Calibrating your system

Engage the test tone, or pink noise generator, on your receiver. You will hear a static sound in one of the speakers. Depending on your receiver, this static may automatically move from speaker to speaker. If you have a choice, choose manual channel selection. This way the tone won't change speakers while you're looking at the meter. Increase or decrease the main volume of the receiver and subwoofer (if it's a powered sub) to a "reference" position. Make it an easy position to remember, such as straight up on knobs, 0 on relative volume controls, and 75 on actual volume controls.

While holding the meter straight up from your listening position, check the SPL reading on the meter for that channel. Adjust that channel's level (not the main volume control) so that the needle reads +5 while the range is set to 70, or 75 on digital diplays. This means the calibrated level for that channel is 75db at your reference volume and listening position. Repeat this process for each speaker in your system. I recommend calibrating your subwoofer to the same level, but if you like a little extra kick in your bass, calibrate it 5db to 10db higher than the rest of your speakers.

Once all of the speakers read the same SPL level, your system is calibrated. The next time you watch a film, if you set the volume control to your "reference" position, you will be hearing the film in the exact balance and sound pressure levels that the sound engineers intended. Reference volume levels can be really loud. If you choose not to listen at these levels, the sound will still be balanced at lower volumes.

Safety

Another use for SPL meters is making sure your speakers are operating at safe listening levels. While playing music, hold the meter up and take a reading with the meter set to A-weighting. Below is a table from the U.S. Department of Labor regarding safe sound pressure level exposure.

Hours per day = Sound Level(dB, A-weighting, SLOW response)

• 8 = 90
• 6 = 92
• 4 = 95
• 3 = 97
• 2 = 100
• 1.5 = 102
• 1 = 105
• .5 = 110
• .25 or less= 115

Finishing Your Calibration

After you've completed your calibration, you'll be ready to listen to movies and music as it was intended. It's recommended to occasionally verify your calibrated settings with your SPL meter to ensure everything is still perfect. Anytime you move or change a speaker you'll need to recalibrate your audio system to reflect the changes.

Keeping a finely tuned audio system is similar to keeping your car in tip-top shape. You'll need to perform a little maintenance every once in a while to make sure everything is proper working order. When watching movies, sound is 60% of the experience, so getting the sound right is one of the most rewarding steps you can take to maximize your movie experience.

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