When using a SPL meter, do you "up" the trim any?

[darthkringle]

Hello- I have decided to forgo my YPAO on my Yamaha receiver and see what the results are using the Radio Shack analog SPL meter. Is this redundant or do you feel it is more accurate than YPAO?

More importantly do many of you find there are channels that consistently need to be bumped up from what the SPL meter indicates?

Thanks!!

 

[cam]

Hello- I have decided to forgo my YPAO on my Yamaha receiver and see what the results are using the Radio Shack analog SPL meter. Is this redundant or do you feel it is more accurate than YPAO?

More importantly do many of you find there are channels that consistently need to be bumped up from what the SPL meter indicates?

Thanks!!

I don't have a self calabrating receiver so I can't comment on that but when I calabrate using my meter I always find that I prefer having my center and surrounds 1 db higher then my mains. My sub about 6 db higher then my mains.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Hello- I have decided to forgo my YPAO on my Yamaha receiver and see what the results are using the Radio Shack analog SPL meter. Is this redundant or do you feel it is more accurate than YPAO?

More importantly do many of you find there are channels that consistently need to be bumped up from what the SPL meter indicates?

Thanks!!

At times auto leveling may be off because of extraneous noises?
I suppose you can set any channel to taste but mastering happens with all channels leveled.

 

[GeorgeM]

I've used the YPAO initially for setup but then refined it with the Radio Shack meter.

I've also had a couple of Yamaha receivers (RX-V2400 the current one) and found it necessary to boost up the center channel a couple of dB's for a more 'relaxed' listening level; the dialog on many DVD movies is just not audible without this adjustment.

I have an SVS sub and an adjustment is also recommended for this sub as well as many others. A quote from the SVS guidance on setup: "Because the Radio Shack sound meter is relatively insensitive at very low frequencies you'll actually be set several dBs higher than what's read." As a result of this suggestion I advanced the output 3Db's from my base reference of 75Db's and that worked out fine for the room acoustics.

-GeorgeM

 

[mtrycrafts]

I've used the YPAO initially for setup but then refined it with the Radio Shack meter.

I've also had a couple of Yamaha receivers (RX-V2400 the current one) and found it necessary to boost up the center channel a couple of dB's for a more 'relaxed' listening level; the dialog on many DVD movies is just not audible without this adjustment.

I have an SVS sub and an adjustment is also recommended for this sub as well as many others. A quote from the SVS guidance on setup: "Because the Radio Shack sound meter is relatively insensitive at very low frequencies you'll actually be set several dBs higher than what's read." As a result of this suggestion I advanced the output 3Db's from my base reference of 75Db's and that worked out fine for the room acoustics.

-GeorgeM

Have you set the dialog normalization if it has THX? That feature takes care of the center channel. If not, you may have to do what you did

 

[smulth]

How is the dialogue normalization set,

 

[GeorgeM]

mtrycrafts: I'm also not familiar with the term 'dialog normalization for THX.' The RX-V2400 does have THX processing. If you have this model can you give us a page reference in the manual; if not, which receiver do you have and how the THX configured?

-GeorgeM

 

[MDS]

Dialog Normalization (Dialnorm) is a function of the Dolby Digital decoder. Dolby specifies -31dB as the 'normal' level for dialog.

When a disc is mastered, the engineer is supposed to calculate the level of the dialog (A weighted, long term average) and encode that value as the DialNorm value in the bitstream. Let's say the dialog level is actually -27dB (4 dB louder). The decoder will then attenuate the level by 4dB to bring it down to -31dB. It happens automatically.

This is Dolby's attempt at keeping all DD tracks relatively similar in volume so you don't get blasted when changing from one track to another. The whole scheme relies on mastering engineers accurately calculating the dialog level and specifying it as the DialNorm value.

 

[GeorgeM]

1. Anomyous: Thanks for your explanation. Despite the engineers efforts to compensate for this deficiency in Dolby processing most of the DVD movies I've watched need this manually-set center channel boost. It's frequently a strain to hear the dialog if this adjustment is not made even on some of the most recently released DVDs which have received favorable 'audio' ratings from the experts.

2. mtrycrafts: "Have you set the dialog normalization if it has THX? That feature takes care of the center channel. If not, you may have to do what you did"
How do you set the 'dialog normalization' on the receiver???

-GeorgeM

 

[toquemon]

1.
2. mtrycrafts: "Have you set the dialog normalization if it has THX? That feature takes care of the center channel. If not, you may have to do what you did"
How do you set the 'dialog normalization' on the receiver???

-GeorgeM

Actually, you can't, it's automatic. What you can do is buy a little pair of surrounds, connect them as pressence speakers and then activate the function "dialog lift" in the options menu. Dialog clarity will get better and the sense of spaciousness will surround you.

 

[GeorgeM]

torquemon: Thanks for that info. I've never tried wiring up thepresence speakers because I opted for using back surrounds instead. It states in the manual that you have to establish a priority in the set-up on which of these pairs of speakers to use and I preferred the backs at that time. There is a suggstion by Yamaha on where the presence horns should be physically located so I'll have to see if I can manage that configuration.

As you stated I hope that the "dialog clarity" will improve .

For anyone following this thread that has a Yamaha RX-V2400 the page references in the manual are: 50 (top left), 53 (top right), and 80 (top of page).

-GeorgeM

 

[Audioholics]

What you can do is buy a little pair of surrounds, connect them as presence speakers and then activate the function "dialog lift" in the options menu. Dialog clarity will get better and the sense of spaciousness will surround you.

Just for clarification, the intent of this function is to physically lift the center channel ouput for when using a projection screen or any other scenario where your main speakers are imaging below the viewing area.

If you have presence speakers that do not tonally match your mains, you will want to use YPAO to EQ the presence channels otherwise there will be a very noticeable tonal shift in center channel content as it comes out of the presence speakers. Using the presence speakers for Yamaha's Cinema DSP, however does not necessarily require the use of YPAO to sound good as it merely "sweetens" the soundstage.

 

[GeorgeM]

Clint: You stated that "...the intent of this function is to physically lift the center channel output for when using a projection screen or any other scenario where your main speakers are imaging below the viewing area."

I have a 42" plasma on a stand with Deftech Mythos One's on each side and a Mythos Three center plus the side and back surrounds.

If I understand correctly, my viewing/listening environment does not result in "the main speakers imaging below the viewing area". Is this correct and if so, would you say that I'd gain no significant benefit from presence speakers?

-GeorgeM

 

[shokhead]

I don't have a self calabrating receiver so I can't comment on that but when I calabrate using my meter I always find that I prefer having my center and surrounds 1 db higher then my mains. My sub about 6 db higher then my mains.

And i bumb my surrounds down 1-2db. They should'nt stand out.

 

[cam]

I should have stated that I have di-poles for surrounds which rely on some direct and alot of reflected sound. Might be why I trim my surrounds +1db.