Affordable big screen televisions and high definition have changed the average person’s attention level when it comes to their home video and audio components. It’s hard to walk by a large high def display at an electronics store and not want that experience in your home, and the masses have jumped in head first.
Once you’ve augmented your home video capabilities, the thoughts of many turn to improving the audio experience. For many of us, the audio end of the home theater experience is even more important than the visual experience. After all, the driving motivation behind better audio is music, and even less musically obsessed individuals are sure to figure out that their new system changes their level of aural interest once they hear some of their favorite music on more capable equipment.
Just throwing money at better equipment doesn’t guarantee satisfaction, and some care needs to be taken to make sure that you are giving your equipment the initial attention it needs to provide you with the best performance it is capable of. Here are some tips that will help you squeeze the best performance you can out of your new audio equipment, for both movies and music.
Last week we started out with proper loudspeaker placement. Now we need to calibrate:
2. Adjusting loudspeaker output You need a tool for this step. An SPL (sound pressure level) meter measures the decibel output of an audio source. Relatively inexpensive SPL meters can be purchased from Radio Shack in the States, or off Ebay. Set your SPL meter to “C” weighting, set the range to the 75 dB ballpark and position the meter in the location you listen from. Using the test tone function of your AV receiver or pre/pro, adjust the volume until the loudspeaker is producing approximately 75 dB. Now start with the left front loudspeaker and work your way around the room. Your AV Receiver or pre/pro will allow you to adjust the output level of each speaker while you are playing the test tone. Adjust all loudspeakers to match output at the listening position.
Now the subwoofer. The subwoofer provides the lion’s share of movie theater impact when you are watching movies on your system. Standard rule of thumb is to set the subwoofer output +5 dB louder than the rest of your system. This is a balancing act and only your ear can tell when you have the right level. You want impact for movies, but you also want the sub to seamlessly integrate with the rest of your loudspeakers for music. If you listen to music and it’s glaringly apparent what the sub is doing, it’s too hot. What you are after is music performance that produces strong, realistic bass output, and gives no indication that there is a subwoofer involved at all. A well integrated sub does not draw attention to itself, it just fills out the lower registers and disappears into the room the way your loudspeakers should.
Despite your labors, some rooms are just hard to get right. Hardwood floors, windows, open entranceways and fixed objects in the room will all conspire against you. Area rugs and heavy drapes are your friends in these instances, and there are also many room treatments available online that may help your room be a better instrument.
The labor you’ve undertaken will produce an aural environment that will allow you to enjoy the maximum benefit from your audio system. Even as someone who has had a lifelong obsession with audio, I still close my eyes and smile every time I listen to well recorded music in my room. Hearing sounds that are in the room during movies is intensely more satisfying than hearing easily localized sounds emanating from the four corners of the room. This is also a good time to mention that not everything you play will produce this sort of audio nirvana in your space. Good systems make poorly recorded material sound even poorer. Fortunately, modern movies with any kind of budget tend to have good sound.
To me, nothing in life is more important than family. However good food, good liquor, travel, music and film don’t suck. Get the most from your enjoyment of music and film and set your system up to deliver the goods.
