Calibrated speakers

[blurayas11]

Got the Radio Shack Sound Level Meter and calibrated my speakers today. Treaded into a new experience and was fun doing it, first time effort so was not sure if I will get it right. Surprising enough it was not that complicated. I certainly can hear the difference all the speakers as if woke up and alive. They all are in sync and in harmony

[crackinhedz]

That's definitely a nice system you've got there!


is the center channel tilted down at all? (less reflection off the ceiling)

[blurayas11]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

That's definitely a nice system you've got there!


is the center channel tilted down at all? (less reflection off the ceiling)

Thanks crackinhedz. Yes I did tilt the center speaker.

[crazyBLUE]

I have to agree what A really nice HT you have !

[Big Daddy]

Beautiful setup. I love the PSB speakers and the Def Tech sub.

If you don't mind, I will make a few suggestions. Your front speakes are too close to the wall. Move them away at least a foot. When the speakers are too close to the wall, their bass tends to be too boomy and not clear enough. You tend to hear the room more than the speakers. Also, if you raise your subwoofer off the floor by a few inches, you may get improved performance. There are ready made sub risers or you can make one yourself. Don't forget to recalibrate the speakers/subwoofer after any changes.

[ryan4blu]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Beautiful setup. I love the PSB speakers and the Def Tech sub.

If you don't mind, I will make a few suggestions. Your front speakes are too close to the wall. Move them away at least a foot. When the speakers are too close to the wall, their bass tends to be too boomy and not clear enough. You tend to hear the room more than the speakers. Also, if you raise your subwoofer off the floor by a few inches, you may get improved performance. There are ready made sub risers or you can make one yourself. Don't forget to recalibrate the speakers/subwoofer after any changes.

BD, do you recommend these risers in a room that is carpeted already? or are they for subs on wood floors? or is it to just raise the sub up for better performance? not sure??

also should tower speakers be under the same affect? thanks

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by ryan4blu

BD, do you recommend these risers in a room that is carpeted already? or are they for subs on wood floors? or is it to just raise the sub up for better performance? not sure??

also should tower speakers be under the same affect? thanks

Raising a sub off the floor has some benefits that are independent of the type of floor.

[kareface]

A few things. A SPL meter can only help you set your levels, to do a full calibration you need more hardware. Second, the SPL meter you have isn't completely accurate. You can download the calibration file for it, but then you'd have to use it with some type of measurement software. I completely agree with big daddy, you should pull the speakers away from the wall a few feet if you can. Also you should consider getting some dampening panels to place behind your mains. Having a solid surface like that will cause a great deal of reflections off the front wall, and being so close to the walls will hurt the imaging of your front speakers. Once again I can't argue with big daddy, raising the sub will help move it away from the point where it's adding the most energy to the vertical node in the room.

[ryan4blu]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Raising a sub off the floor has some benefits that are independent of the type of floor.

ok thanks, i didnt know that. so even if you have carpeting already, getting one of these risers improves your bass so to speak? would you also benefit with doing this to your front towers as well? thanks again

[Beerserker]

Originally Posted by kareface

Also you should consider getting some dampening panels to place behind your mains. Having a solid surface like that will cause a great deal of reflections off the front wall

It would be a shame to place acoustic foam on a nice flag wall like that. You'd have to DIY up some custom treatments to get something that would remotely match. It would help a bunch though.

[kareface]

Originally Posted by ryan4blu

ok thanks, i didnt know that. so even if you have carpeting already, getting one of these risers improves your bass so to speak? would you also benefit with doing this to your front towers as well? thanks again

The answer to your first question is yes. Standing waves reflect off of the 6 walls in the room, no matter where the subwoofer is positioned. However, if you have the sub closer to the walls, ceiling or floor you are placing at a point where it adds the most energy to the standing waves. It compounds the problem. The answer to your second question it tricky. Some speakers woofers don't go low enough to matter. The ones that do usually have their woofers far enough off the floor to not be a problem. However, the same issue with the sub being too close to the floor can happen when your woofers are too close to the walls. You exaggerate the nodes in the room. One of the many reason not to have your speakers so close to the walls.

Originally Posted by Beerserker

It would be a shame to place acoustic foam on a nice flag wall like that. You'd have to DIY up some custom treatments to get something that would remotely match. It would help a bunch though.

I agree, but I think if you did it right you could make it look classy.

[Beerserker]

Originally Posted by kareface

The answer to your second question it tricky. Some speakers woofers don't go low enough to matter. The ones that do usually have their woofers far enough off the floor to not be a problem.

But then moving the woofers high enough off the floor to avoid floor gain may induce floor bounce! Lol, room setup is fun.

[blurayas11]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Beautiful setup. I love the PSB speakers and the Def Tech sub.

