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  1. #1
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    Stupid question about level settings....

    A friend of mine was over the other night and I was playing with my receiver. He noticed my level settings and said they were too high. I had the mains at +6, the surrounds at +9, and the center and +7.

    Now, he says putting the levels that high puts strain on the receiver, and they should be much lower. I don't understand what difference it makes, as long as you're not overdriving the receiver. What's the difference if the level is set at +7 and I listen to the receiver volume at -50, or if the level is set at +1 and I have to crank it to -30 to get about the same volume?

    Seems to me it's all the same, but then again, I'm a moron so I thought I'd check with people who knew things.
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  2. #2
    Da Dragonball Kid L.J.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by caniac
    A friend of mine was over the other night and I was playing with my receiver. He noticed my level settings and said they were too high. I had the mains at +6, the surrounds at +9, and the center and +7.

    Now, he says putting the levels that high puts strain on the receiver, and they should be much lower. I don't understand what difference it makes, as long as you're not overdriving the receiver. What's the difference if the level is set at +7 and I listen to the receiver volume at -50, or if the level is set at +1 and I have to crank it to -30 to get about the same volume?

    Seems to me it's all the same, but then again, I'm a moron so I thought I'd check with people who knew things.
    You need an SPL meter to properly set your levels. The levels are set according to the distance of each speaker in relation to your listening spot so that the sound from your speakers are reaching your ears at the same time and level. Without properly positioning your speakers and setting your levels correctly with an SPL meter, your sound will most likely be unbalanced.

    Edit:Caniac, I just realized that I skimmed through your question and didn't properly answer. Kex already took care of ya so throw this out the window.
    Last edited by L.J.; 01-17-2006 at 01:11 PM.

  3. #3
    Loving This kexodusc's Avatar
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    You should use an SPL meter to help you adjust the levels, but to answer your question, you're right. There really isn't a difference. It's all relative.

    If the center channel is always 1 dB louder than the mains, and 2 dB lower than the surrounds, that relative level will be maintained. There is no "strain" on the receiver. Really, those display values ( -30dB, etc) are arbitrary reference points that aren't an accurate representation of how much power the receiver has left.

  4. #4
    Big science. Hallelujah. noddin0ff's Avatar
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    Question for the experts... when you set the level offsets does that adjustment happen in the pre-amp section of the receiver? (If there is a pre-amp section). If so could you distort the signal there by pushing it too high, and would it be better to keep those settings closer to neutral and let the amp section do the amplification across all channels?

  5. #5
    Loving This kexodusc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by noddin0ff
    Question for the experts... when you set the level offsets does that adjustment happen in the pre-amp section of the receiver? (If there is a pre-amp section).
    Yes, pre-amp/processing stage.
    Quote Originally Posted by noddin0ff
    If so could you distort the signal there by pushing it too high, and would it be better to keep those settings closer to neutral and let the amp section do the amplification across all channels?
    I suppose in theory you could distort the signal by cranking the gain levels to each channel, but the voltages are quite low and the units shouldn't have a problem with +10 dB at all. You have to trust the manufacturers a bit, and believe that if your receiver allows a +10 dB boost to a channel, you can boost it 10 dB. This stage isn't very taxing, so I it shouldn't be an issue in most receivers.

    The amplifier amplifies the voltage signal from the pre-amp. If it's weaker (ie: the level settings are closer to neutral), the corresponding output of the amp will be weaker, regardless of what arbitrary level the speaker level settings are at. As it's increased, whether by boosting the channel levels, or just by turning the volume up, the amplifier output increases proportionately. There's no difference to the amp whether the voltage comes from the volume control or the level setting as long as it's the same.

    Now if you crank the speaker level setting to +10dB and turn the volume up, sooner or later you'll run out of headroom. But again, the same thing will happen if you turn the volume up continuously no matter what the level setting is.

    I don't see a need to have speakes set to +6, +7, and +9 dB, when having the mains set to "0", the surrounds at + 3dB and the center at +1 dB should accomplish the same relative output at the speakers.

    Remember, you aren't setting the receiver's channel levels to each other, but rather you're setting the output of each speaker to one another.

  6. #6
    M.P.S.E /AES/SMPTE member Sir Terrence the Terrible's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by caniac
    A friend of mine was over the other night and I was playing with my receiver. He noticed my level settings and said they were too high. I had the mains at +6, the surrounds at +9, and the center and +7.

    Now, he says putting the levels that high puts strain on the receiver, and they should be much lower. I don't understand what difference it makes, as long as you're not overdriving the receiver. What's the difference if the level is set at +7 and I listen to the receiver volume at -50, or if the level is set at +1 and I have to crank it to -30 to get about the same volume?

    Seems to me it's all the same, but then again, I'm a moron so I thought I'd check with people who knew things.
    Caniac, are you by chance TLADINY/Lexmark3200/Scotti Arruti/John B's evil twin coming back to haunt us? Please don't tell me you have a Onkyo receiver, because if you do, I am running to Iraq! LOL Sorry, just couldn't resist LOLOLOL
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by kexodusc

    I don't see a need to have speakes set to +6, +7, and +9 dB, when having the mains set to "0", the surrounds at + 3dB and the center at +1 dB should accomplish the same relative output at the speakers.
    Hmm, took me a while to get back to this.

    The only real reason I have it set up that way is because it takes so long to turn the volume up/down with the remote if the levels are all low. Why hold the button down for 10 seconds when you could hold it down for 5?

    Yeah, that's right, I'm lazy.
    I can take what’s being given
    I can down whatever comes
    I will do what you deem necessary
    My fear compels me

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible
    Caniac, are you by chance TLADINY/Lexmark3200/Scotti Arruti/John B's evil twin coming back to haunt us? Please don't tell me you have a Onkyo receiver, because if you do, I am running to Iraq! LOL Sorry, just couldn't resist LOLOLOL
    I have no earthly idea what this means, but I'm nobody's evil twin and I don't have an Onkyo receiver. I'm just some dork on a message board.
    I can take what’s being given
    I can down whatever comes
    I will do what you deem necessary
    My fear compels me

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