correct method to adjust levels for a sq system! Maybe I made a mistake!

[surreal89]

I have a question about levels.
After having calibrated the gain of the amplifiers, as per procedure I measured the dB of the speakers to see which one sounds less and then match the others to that volume.
But at what volume should I set the main volume, in my case from the DSP remote control that regulates the main volume (that of the smartphone is already at maximum) to measure and adjust the levels?
Instead of setting it to 40, I set it to 30/40 so I have a little bit of headroom if maybe a song is recorded lower.
So the speakers with the lowest dB are the woofers.
The woofers are at 73db, the mids at 78 and the tweeters at 82...
So I set the target value for everyone at 75 dB!
Each speaker was then calibrated to 75 dB.
However, I was wondering if it was right to have set the master volume to 30 out of 40 from the DSP..
If I had set 25 the measurements would have been lower and therefore perhaps I would have calibrated everything to 70 or 65 dB...if instead I had set 35 or 40 the measurements would have given higher dB.
As for measuring frequency response, they recommend that 70-75 db is a good range to measure!
As for the levels instead?..75db with a margin of another +10 db could be fine?
At what volume should the master volume of the DSP that controls the entire system be kept before proceeding to measure the levels of all the speakers?
maybe at the same volume as how I calibrated the gain of the amplifiers? or more conservative?

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[winkychevelle 10+ year member]

It's all personal preferences but look up house curves be it the JBL curve, JL curve, audiofrog curve, harmon curve, whitledge, or half whitledge.

I typically want 30-80flat then an 12db drop logarithmicly to 150hz the flat to at least 15k. Above 15k I can't really hear anyway.

I want bottom heavy personally but most curves have the bottom end +9db anyway

 

[nauc 10+ year member]

when my sub volume on my deck is set to 0, my curve is flat. then i turn up the sub volume to get what i like ( depends on the song). some songs sound good at 5, some at like 9. others maybe at 3

 

[surreal89]

@nauc
@winkychevelle

you were very clear.
but I was also asking something else.
How many dB should the levels of each speaker be calibrated to?
for sq listening how many db should the levels be calibrated to?...70/75/80db or something else?
and is it also right, once you have chosen the db to refer to, to maintain a margin of even just 5db to increase the volume in case of low recordings?

 

[winkychevelle 10+ year member]

@nauc
@winkychevelle

you were very clear.
but I was also asking something else.
How many dB should the levels of each speaker be calibrated to?
for sq listening how many db should the levels be calibrated to?...70/75/80db or something else?
and is it also right, once you have chosen the db to refer to, to maintain a margin of even just 5db to increase the volume in case of low recordings?

Actual volume doesn't matter you can have a 120db sq system or a 60db system
It's just harder the louder you get to tame peaks and resonances, as well as control cone breakup.

There isn't really a real reference db. I tun my system at 85db ish average but again 150-20k is 12db quieter than everything below 80hz.

Most people don't realize how loud 100db on highs really is. On bass 100db isn't much but then you have to realize how db is measured. Los are generally db of pressure and highs are db/a

Pressure vs comparative to a calibrated mic.

 

[surreal89]

Actual volume doesn't matter you can have a 120db sq system or a 60db system
It's just harder the louder you get to tame peaks and resonances, as well as control cone breakup.

There isn't really a real reference db. I tun my system at 85db ish average but again 150-20k is 12db quieter than everything below 80hz.

Most people don't realize how loud 100db on highs really is. On bass 100db isn't much but then you have to realize how db is measured. Los are generally db of pressure and highs are db/a

Pressure vs comparative to a calibrated mic.

but with the microphone in this position should I have used the 90 degree calibration file?
I used the other one (normal calibration)

 

[winkychevelle 10+ year member]

but with the microphone in this position should I have used the 90 degree calibration file?
I used the other one (normal calibration)

Honestly I don't find much difference between the 2. I think I use 90°

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

I think the 90° cal file is if you have the mic point up to the roof of the car or room. IASCA will sit in a car and evaluate the SQ @ aprx. 90db. Setting your tune between 85-95db would be a good idea.

