Receiver master volume setting

Supravista

Supravista

Enthusiast
Hello -

I'm working on calibrating my receiver - I'm using a pioneer elite vsx-33. I've run the Auto MCACC Setup and have been making speaker level adjustments. It sounds pretty good, but I'm going to be getting an SPL meter to dig deeper (cuz I'm a geek).

When watching a movie I turn up the master volume on the receiver front to a level that's quite loud enough for a theater experience, but even at that level the volume level reads at about -35db. Shouldn't it be somewhere closer to 0db? Or even after calibration should I end up with a master volume out way down below 0db?

Thanks for any help!
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
When watching a movie I turn up the master volume on the receiver front to a level that's quite loud enough for a theater experience, but even at that level the volume level reads at about -35db. Shouldn't it be somewhere closer to 0db? Or even after calibration should I end up with a master volume out way down below 0db?

Thanks for any help!
When you say loud, we don't know how loud, so you need measure the SPL at your sitting position. -35 dB is not necessarily unusual if your room is small, and if you have very sensitive speakers such as some Klipsch models, and/or you sit very close to your speakers. Your AVR's speaker level adjustment has a range of +/- 12 dB so even for some reason set to the maximum, the -35 on the volume would be like -23 if the speaker level adjustments are set to 0 dB. I highly doubt MCACC would have set the levels to maximum though, but you can easily find out.
 
Supravista

Supravista

Enthusiast
MCACC didn't set them to max. Also, like you said, even if I maxed them, I would still be -23db. I was definitely using this logic, but suddenly questioned the output being so low beneath 0db. I was wondering this was a normal thing even after calibration.

I'll be getting an SPL soon, so that will help figure it out. But as long as -35 or so isn't entirely unusual I won't fret about it for now.

Thanks for your reply
 
Adam

Adam

Audioholic Jedi
MCACC is going to set 0dB to a reference level, but I forget exactly what it is...somewhere between 75 and 85dB, I think. So, if it is set to 85dB, that mean that -35dB on the display is about 50dB on average - but peak sounds will be louder. It also depends on the sound level of the original material, as some shows are set louder than others. I use a VSX-23, and I almost never have my volume about -40dB on the display.
 
Alexandre

Alexandre

Audioholic
Similarly here, I rarely listen above -40dB, approaching 0dB is LOUD (depending on source material though)!

And if I'm watching a movie with the baby sleeping, it's closer to -50dB.

Yay, babies! ;)
 
H

herbu

Audioholic Samurai
Agree w/ everybody. Our normal listening level for TV is ~-30. Loud is -20. If, (and only if), the wife is gone and I'm trying to blow out the windows, I'll go to -10. -35 is plenty loud enough to hear the TV. Our low volume for background while napping is -40... and we can still hear the dialog.

So as my old Iranian friend used to say, "Don't be worry".
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
So I guess no wonder mtrycraft seemed to be happy with his ghetto blaster.:D:D
 

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