View Full Version : Sound Preasure Meter
EvanRude
10-15-2003, 12:50 PM
Two Questions.
1. I want to get a sound preasure meter for setting HT. Could I get some info?
2. Could a PDA be used? That could be fun.
Thanks
spaceman_spiff
10-15-2003, 02:31 PM
Radioshack sells them.
The one I have is analog sound meter, I quickly glanced at their website, I couldnt see analog one. They have digital one. You might want to check the local store and find if they have in stock.
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F007%5F002%5F014%5F000&product%5Fid=33%2D2055
I didnt want to spend twice as much for the digital one, thats why I bought the analog one.
Good luck :)
I also bought an analogue SPL meter many years ago from RS. I don't even know if they're made any more.
I find the analogue meter actually easier to read than watching numbers change...
EvanRude
10-15-2003, 04:26 PM
Thanks Guy's.
Now that I've got one ordered ( the digital one ) and have DVD Ess. Do you have any tips for a newbee?
It's for 2 5.1 setup.
If I get this right I'm going to do my friends houses too. As they need it more than me.
DVE should guide you through it (although I'm not familiar with it). Avia did for me. The operating manual that comes with the A/V receiver should also help, as do the test tones on your receiver for the receiver/5.1 speaker setup. Make sure you set up your speakers properly (small/large, LFE, etc)
Use a volume of about 80-85dB (others will need to be out of the house, because you'll drive them batty.)
One oddity I found was that despite the proper setup, many DVDs and other DD5.1 sources didn't provide enough center channel sound for me to clearly hear dialogue. I boosted the center channel by about 4-5 dB (Edit - several dB) to compensate for what appears to be "over-boosted" surround sound and ambience music.
I don't think that it's me getting old and deaf, because others have also reported similar findings.
kevinw
10-15-2003, 04:59 PM
I can't hear you ..My center channel is not loud enough..I have had to boost the db's on the center also..just to substantiate your claim. Od course that could mean we are both hard of hearing..
spaceman_spiff
10-15-2003, 05:37 PM
Originally posted by 57U
I boosted the center channel by about 4-5 dB to compensate
I had the center +2dB , even that seemed a little high, so I changed it to +1.5dB.
+4-5dB would be a lot louder in my set up.
To each his own. :)
I should have said several dB, I cant' remember exactly what the numbers were... uh, oh, memory going too...;)
EvanRude
10-15-2003, 05:45 PM
OK I think I got it.
Sit in my favorite chair hold the meter were my head would be. Run the test tone. Set each speaker to match. Give some center+.
Now do wives have that center channel setting?
How about for adjusting the sweep. This must be harder.
Thanks again.
As you do the sweep, you look for hills or valleys in the frequency response. These can sometimes be corrected by adjusting the sub crossover, volume, etc (both on the sub and the receiver). (for frequencies around 20-150). For the higher frequencies, some receivers also have settings there, see the operating manual. If not, then the speakers can only do what they can do.
EvanRude
10-15-2003, 06:02 PM
Aside from cross over adjustment. If I find a hill and valley problem could this be found by moving the meter around and see if it reads normal somewhere else?
I guess that would be a room problem ( can't fix? ). Maybe move sub.
nuke61
10-16-2003, 04:32 PM
If you have hills/valleys in the subwoofer range, you can also use an equalizer if moving the sub around isn't feasible. The Behringer Feedback Destroyer is very popular with the sub crowd, because it works well, has plenty of available information on the web, and is inexpensive (~$125)
The BFD was designed as a live performance feedback preventer. What works well for subwoofer use is that it has adjustable, digital paramentric equalizer bands. I don't have one yet, but it's on my short list of things to get for my home theater.
Hippie
11-05-2003, 11:41 PM
[QUOTE]Originally posted by 57U
[B] I boosted the center channel by about 4-5 dB (Edit - several dB) to compensate for what appears to be "over-boosted" surround sound and ambience music.
I too have to boost the center channels output.
Question... Should the Rear center be boosted to match the boosted front center?
I'd leave the rear center "appropriately balanced" with the other speakers, rather than boosted to match the front center, there's no dialogue back there, it's just "ambience".
BadCamper
11-06-2003, 12:47 AM
Originally posted by EvanRude
Two Questions.
1. I want to get a sound preasure meter for setting HT. Could I get some info?
2. Could a PDA be used? That could be fun.
Thanks
EvanRude,
I did happen across a nifty "Frequency Tuner" program for Pocket PC, which I've been testing on my HP iPAQ 5455. It seems to be fairly accurate, however unfortunately only goes down to 30Hz. Anybody know of any home theater software for Pocket PC?
spaceman_spiff
11-07-2003, 12:52 PM
This is a audio spectrum analyzer, I dont know if it works with a PDA.
You could give it a try
http://www.qsl.net/dl4yhf/spectra1.html
Lot of people have reported using it for plotting frequency mapping.
I know this is not a complete HT software that you are looking, but does a good job of analyzing audio.
hifiguy
11-10-2003, 09:17 PM
Try Radio Shack. They have an SPL meter for about $60. It works great!
nuke61
11-10-2003, 09:44 PM
I second what Hifiguy said. RadioShack used to sell an analog and a digital SPL meter, and many people (myself included) preferred the analog meter because it was easier to get an idea what the average was with a meter than digital display. Particularly when in the 30Hz and under area, I've found that the meter moves quite a bit.
Unfortunately, Radioshack no longer advertises the analog meter on their website, but you might be able to find one at a local store. Here's the digital one, $50: http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=33%2D2055
PaxumBud
11-11-2003, 11:07 PM
i am interested in getting a spl meter as well. my question is, should i try to get my hands on an analog? or should i just go the easy route and get the RS digital? has any of you found the digital to be overly annoying to work with?
Hippie
11-12-2003, 01:54 AM
I just got the RS digital one...
I don't think it is that bad.... I have never used an analog one so I am not comparing the digital one to anything I may have used before......
nuke61
11-12-2003, 10:03 AM
I haven't compared the two except at the store, so my experience with both is very short. When I was researching it, the general consensus was that the analog was preferred, but the digital was fine. I would just go to a local RS (assuming you have one local) and ask for the analog and get the digital if that's all they had.
