Receiver master volume setting

[Supravista]

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!

 

[PENG]

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]

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]

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]

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!

 

[herbu]

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".

 

[PENG]

So I guess no wonder mtrycraft seemed to be happy with his ghetto blaster.