Pure SQ with no distortion would require a lot of amplifier power and using 0db tones to set the gains.

A loud and still good sounding stereo would use -5db tones for mids and highs and -10db on subs.

Loud but with some mild distortion -10db mids and highs -15db subs.

AFTER THE GAINS ARE SET!!!

Measuring with pink noise. I like to sit in the car with ear plugs so your body mass can be accounted for, in the drivers seat, using the 90° cal file, volume at 85-90db, using REW with the mic facing up, move the tip of the mic at ear level slowly around my head ear to ear 6 or 8 times to get a good average. You can do this for each speaker or set of speakers or all speakers at once. Reference DB's from your mids.

 

[surreal89]

I think the 90° cal file is if you have the mic point up to the roof of the car or room. IASCA will sit in a car and evaluate the SQ @ aprx. 90db. Setting your tune between 85-95db would be a good idea.

Pure SQ with no distortion would require a lot of amplifier power and using 0db tones to set the gains.

A loud and still good sounding stereo would use -5db tones for mids and highs and -10db on subs.

Loud but with some mild distortion -10db mids and highs -15db subs.

AFTER THE GAINS ARE SET!!!

Measuring with pink noise. I like to sit in the car with ear plugs so your body mass can be accounted for, in the drivers seat, using the 90° cal file, volume at 85-90db, using REW with the mic facing up, move the tip of the mic at ear level slowly around my head ear to ear 6 or 8 times to get a good average. You can do this for each speaker or set of speakers or all speakers at once. Reference DB's from your mids.

you were very clear.
but I only have to do this method with the microphone passing it from one side of the ear to the other when I take measurements of the general frequency response, right?
to adjust the levels of each speaker I have to fix the microphone in a single point at head height without moving it anymore, right?
I start a pink noise and measure the db of all the speakers with spl meeter, setting them all equal.
or do I have to use the first method also for the levels?..
the gain of the amplifiers were measured with SMD.
I can ask you if it is right to set the master volume of the source to 30/40, bring all the levels to 75db except for the sub of which I can also control it from the front as desired with the remote, however in the measurements I keep it around 85/90db ..but anyway I can adjust it later.
but going back to 75db you think it's okay to stick to this volume and in case of need since I have the master volume from the source and on 30/40 I can increase from there bringing everything to 85db in case of need.
if instead I already set everything to 85db, then I won't have any safety margin let's say.
or perhaps you set the source volume to maximum and then adjusted the levels until you reached 85 dB.
so at maximum volume you stay in the range you chose.
I think my method is fine too, what do you think?
I already start conservatively and if necessary increase from the master volume

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

you were very clear.
but I only have to do this method with the microphone passing it from one side of the ear to the other when I take measurements of the general frequency response, right?
to adjust the levels of each speaker I have to fix the microphone in a single point at head height without moving it anymore, right?
I start a pink noise and measure the db of all the speakers with spl meeter, setting them all equal.
or do I have to use the first method also for the levels?..
the gain of the amplifiers were measured with SMD.
I can ask you if it is right to set the master volume of the source to 30/40, bring all the levels to 75db except for the sub of which I can also control it from the front as desired with the remote, however in the measurements I keep it around 85/90db ..but anyway I can adjust it later.
but going back to 75db you think it's okay to stick to this volume and in case of need since I have the master volume from the source and on 30/40 I can increase from there bringing everything to 85db in case of need.
if instead I already set everything to 85db, then I won't have any safety margin let's say.
or perhaps you set the source volume to maximum and then adjusted the levels until you reached 85 dB.
so at maximum volume you stay in the range you chose.
I think my method is fine too, what do you think?
I already start conservatively and if necessary increase from the master volume

After your amp gains are set the measurement for frequency response will also give you DB levels. You can get finer details by doing one speaker at a time. Do final adjustments by ear playing music. Just make sure you reference the mids for DB levels then match from there. Once you get the hang of it she will become easier to tune.

 

[nauc 10+ year member]

id eq at the db you listen to the most often. our ears dont hear things the same, at different volumes. why tune at 60 dbs, when you listen to 90