If you don't mind, I will make a few suggestions. Your front speakes are too close to the wall. Move them away at least a foot. When the speakers are too close to the wall, their bass tends to be too boomy and not clear enough. You tend to hear the room more than the speakers. Also, if you raise your subwoofer off the floor by a few inches, you may get improved performance. There are ready made sub risers or you can make one yourself. Don't forget to recalibrate the speakers/subwoofer after any changes.

Thank you BD for your comments and suggestions.
1. I will move both the front speakers a foot from the wall which is no problem.
2. Regarding the Sub, I have the Definitive Technology SuperCube Reference which are 16.8 x 16.8 in dimension. I was considering the Auralex SubDude Subwoofer Isolation Risers which are 15 x 15 which are an inch short. Will that matter or does it have to be bigger to accomodate the 16 x16 sub. Right now there is a good deal as I can get 4 of these at $50.00.
3. Do you recommend putting the risers under the front speakers also?

[blurayas11]

Originally Posted by kareface

........ Also you should consider getting some dampening panels to place behind your mains. Having a solid surface like that will cause a great deal of reflections off the front wall, and being so close to the walls will hurt the imaging of your front speakers.

Originally Posted by Beerserker

......... You'd have to DIY up some custom treatments to get something that would remotely match. It would help a bunch though.

Thanks kareface and Beerserker for your suggestions regarding customizing the wall. However I have been warned that I cannot put anything on the wall I had a tough time convincing everyone when I had to hang the big TV on the wall.

[kareface]

Originally Posted by blurayas11

Thanks kareface and Beerserker for your suggestions regarding customizing the wall. However I have been warned that I cannot put anything on the wall I had a tough time convincing everyone when I had to hang the big TV on the wall.

Quick question, is the SPL meter being run from your listening position?

Also, here are the offsets for the SPL meter you (and I) have:
10.0 -22.09
11.2 -19.25
12.5 -16.83
14.0 -14.69
16.0 -12.66
18.0 -10.61
20.0 -9.05
22.4 -7.64
25.0 -6.49
28.0 -5.33
31.5 -4.41
35.5 -3.61
40.0 -2.99
45.0 -2.41
50.0 -1.97
56.0 -1.64
63.0 -1.34
71.0 -1.14
80.0 -0.96
90.0 -0.86
100.0 -0.80
112.0 -0.82
125.0 -0.82
140.0 -0.88
160.0 -0.93
180.0 -0.95
200.0 -0.99

[blurayas11]

Originally Posted by kareface

Quick question, is the SPL meter being run from your listening position?

Yes I had the SPL at ear level from my listening position.

[kareface]

Originally Posted by blurayas11

Yes I had the SPL at ear level from my listening position.

A few final tips, you shouldn't point the mic directly at the source. You want the meter almost vertical, with a slight angle forward between 10-20 degrees. If you can test with out moving any furniture from the position it's normally in when you're listing it'll help. The meter isn't perfectly accurate below 100hz, the offsets can help tho.

[blurayas11]

Originally Posted by kareface

A few final tips, you shouldn't point the mic directly at the source. You want the meter almost vertical, with a slight angle forward between 10-20 degrees. If you can test with out moving any furniture from the position it's normally in when you're listing it'll help. The meter isn't perfectly accurate below 100hz, the offsets can help tho.

Thanks again for all your suggestions. It is amazing how every one is so helpful in this forum. Regarding the direction I had pointed the meter where the wall and ceiling meet. That will I guess be similar to what you have suggested almost vertical with 10-20 degrees ? I will have to recalibrate as I will be moving the front speakers away from the wall and also adding the second sub.

[kareface]

Originally Posted by blurayas11

Thanks again for all your suggestions. It is amazing how every one is so helpful in this forum. Regarding the direction I had pointed the meter where the wall and ceiling meet. That will I guess be similar to what you have suggested almost vertical with 10-20 degrees ? I will have to recalibrate as I will be moving the front speakers away from the wall and also adding the second sub.

If the sub is the same size and RMS wattage as your current one then you should calibrate each one alone to 6db less then your fronts. The sum of the 2 should bring them up to match your mains. One other thing you might consider is getting a IIR PEQ like a velodyne sms-1, antimode or if you're adventuress a BFD. It helps level out the LFR in the room.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by blurayas11

Thank you BD for your comments and suggestions.
1. I will move both the front speakers a foot from the wall which is no problem.
2. Regarding the Sub, I have the Definitive Technology SuperCube Reference which are 16.8 x 16.8 in dimension. I was considering the Auralex SubDude Subwoofer Isolation Risers which are 15 x 15 which are an inch short. Will that matter or does it have to be bigger to accomodate the 16 x16 sub. Right now there is a good deal as I can get 4 of these at $50.00.
3. Do you recommend putting the risers under the front speakers also?

For your subwoofer, the Great Gramma may be a better option. Although risers for front speaker are available, they are not as important as subwoofer risers.

http://www.auralex.com/sound_isolati...ion_gramma.asp

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GRAMMA

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GreatGRAMMA/