[SteveMo]

Would somebody please tell me how to setup Pioneer VSX-1012 manually. Since I have added separates, biamp and more expensive wire, It looks all wrong. Pink noise on a THX optimizer says that it is 60db on my db meter when my receiver is set at -37db. I would like to setup all the options bellow manually. It keeps saying Dial Norm +4 but I don't know how to change that. I don't have a manual. Do I trust the auto setup except for the volume setting and distance calculations?


Setup is - receiver to all tweeters. Marantz mono amps to larger drivers at left, right, center, and rear surrounds. Denon amp to the left and right larger drivers. Marantz mono amp to the sub. All amps are THX . receiver is 100w but combined with others is 225w per speaker except left and right surrounds at 220w. They are Polk RTi70s, Csi40, and a DIY sub. The speakers manual recommends not to exceed 250w.


Photos

Edit: when using my digital spl meter as a mic for the auto setup, it was set to 120. Changing that would effect its db output to the reciver?

 

[SteveMo]

Power and loudness in the real world

Quote:
Power handling in 'active' speakers


Active speakers often use two or three power amplifiers, each handling only part of the audio frequency spectrum. The main benefit of this approach is that it enables complicated crossover filters to be used on the low level signal, and eliminates the bulky and awkward inductors and capacitors normally used in crossover networks. There is, however, another big advantage that is not usually recognised. When two tones are reproduced simultaneously, a single amplifier normally has to handle the peak power that results when both are at their crest. Because of the square-law relationship, this means that two tones each generating 10 watts result in a power handling requirement of 40 watts. With multiple amplifiers, the two tones can be handled separately, by 10 watt amps. Thus a 'bi-amped' system can handle peaks of up to twice the combined rating of its amplifiers, and a 'tri-amped' system, on three tones, gains even more! This is of course because the signal has a high crest factor. In practice, music peaks often consist of wideband percussion riding on top of low-frequency bass notes, and so the benefit is very real, as these are each always handled separately. This is a benefit that would cost a lot to realise if the single amplifier approach were taken, making 'bi-amping' a very cost-effective approach.

Quote:
On the other hand, solid state amplifiers are very clean right up to their maximum power output, then virtually switch to very high distortion levels above this point. This is hopeless when trying to play percussive sounds around the maximum power output, because the start of the note (the attack) is very distorted and unmusical, then it suddenly becomes clean as the volume dies (perceived as a lack of sustain). The only way to get a reasonable tone is to turn down and try to operate the amp always below its maximum power capability. Of course, many solid state guitar amplifiers now try to minimise this effect (also so they can be advertised with valve-like qualities).

Then If the auto setup wants to raise the volume it should be able to do this. That means there is less distortion. It however does not take into account that final values calculated may not be applicable to the accuracy of previous calculations. I can't ask it to setup my sub and rear channels before the rest. That means I should take my last result which was able to calculated and apply it to the new one in respects to other channels. Volume has increased with the addition to more watts. The freq response since changing the wire on the tweeters has increased the available watts driven. To make up for this, it wants to do less equalizer adjustments as the sensitivity has increased. It thinks speakers have done this, not amplifiers, and in the case of more sound, it assumes that more sound being present could only be the result of more speaker. For that reason it wants to, and can raise the volume which it cannot determine is actually to loud. It's not looking at how much sound there is, but is instead trying to match them as best possible with respect to tones predetermined by it's own ability to be produced.


It never used a -6 or +6 which is the max reduction or increase for the eq setting. It does not know what volume that is since it cannot be calibrated. Each amplifier has it's own freq response so it is important to use these settings. The same signal sent at a lower volume will have the same result. So then the best I could do with this setup, is to lower the fine channel levels of +10 to 9.5 having the surround back left +.5 db as in the previous setup. Speaker size and distance settings? Those are fine. For the rear eq settings I will take the others and average using this.

http://www.csgnetwork.com/averagecalc.html


average 63hz is = .02 round that to 0


average 125hz = +2.7 round that to +3.0


average 250hz = +2.9 round that to +3.0


average 4khz is -5.0


average 11.3 khz is -2.5


average trim is 0.7 round that to +1


I can enter those into the eq setting for both rears.


Is turning the volume down and entering these values a good solution?

 

[SteveMo]

I read some directions for another model. It says the dial should be set to 0 while testing.


It also says...

Quote:
If you are using a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) meter,

take the readings from your main listening position

and adjust the level of each speaker to 75 dB SPL (Cweighting/

slow reading).

No specific db settings for the equalizer. It says do it what sounds best. I will try the auto setup again then. I don't think I had the dial at normal.

 

[SteveMo]

That did not help much. At least it changed all my speaker distances to match better. I even shut off my hush box fan. It made some equalizer changes and the volume for channels all set to -10. Until I get room treatments I give up then.


Edit: At least it setup my rear channels and sub.

 

[SteveMo]

The sound is setup correctly unfortunitly it is not user friendly and will not display the anything but -10db on the OSD for everything. When I output both left and right using a Y cable to connect to the digital SPL meter I get my settings to set my speakers to large AND to have the sub turned down instead of all the way up. Using left or right had very different results in both speaker settings and sub volume. The test tones for my THX disc match those doing a manual setup on the previous Denon 2802 receiver I had. I checked the results of the MCACC equalizer settings to the acoustics of the room both manually and with test using REW and they are working correctly also. The MCACC works fine however all audio tracks are not created equal so I will make some custom ones later this week.

 

[SteveMo]

My crossover is still at 80HZ. The Things I changed -


Set my front speakers to small

Set my bass peak level to 0

Set the sub volume to -5db

I set the back of my sub to THX instead of variable.


Could anyone tell me what "HI-BIT HI-SAMPLING" is?

 

[SteveMo]

Do I need to use "HI-BIT HI-SAMPLING" for DVD or HD-DVD?