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  1. #1
    Forum Regular DanGinCT's Avatar
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    Question re Pioneer VSX 1015 Volume & thanks!

    Hi All,
    I want to thank those on the list that responded to my post from a few weeks ago on a new receiver I was thinking of buying. I was considering the VSX 815 which most said was a great unit but a few recommended the VSX 1015 which I bought and am extremely happy with!

    I do have one concern though, if I turn the volume up, the vol. level on the units display decreases, ie 50 down to 40 even though the vol. is actually increasing. Same thing for decreasing the volume, the number increases. Looks like its a negative number which may explain it & but I just want to be sure it's not something wrong w/the unit. If it's normal for it to do that, are there any settings that I can change so the number increases or decreases w/the volume? Thanks!

    Dan

  2. #2
    Loving This kexodusc's Avatar
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    No problems here...most receivers set the volume scales with an arbitrary reference point being "0"..."0 db" might mean full rated power, 1/2 rated power, or whatever (at a given input voltage), hard to say...
    The - dB thing lets you know how far from that you are.

    I dont' know how useful that is if we don't know what the "0" means. A lot of units will go into the +dB level too. The dB sign and actual power your unit is putting out depend on the input voltage. Your receiver's volume could be at max, but the power it's putting out might be only 25%....all depends on the signal strength from the source player.

  3. #3
    rockin' the mid-fi audio_dude's Avatar
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    ya, I was looking at them too, it seems almost all of them do this nowadays...lol

  4. #4
    Class of the clown GMichael's Avatar
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    Isn't anyone going to come out with a std of what 0db should be? Or is that something that has too many variables to do?
    WARNING! - The Surgeon General has determined that, time spent listening to music is not deducted from one's lifespan.

  5. #5
    Loving This kexodusc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GMichael
    Isn't anyone going to come out with a std of what 0db should be? Or is that something that has too many variables to do?
    You answered your own question, methinks.
    The reference could only mean a certain portion of the maximum amount of gain the amp applies to the signal. Since the amp manufacturer could never predict all signal strengths and even the volume information of the recordings, I'm not sure the reference could consistently mean anything practical in terms of output dB's or watts

    It's better than the old "dial" knobs and aribtrary clock positions or 1-10 positions or whatever though. At least most new amps have dB scales which I assume relate logically to voltage gain and dB changes. So know you know going from -35 dB to -25 dB should produce a 10 dB change in volume.

  6. #6
    Class of the clown GMichael's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kexodusc
    You answered your own question, methinks.
    The reference could only mean a certain portion of the maximum amount of gain the amp applies to the signal. Since the amp manufacturer could never predict all signal strengths and even the volume information of the recordings, I'm not sure the reference could consistently mean anything practical in terms of output dB's or watts

    It's better than the old "dial" knobs and aribtrary clock positions or 1-10 positions or whatever though. At least most new amps have dB scales which I assume relate logically to voltage gain and dB changes. So know you know going from -35 dB to -25 dB should produce a 10 dB change in volume.
    Sounds fair.

    How about this crazy thought of the day? Someone comes up with a system that converts all source input to a set std? I think that this may be done already. Is using this technology the non-audiophile way of doing things? It changes the input so therefore it's not wanted?
    WARNING! - The Surgeon General has determined that, time spent listening to music is not deducted from one's lifespan.

  7. #7
    Loving This kexodusc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GMichael
    Sounds fair.

    How about this crazy thought of the day? Someone comes up with a system that converts all source input to a set std? I think that this may be done already. Is using this technology the non-audiophile way of doing things? It changes the input so therefore it's not wanted?
    You'd have to go further than that...everything would have to be recorded at the same level as well...ever notice how some CD's play "louder" than others? It'd be nice, but I think impractical. My understanding is that radio likes the recordings to be "louder" for FM broadcast playback. I think the engineers try to find the best blend of apparent loudness and dynamic range. Maybe there's justifyable reasons for the different input sensitivities, etc? I don't know. Maybe the world just doesn't have the same visionary qualities as you....

  8. #8
    Class of the clown GMichael's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kexodusc
    You'd have to go further than that...everything would have to be recorded at the same level as well...ever notice how some CD's play "louder" than others? It'd be nice, but I think impractical. My understanding is that radio likes the recordings to be "louder" for FM broadcast playback. I think the engineers try to find the best blend of apparent loudness and dynamic range. Maybe there's justifyable reasons for the different input sensitivities, etc? I don't know. Maybe the world just doesn't have the same visionary qualities as you....
    HAHAHA Yeah, me, the visionary. Imagine that.

    When watching TV, many channels are at higher levels than others. And almost all commercials are louder still. They have a these things available from a few sources that even out the levels.
    http://www.smarthome.com/8254.html

    http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=sound+leveler

    My guess is that it changes the dynamics of recordings and therefore not what anyone on this board would be interested in.
    WARNING! - The Surgeon General has determined that, time spent listening to music is not deducted from one's lifespan.

  9. #9
    Loving This kexodusc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GMichael
    HAHAHA Yeah, me, the visionary. Imagine that.

    When watching TV, many channels are at higher levels than others. And almost all commercials are louder still. They have a these things available from a few sources that even out the levels.
    http://www.smarthome.com/8254.html

    http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=sound+leveler

    My guess is that it changes the dynamics of recordings and therefore not what anyone on this board would be interested in.
    Not a bad idea for some people. I'm guessing they use some sort of resistor circuit to equalize the input sensitivity. Don't quote me on that.
    Hey, I wonder...My freakin' Yamaha receiver seems to do something every time I switch channels...dialogue adjustment or something? I get a +3 dB or -2dB message on the display that seems related to the channels loudness... I'm pretty bad with reading the boring parts of the manuals these days (I go straight to the cool toys) so I haven't figured it out yet...my wife and I disagree on whether the RX-V1400 did the same thing, I didn't think it did but whatever....I should look that up.

  10. #10
    Class of the clown GMichael's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kexodusc
    Not a bad idea for some people. I'm guessing they use some sort of resistor circuit to equalize the input sensitivity. Don't quote me on that.
    Hey, I wonder...My freakin' Yamaha receiver seems to do something every time I switch channels...dialogue adjustment or something? I get a +3 dB or -2dB message on the display that seems related to the channels loudness... I'm pretty bad with reading the boring parts of the manuals these days (I go straight to the cool toys) so I haven't figured it out yet...my wife and I disagree on whether the RX-V1400 did the same thing, I didn't think it did but whatever....I should look that up.
    Hmmm... I never noticed if my 2500 does that or not. I'll keep an eye out.
    WARNING! - The Surgeon General has determined that, time spent listening to music is not deducted from one's lifespan.

  11. #11
    Loving This kexodusc's Avatar
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    Funny thing about them manuals:

    "Note: When this unit detects Dolby Digital signals, the following display appears for a few seconds. This shows how the signal level is being corrected to become -27 dB (THX recommendation).

    DialNorm..+4dB"

  12. #12
    Class of the clown GMichael's Avatar
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    Well, whadyaknow. That's cool. I have a copy of my manual here. If I get more than 10 minutes of piece I'll try to check it out.
    WARNING! - The Surgeon General has determined that, time spent listening to music is not deducted from one's lifespan.

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