Yamaha YPAO vs. SPL Meter

[Chitown2477]

Hello all,
I have the Yamaha RX-V1600 with the YPAO speaker / settings calibration tool. I am curious if the YPAO's accuracy is a close to that of a manual calibration with a SPL meter. I typically change the speaker settings from large to small and the crossover to 80 from 60. The speaker distances are close as well. However, I am not sure how accurate the settings are at a certain sound level, which I presume and SPL can tell me.

I just purchased the Digital Video Essential Blu-ray version to determine how well my display is calibrated. (Not enough cash for IFS right now). Depending on the responses from you all, I might go by and SPL meter and calibrate both the display and sound.

Any thoughts?

Drell

 

[gus6464]

YPAO sucks. I ended up having to calibrate everything again manually with an SPL meter. The Audessey XT on Onkyo, Marantz, and Denon receivers is greatly superior.

 

[Hi Ho]

In my experience YAPO has been just as accurate as any other system in regards to basic calibration (level, distance, size). Like all auto systems I have used, it often sets the wrong size, gets the distance wrong on the sub, and sets the sub too low. As far as levels go, however, I have found it to be dead on in my own system as well as many others I have setup and double checked with an SPL meter. I can't comment on the accuracy of the EQ in any of the systems as I have never actually done any measurements. I can say that after a year of having mine enabled (YAPO) I turned it off.

 

[GlocksRock]

I say just set everything manually, that way you know it's right. It's not hard to measuer the distances and setting the levels is easy as well.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

The distance figures more than physical distance oh wait...not for Yammies....

Audessey baby!

I say just set everything manually, that way you know it's right. It's not hard to measuer the distances and setting the levels is easy as well.

 

[gus6464]

I think my 661 will be my last Yammy receiver. Nowadays all Yamaha cares about is stuffing as many DSP options as they can which I never even use (other than PLIIx when I watch netflix through my Roku). Their new models measure pretty poorly compared to advertised specs (see 863 review) too. I think I might go for one of those new Marantz as they are dead sexy looking and have Audessey. Even Onkyo is slipping as their new models don't seem to hold a candle to last year's.

 

[jcPanny]

Yapo

The auto setup on my Yamaha is accurate for setting the SPL levels and distances for my speakers. I just go and edit the speaker size and crossover like you suggest. I also disable the Yamaha PEQ feature.

It you use the manual setup with an SPL meter you should get the same results within +/- 0.5 dB.