant go higher than 82 volume and when I play stereo mode which only the fronts I cant go higher than 88



I also have Marantz sr 5011 we can easily go all the way to the max in both modes. (although only 4 pioneer and 2 klispch fronts and 1 klipsch center)



What do you think the issue is? I have calibrated the system and everything

 

[HTfreak2004]

Check to see what your max playback level is set at.

Does your marantz allow you to calibrate max playback to zero!

Usually you set max playback level first and then calibrate your speakers using the receiver pink noise and a SPL meter.

“0” should be reference and somewhere between 75-85 db at the listening main seat is normal.

 

[lovinthehd]

Your manual indicates that for the absolute volume scale you're using max is 98. Did you or someone else set limits on the volume? See p.179 of the manual. What HTF is referring to is the reference volume scale where 0 is reference level (average 85dB at your listening position, allowance for 20dB peaks) if calibrated. Many of us use the reference scale instead of absolute for comparison. Couldn't find the Marantz article on it, but here's Denon's which is very similar https://denon.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/136/~/relative-and-absolute-volume-ranges.

 

[bravo79]

So today I re calibrated the system again. Im not sure if this effected the original issue however when I play youtube music or video I cant go over 82 but when playing movie using the netflix app I can go all the was to max volume. I think it might be source limiting thing because youtube loudness is random from clip to another. I just dont know why the sr 5011 was ok going to the max even when playing youtube.

 

[lovinthehd]

There's also an adjustment for input/source level that can affect max output....source level on p. 202. Is this a unit you bought used or new? If you bought it used then I'd simply start off with a microprocessor reset before doing anything else....

 

[HTfreak2004]

You need to remember the volume scale is -80.5 to +18 in your receiver. 82 would actually mean +1.5 which means your max volume is calibrated to high.

In your max volume setting calibrate it to “0” and then play pink noise level with a SPL meter. Trim or gain your speakers to somewhere between 75 db- 85 db.

Remember that reference level is an average playback volume and may have peaks 20 db above the setting you choose from 75-85!

Also some recordings are mixed with extra bass which may ask for less volume gain to prevent distortion!

Lastly reference level is with all secondary tone controls like bass, treble and channel gains done on the fly set to flat or “0” gain meaning you are playing the source material back as recorded and without you attempting to add any gains of low/highs frequencies to the recorded material!

 

[lovinthehd]

You need to remember the volume scale is -80.5 to +18 in your receiver. 82 would actually mean +1.5 which means your max volume is calibrated to high.

In your max volume setting calibrate it to “0” and then play pink noise level with a SPL meter. Trim or gain your speakers to somewhere between 75 db- 85 db.

Remember that reference level is an average playback volume and may have peaks 20 db above the setting you choose from 75-85!

Also some recordings are mixed with extra bass which may ask for less volume gain to prevent distortion!

Lastly reference level is with all secondary tone controls like bass, treble and channel gains done on the fly set to flat or “0” gain meaning you are playing the source material back as recorded and without you attempting to add any gains of low/highs frequencies to the recorded material!

He just has it set for absolute, he has the choice of either scale....and if set for 0 on the absolute scale that would be nothing.

 

[HTfreak2004]

I find it easier to use the reference scale. Simplifies headroom.

 

[Pogre]

I find it easier to use the reference scale. Simplifies headroom.

Me too, but that's not what op is talking about.

 

[HTfreak2004]

Me too, but that's not what op is talking about.

I know he is using the absolute scale and it isn’t letting him raise it to max output.

If I understand he has set a source input gain inside his settings for say the blu Ray with YouTube app.

He wants to go to max but the Bluray player say is set too high and the manual volume is combined with the internal setting summing to the max output of say 99.

In my pre I can input gain any component connected which would impact the manual volume gain such that the two combined cannot exceed the max output of the preamp.

 

[lovinthehd]

I know he is using the absolute scale and it isn’t letting him raise it to max output.

If I understand he has set a source input gain inside his settings for say the blu Ray with YouTube app.

He wants to go to max but the Bluray player say is set too high and the manual volume is combined with the internal setting summing to the max output of say 99.

In my pre I can input gain any component connected which would impact the manual volume gain such that the two combined cannot exceed the max output of the preamp.

I don't think we actually know yet what the specific issue is.

 

[Pogre]

I know he is using the absolute scale and it isn’t letting him raise it to max output.

If I understand he has set a source input gain inside his settings for say the blu Ray with YouTube app.

He wants to go to max but the Bluray player say is set too high and the manual volume is combined with the internal setting summing to the max output of say 99.

In my pre I can input gain any component connected which would impact the manual volume gain such that the two combined cannot exceed the max output of the preamp.

What I meant to say is, I don't think op is speaking our language and might not understand. I agree with you and use reference myself.

