I set my receiver to 0. I adjust the volume on the sub to my liking. Usually never past 11:00. I only use the spl meter on the front & rear spekers.

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by scanido /forum/post/13302121


Just want to get a general consensus on what folks are calibrating their subs to.


I have my JL F113 currently set 3-4db HOT above reference (75db) and i think it sounds sort of thin and could use some more db's!

set my tower also 3-4 db hot. shakes the house, the whole house when watching movies-20 ref.

it might be your room. i doubt it is your sub.

 

Agree!


I just tried 6-7db HOT and the F113 came alive!!! I couldn't stop smiling

From what i'm reading most are doing 3db only.

 

I run 2.5dB hot for music, and 5dB for movies. I have a SMS-1 which has presets so it's really easy to switch back and forth

 

I'm running at least 6 db above reference. Its really rediculous. I think it actually got to me last weeking during LOTR, I started to feel dizzy and weird. But usually that same level just kicks ass.

 

6 db above

 

using an SPL meter, i calibrate my subs 86db versus 80 for the other channels.

sometimes i up the SMS-1 volume by 10, but i don't know how much that equates to db's.

 

I'm at 6db above the 75db reference. I also love the shaking room part! I've also confirmed the shaking outside the house also.

 

For music I usually run my subs between flat and 1 dB hot. For HT I'll keep it either at 1 dB hot or sometimes increase it to 2-3dB hot.

 

For music, 2db hot, movies 10db hot.

 

But it depends on where you set your Gain control too. They work together in tandem. I have only had my sub for one week, and I have been running it +2 to +4 depending on what it is I am watching and if I am interested in the music/background audio. My Gain is around 11:00.... But I have not even calibrated any of my speakers with a SLM yet. I just got one at Radioshack this evening

I better get crackin'

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by kemiza /forum/post/13302187


I set my receiver to 0. I adjust the volume on the sub to my liking. Usually never past 11:00. I only use the spl meter on the front & rear spekers.

why not the sub?

 

I run mine about 5 db hotter than reference.

 

sourbeef,


What we mean by x db hot is a relative measurement of SPL in decibels. How many more decibels loud is your subwoofer that your main speakers.


This is different than the subwoofer trim level on the receiver, which is what you are referring to.


The actaul measured SPL level of the subwoofer is a result of the gain control setting on the subwoofer amp, and the subwoofer trim level on the receiver. Once the relative SPL is calibrated, then the receiver trim can be used to raise or lower that level by specific amounts + or - db. So yes, they do work together in tandem. For example, I run my sub with the gain knob on the subwoofer amp at about the 9:00 position, and the subwoofer trim level on the receiver at -2.0 , which together yield a calibrated subwoofer SPL level which is approximately 3 db louder, or "hot", relative to my main speakers.


Tim

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by OvalNut /forum/post/13304820


sourbeef,


What we mean by x db hot is a relative measurement of SPL in decibels. How many more decibels loud is your subwoofer that your main speakers.


This is different than the subwoofer trim level on the receiver, which is what you are referring to.


The actaul measured SPL level of the subwoofer is a result of the gain control setting on the subwoofer amp, and the subwoofer trim level on the receiver. Once the relative SPL is calibrated, then the receiver trim can be used to raise or lower that level by specific amounts + or - db. So yes, they do work together in tandem. For example, I run my sub with the gain knob on the subwoofer amp at about the 9:00 position, and the subwoofer trim level on the receiver at -2.0 , which together yield a calibrated subwoofer SPL level which is approximately 3 db louder, or "hot", relative to my main speakers.


Tim

But aren't we still referring to the same basic thing. I may have not calibrated my speakers/sub with a SPL meter yet, but I did run Audyssey on my Onkyo 705 which supposedly equalized them, they were all set to 0.0 except the front left was set at -1.0. So when I go into the receiver menu and change the calibration of the sub level by +2 or +4db, are we not doing the same thing in terms of running our subs HOT?

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by kemiza /forum/post/13302187


I set my receiver to 0. I adjust the volume on the sub to my liking. Usually never past 11:00. I only use the spl meter on the front & rear spekers.

I think you will get better results if you balance the sub with your mains. You can then use the line level output from your receiver to fine tune it to your liking.



Ian

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by ribbit /forum/post/13303897


using an SPL meter, i calibrate my subs 86db versus 80 for the other channels.

sometimes i up the SMS-1 volume by 10, but i don't know how much that equates to db's.

Out of curiousity, when you say "86 db vs 80", are you using the Avia Left Front / Sub sweep pattern? If so, wouldn't that mean you're more like 7 to 9 db hot as I thought with the Avia patterns (possibly any sweep) an SPL meter on slow in C weighting would read 2 to 3 db lower. I.e., calibrate at 82/83db and the other speakers at 85 with Avia to match sub to mains?

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by sourbeef /forum/post/13304733


But it depends on where you set your Gain control too. They work together in tandem. I have only had my sub for one week, and I have been running it +2 to +4 depending on what it is I am watching and if I am interested in the music/background audio. My Gain is around 11:00.... But I have not even calibrated any of my speakers with a SLM yet. I just got one at Radioshack this evening

I better get crackin'

They are talking about db's using a SPL meter not level settings. I run my sub 4 db hot.

 

I calibrate seven channels and add sub to taste.


KG

 

i set sub level on receiver to -5. then using test tones on receiver and a spl meter i set gain on the sub at 78db. this way i can move sub vol. up and down using receiver, also allowing plenty of head room for receiver.

this seems to work well for me. the -5 is just habit due to the ed a2-300s that would continually bottom out while watching movies at -20 ref. vol.

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by scanido /forum/post/13302121


Just want to get a general consensus on what folks are calibrating their subs to.


I have my JL F113 currently set 3-4db HOT above reference (75db) and i think it sounds sort of thin and could use some more db's!

So i re-calibrated the whole system using AVIA instead of the built-in tones in my RSX-1057 and was surprised to find that the sub was off by at least 6db!!!

No wonder it sounded so thin!


It now sounds PHENOMENAL!


I run about 2-3db HOT for music and 5-6db HOT for movies.

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by sourbeef /forum/post/13304922


So when I go into the receiver menu and change the calibration of the sub level by +2 or +4db, are we not doing the same thing in terms of running our subs HOT?

Yes, the end effect is the same. However, sometimes due to room interaction, adjusting the level at the receiver does not necessarily translate to the same dB increase at your ear. If you do use the receiver setting, it's easy to verify for yourself how much hotter the sub is running using the SPL meter

 

I noticed that when taking a sub reading from my analog RS SPL meter, the needle jumps from 0db - 3 db. Do you take the average of this or the min/max level??


How are folks determining the sub level from their analog RadioShack meters to get a defined HOT level??

 

I usually average. I set my IB sub level by ear after eq. I checked the level today with a meter and it was 4-6db "hot". So it's about 5db hot. How hot you run depends on how loud you listen, how much impact you like, extension, compression, etc.

 

I'm probably 6db hot on most content. I know where calibrated is and on some content I will back it down, but rarely. Usually I go up even more if I don't feel it's enough.