My Yamaha RXV-650 likes quiet

[masteripper]

Hi to everybody.Greetings from Greece.
I would like some info about this situation.
My NEW Yamaha rxv-650 plays very low.
For normal listening it requires around -30db for movies around -20db and for extreme sound expereiences it has to go up to +1.5db.
It looks to me that something is wrong.
From verious talks with other people with other receivers it seems that a loud listening volume is around -35db to -30db and it is almost impossible to go higher without severe ear damage
So what is wrong ???
Are these sound levels normal or something is wrong.
Please if you have the same receiver give me some feedback about your sound levels.
At last some technical data about my speakers
2 front speakers 8 Ohm 88db
1 center speaker 8 Ohm 87db
2 surround speakers 8 Ohn 86db
Thanks in Advance

 

[mfabien]

If your source is a DVD player, is your audio connection in digital format (Optical or Coaxial) or multichannel analog?

 

[masteripper]

Whatever the source it makes no difference

Well whatever the source it is always sounds low.
I think the most simple source is a radio station.
To hear it good and loud i have to go to -30db or even higher
Is this normal ???
When for a example a pioneer receiver heard last night with 6 x100W
can rock a house around -45ds to -40db
????

 

[soniceuphoria]

On my reciever RX-V620 (obviously not the same but close) there is a switch on the back of the reciever to switch the reciever between 8 and 4 ohms. running the reciever in 4 ohms can (depending on your setup) put out twice the power
to your speakers. If your reciever doesnt have this switch or it
does and it doesnt help then get an amp to use instead. I hope this points you in the right direction.
Greg

 

[Leprkon]

Ripper, those numbers are not really all that big a deal. If the Pioneer was calibrated to exactly the same as yours, then you might be worried. But they're not. Each number is simply a scale the manufacturer derived when they were making the product. Odds are they used the same scale for a number of products that each had different power ratings, so it all goes out the window. If it makes you feel any better, my Yamaha RX-V2500 with 130 watts per channel uses minus 32 for movies and minus 38 for most CD's using Inifnity speakers with a 91 dB sensitivity.

As long as the 650 isn't getting too hot or doesn't start clipping, you have nothing to worry about. The only numbers that matter are a) how much taxes you have to pay, b) how long it takes you to start smiling when you turn on the tunes, and c) the phone number for the now-divorced (although still pregnant) Denise Richards....

 

[masteripper]

Shall i flip the switch to 6Ohm

I do have a switch for 6-8 Ohm on the back of my receiver and i have it on 8Ohm as the manual directs.
If i flip it to 6Ohm won't it cause any damage to either to the speakers or the unit.
All my speakers have 8Ohm impendance

 

[Doug917]

Masterripper,

This doesn't sound weird to me. I have a Yamaha RX-V2500 and normal listen at about -20db (loud but comfortable.) If I really want to crank it I will get up to about -15db. When you consider the efficiency of my speakers compared to yours and the additional wattage in the receiver's amplifier section, your levels seem right about on par. I am also always using two more speakers than you (either surrond back or presence) which will increase my overall volume level. When you have 2 speakers each producing say 80db levels, the combined level will be 83db. The distance you sit from the speakers will also have an impact as well as the cubic volume of the room. If your speakers are further away or your room is larger, your receiver would have to work harder to create the same level of sound.

My Speaker Levels

• Front: (2) Klipsch Reference RF-25 (97db) 14' away

• Presence: (2) Klipsch Reference RB-25 (94db) 14.5' away

• Center: Klipsch KT-LCR (95db) 14' away

• Surround: (2) Definitive Technology BP2X (90db) 6' away

• Surround Back: (2) Definitive Technology BP2X (90db) 5' away

Room Size 12' wide X 19' long X 7' high = 1596 cubic feet

Without knowing your speaker distances, the volume of your room, and what materials the room is constructed of (carpet and curtains and such seem to soak up more sound) I can't be totally sure of anything. The volume levels you posted along with the efficiency of your speakers and the differences in the power of the ampliefiers among our receivers I think would easily account for the difference. The main thing is even though the volume number +1.5db seems high, does the unit sound good (no clipping, harsh highs, etc.)? If so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[masteripper]

Well at first you have incredible speakers
Second my listening size is around ~4m x 3.5m (I think it is about 12' by 10')
which i consider is rather small
At +1.5db the sound was just too loud.It was the race scene from star wars 1
And make a note. I was listening at around -20db when my wife said(SAID NOT shout) "Can't it go any higher" and i raised it to +1.5 db. My wife HATES loudness .....
So what do you say about that???

 

[Doug917]

My wife is ok with a setting around -20db, I get much higher than that and she starts yelling at me to turn it down. I love loudness as long as its clean. When I start hearing distortion or harsh highs, its gotta go down. I can acheive levels that will not hurt my ears because they are smooth, but I will notice myself sweating. My wife doesn't even like to be around at those levels.