 

[HTfreak2004]

What I meant to say is, I don't think op is speaking our language and might not understand. I agree with you and use reference myself.

Oh you mean another first language!

 

[lovinthehd]

What, everyone doesn't speak avr? Makes me wonder if Marantz manuals ever were as difficult as Denon's once were (where a guy with the screen name batpig for years maintained a Denon-to-English dictionary ).

 

[Jon AA]

What do you think the issue is? I have calibrated the system and everything

Do you have a large room? What are the trim levels for each speaker? The Pioneers' sensitivity is only 84 db, so if you have a large room the trim levels may be a large positive value. That may cause the AVR to limit the main volume so as to not overload those amps.

 

[PENG]

Do you have a large room? What are the trim levels for each speaker? The Pioneers' sensitivity is only 84 db, so if you have a large room the trim levels may be a large positive value. That may cause the AVR to limit the main volume so as to not overload those amps.

The volume control's maximum is 98 or +18 depending on the scale choosen, unless a limit is set. It has nothing to do with the level trims.

 

[PENG]

Hi I have a marantz sr 6011 connected to

6 Pioneer SP-BS21-LR Bookshelf speakers 6 ohm and

2 front klipsch rp 8000f 8 ohm

1 center

klipsch rp-504c 8 ohm

Subwoofer SPL Speedwoofer 10s


When I play music or movie I cant go higher than 82 volume and when I play stereo mode which only the fronts I cant go higher than 88



I also have Marantz sr 5011 we can easily go all the way to the max in both modes. (although only 4 pioneer and 2 klispch fronts and 1 klipsch center)



What do you think the issue is? I have calibrated the system and everything

I think the probable cause is that you might have inadvertently assigned "analog" as well as HDMI or digital, for the inputs you are using.

To confirm that, go to the "Input Assign" screen:

If you de-select analog, you should be able to go up to the maximum of "98".
Edit: That is, assuming you have not set a limit.

 

[Jon AA]

The volume control's maximum is 98 or +18 depending on the scale choosen, unless a limit is set. It has nothing to do with the level trims.

From Chris at Audyssey:

As David and others pointed out, this is not an Audyssey issue. It comes from the following fact: there is a chip in all receivers called the Volume IC. It is responsible for managing the gains and the digital headroom. As more processes are turned on during playback they each require some headroom. For example, Audyssey applies some boost in the MultEQ filters. The Volume IC has to know that maximum boost and turn down the signal before Audyssey by that amount so that when the boost happens you don't hear digital clipping. Trust me, that would be bad.

You also need headroom for simple things like trim adjustments. If you want to turn up the subwoofer by 6 dB, then you will eat into the maximum available headroom.

What has happened is that the number of digital processes appearing in these products is outpacing the development of Volume IC chips. So, with everything turned on it's possible to run into max headroom conditions. This is being addressed by moving to better and more expensive chips by the AVR manufacturers.

Chris

It might be worth checking out.

 

[PENG]

From Chris at Audyssey:


It might be worth checking out.

Managing gains and digital headroom related to processing boost/processing sound modes etc., is a different thing than what you seemed (unless I misunderstood your point) to imply in your original post#15, that if the levels were increased to above 0, the volume control's maximum would be affected, i.e. decrease accordingly in order to avoid overloading, preserve headroom etc.... I would agree that there are some similarities in principle though.

I don't know about other brands but I have owned enough D&M AVRs/AVPs to know that they don't work that way.
For D&Ms, the level settings do not (DSP does as you quoted..) affect the volume control's maximum.

If you own one of those SR6011 or a newer model, or equivalent Denon's, you can do you own experiment by increasing the levels by say 5 dB, and then turn the volume up to maximum. You will find that in direct, pure direct mode, it will go to 98, or +18. Now change the level adjustments to say 10 dB (be careful though so you don't blow your speakers),and then turn the volume to maximum again, and you will see that it still goes to 98 or +18, that is, the absolute maximum.
Note: For this experiment, make sure you are using digital inputs only, with no analog selected on the input assign menu, and preferably no physically connected analog inputs.

Now if you engage Audyssey and processing sound modes such as DTS Neural:X, Dolby surround etc., then yes the unit may impose a maximum limit that is below the absolute maximum limit. How close it can get to the absolute maximum of 98 or +18, would depends on the processing mode selected. For stereo, it may still get to 98/+18, for direct/pure direct, definitely 98/+18. Reasons for such behaviors are likely as explained in what you quoted in post#18 from Chris Kyriakakis of Audyssey.

 

[Jon AA]

You might be right for the current D&M, though others have historically had different results with various brands. I don't think the above experiment would be conclusive in the off chance that the limit is set when the DSP filters and channel levels are set during calibration. In that case I'd need some low sensitivity speakers to test.

It would be a lot easier for the OP to take 10 seconds and check to see if it's an issue worth investigating.