Sound pressure level meters

[Thomassteele]

Can you please tell me if you can use a sound pressure level meter that only has a fast setting to set up your speaker levels on a av receiver.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Given that the test-tones are continuous, shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Thomassteele]

Thanks for the reply, I have the Sony str-dh800, which you can test tone each speaker seperately, so hopefully this should work.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Indeed - as on most receivers. This budget SPL meter may be of interest...

 

[matengawhat]

can you use these to set the volume level of a subwoofer for stereo use and if so how does it work? - sorry never used one!!!

 

[Thomassteele]

Thanks Andrew, I saw that one on the Maplins website, and wondered if it would have done, so I,m just going over to Maplins in Livingston just now a get one. Thanks again for your help.

 

[Andrew Everard]

matengawhat:can you use these to set the volume level of a subwoofer for stereo use and if so how does it work? - sorry never used one!!!

Well yes, provided you can source a test-tone you can run through your system, and then connect the main speakers, take a reading and then disconnect them, hook up the sub and test that. All but the most expensive meters are a little out of whack at low frequencies, but this should be good enough to get pretty close.

If you can't find a test-tone, try running a tuner off-station (of course with interstation muting off) and use the hiss as a source.

 

[matengawhat]

thanks for that, i run my sub off my SP2 on one of my power amps so i can take it out of circuit for late night listening so not to upset her upstairs!!! Test tone not got a tuner so might have to work on that - have got one of those demagnetising cds that have noise - and also its connected to my home cinema system so guess i could use the tones off that as wired in to fronts as well and can deslected them using the SP1 sockets so thats prob best way

but still not sure how it works because wouldn't the sub be considerably quieter than the tweeters and mid driver anyway? Always amazes me how little sound it seems each part makes but then when added together all of a sudden its like wow

 

[Andrew Everard]

Well if you have a 'puter with a CD burner, you can download some test-tones here.

They unzip to WAVs: burn them onto a CD, finalise it as audio, and play them on your CD player.

Or if you have a computer connected to the amp, there's a number of freeware/shareware progs available allowing your 'puter to operate as a test-tone generator.