 

[masteripper]

Any way thanks for your reply.
I think the final solution will be to to phone the representative to see what he will say.(and he is not the official )
I just can't get it in my head how other people with inferior receiver say that he limit is around -30db to -20db and i went to +1.5db with no sweat and no ear problems

 

[MDS]

Doug917 is right on the money with all of the relevant points.

Be aware though that in order to compare your receiver with another they must both be calibrated to the same level (the number on the dial that achieves that level is not relevant and may differ from one to another - even of the same model).

Masteripper did not say whether or not he has calibrated the receiver. Let's say he had and it achieves Dolby Reference level of 85dB (105 db Peaks) at the listening level with the volume number on the dial at 0dB. Then -30 is not very loud at all - it will be on average 55 dB which is lower than your typical conversation.

If the receiver has not been calibrated, then there is no telling what the actual SPL level is unless you measure it with a meter.

So do a proper calibration first and then, as has been said, don't worry about the actual number. Turn it up as loud as is comfortable for you and don't worry about what number the dial reads.

 

[masteripper]

Thanks everybody

I wish to thank everybody for their contribution
After carefully reading your posts i came to the conclusion that everything is ok
Thanks again.

 

[strudel7878]

i have the same problem with ripper
I have 5x60W speakers (8 ohm) and for decent sound volume when watching movies i heve to turn the volume at least to -8 dB.
I used the YPAO for the calibration.
Any suggestions?

 

[Jwheel]

It's true, systems calibrated differently makes a big difference on what the master volume reads. Take me for instance, I have a Yamaha RX V2500 and have calibrated with Avia and an SPL meter to have Master voume 00 set to Dolby Reference level of 85dB. I usually watch movies anywhere from -20db to -10db. That is not extreme because remember 00 on the master volume is Dolby Reference level of 85dB.

The volume trim is at 0 as well for the DVD input and I believe that the speaker level for my mains is -3db, center is -2db, my surrounds at -4db and my sub is set to 0 I believe.

 

[warpdrive]

I listen -20dB with my Yamaha and -25 for music. I've never turned it up past -10dB. All my channels are calibrated with YPAO and all of the channels have a less than 3dB correction to the levels.

 

[bros400pgm]

hi there. I have the RX-V1500. I thought too that the volume shopuld blow the speakers away. But it just don't happens. My volume can go up to +14.5 db. You cannot stand a chance to watch a movie in that setting, but as i had said, i thought the amp could blow the speakers. I use B&W speakers. Quite good though.
Perhaps these amps are designed for home theatre only. If you want to hear music, buy a cheaper one. Probably it will be better.
Forgot to mention. I am from Patras Greece

 

[crashguy]

On my reciever RX-V620 (obviously not the same but close) there is a switch on the back of the reciever to switch the reciever between 8 and 4 ohms. running the reciever in 4 ohms can (depending on your setup) put out twice the power
to your speakers. If your reciever doesnt have this switch or it
does and it doesnt help then get an amp to use instead. I hope this points you in the right direction.
Greg

If you set the switch to 6 ohm instead of 8, you'll likely get exactly the opposite effect to the above. YOUR POWER OUTPUT IS REDUCED. What the switch does is limit the amount of power your receiver will put out. It chokes off the power supply to preserve the amp in low impedence loads. I don't blame the person I quoted for giving misdirection, it's a common misconception. I think Clint explains this in the FAQ section if I'm not mistaken.

Your most likely culprit for your low levels is your inefficient speakers. 86-88dB is pretty low. A speaker rated at 90 dB would sound much louder at the same volume level you are using. Keep in mind speaker efficiency has nothing to do with quality. Your speakers are good ones, just not efficient ones.

 

[strudel7878]

I changed my speaker levels to -2 dB for the sattelites and - 4 for the sub.
Should i increase them more,(5x60 W , 8ohm, 90dB sensitivity) or i will have extra problem?
I am a beginner to home cinema....
Please help
Don't wanna destroy speakers or receiver

 

[scarecrow]

I'd say it's calibration of the makers, sound fields and that they really don't want people pushing the unit too much, esp with 7 or 11 speakers on ht like it's capable of playing, I'd say if it were made a 2 chnl amp maybe it'd have more juice from the get go. All those speakers esp on 7 channel stereo are a lot for one unit to drive. It's kind of the don't play it really really loud esp rap/dance for too long, the amp could get damaged or the speakers could get hurt. I'd say yamaha did it for safety reasons to give plenty of time and space for error when switching fields, sources, etc, just to give a wider margin for error. I used to hate forgetting about the vol diff and switching to a blaring radio from ht, think i blew twtrs like that.