SPL,,Test Tones,, Ears??

[Dale M]

Hi,
Im wondering here about this SPL thing,,
Who thinks their system sounds Better after using one?
and if you use your ears and and maybe test tones, and your ears say this is good, why would you change it to what your meter says??it kinda seems like ordering a steak and getting the chef to make it like HE likes it and maybe not what you like,, I can see using the SPL if it actually sounds better after But does it? Im just going on the volume of each speaker as the tone cycles thro, and from where Im sitting and I set it to where the volume level seems to be the same from each speaker,,, the whole system is in a retangle room with the mains about 6 inchs of each side of the 53 in TV, the center is on top the TV, the Sub is in a corner, I sit right in the middle about 10 feet back from the TV and the surounds are just behind me a few feet above my head, Soooo what ya think do I need to use a meter??? Will it help?
Thanks
Dale M

[Woochifer]

SPL meter ----> YES
Test tones ----> YES
Ears ------------> YES*
* This is what you will use to enjoy your system after it's been setup using the SPL meter and test tones.

Ultimately your ears will be the final judge of whatever method you use to setup your system, however if you think that your ears are the best measure for the levels on a multichannel system, then you can look forward to constant tweaking and adjusting. With two speakers, it's fine to tweak by ear, but if you're talking about five speakers, then IMO it's a waste of time to try and make all the adjustments by ear.

The SPL meter can identify differences in the levels at 0.5 db intervals. Your ears can pick up on level differences, but they cannot reliably tell you how much of a difference you need to compensate for. The reason for going with test tones is because with music and movies, again you have no reliable benchmark against which to compare the different levels. The SPL meter establishes a reliable reference point that you can go back to repeatedly. Once you have this reference point, then you can tweak with the settings by ear to suit your preferences. Using a SPL meter and test tones ultimately saves you time because you just set it, tweak it, and leave it.

My own personal experience with using SPL meters is that when my system was tweaked by ear, the integration between the different speakers was less than ideal, but after properly setting the levels, the blending between the different speakers was a lot more seamless. Another important setting that you need to check is the delay timing. If your speakers are not equidistant from the listening position, then you need to adjust the delay timing to compensate for any differences in the distance so that the sounds arrive at your ears at the same time.

[mtrycraft]

Hi,
Im wondering here about this SPL thing,,
Who thinks their system sounds Better after using one?
and if you use your ears and and maybe test tones, and your ears say this is good, why would you change it to what your meter says??it kinda seems like ordering a steak and getting the chef to make it like HE likes it and maybe not what you like,, I can see using the SPL if it actually sounds better after But does it? Im just going on the volume of each speaker as the tone cycles thro, and from where Im sitting and I set it to where the volume level seems to be the same from each speaker,,, the whole system is in a retangle room with the mains about 6 inchs of each side of the 53 in TV, the center is on top the TV, the Sub is in a corner, I sit right in the middle about 10 feet back from the TV and the surounds are just behind me a few feet above my head, Soooo what ya think do I need to use a meter??? Will it help?
Thanks
Dale M


Since studios calibrate and level match their speaker levels, you would think you would want to hear what they heard? If not, then just not mess with anything in audio and do your own artistic rendition of the recording.

[kexodusc]

Accurate levels are extremely important in my opinion, as Wooch has said, it leads to a more seamless transition and really enhances the surround factor. Very important for proper surround imaging as well.

Just as important, if not more, (my own personal opinion based on my experiences) is the delay settings though. I've used Marantz, Yamaha, and Denon receivers, and determining proper delays for each speaker can be rather tricky if your new to it, especially on units like Yamaha that use nanoseconds of delay rather than a distance measurement of feet or meters or whatever.
If your delays aren't properly set, you'll get an annoying echo effect and lose the proper imaging, which can greatly impact the surround field as well.

A neat experiment if you have a receiver with an auto-calibration tool or know someone who does, is to set the receiver manually according to your ears, level and delay...then run the auto-setup. Makes quite a difference.