Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Calabration Problem

Well I upgrade to the new 3.5 SW. Thought this would fix my calabration problem I have been having since 3.0. I would like to hear from anyone with this problem or from anyone that might have any idea's on the issue. When I try to calabrate my G68AVX Type 0 system to 75 DB, I cannot. My center speaker will only calabrate to 79 bd at the lowest volume setting ( -12). So I must calabrate the entire system to 79db for all the speakers will be at the same sound levels. I am using balance to unbalance adaptors but am also having new balanced cables made. This will increase the input sensitivity to the amp by 6 db. This will make everything even higher. I will have to calabrate the system to at least 85 db.
Back when I was using 2.3 sw I did not have this problem, that I can remember anyway. I grew up in the 60's & 70's so my mind is not as sharp as it should be, I think. The amps are Moon W-6 for the front L,R & center / W-3 for rears. Speakers are as follows Front L&R Verity Audio Parsifal Ovation, Center Revel Voice & Rears Revel S-30.
I called Meridian of North America and asked them about this problem. They said they could not be of any help because the amps & speakers were not made by them. Thanks for any input

Mostlikely it is the adapter. I pick up a few for emergency purposes and finaly got around to testing them. They're a decent quality, but found that they did attenuate the signal. I ended up building a Bal to Unbal cable and found the attenuation went away.

The 75dB datum is (I think) recommended for compliance with THX levels. I calibrate my 7.0 system to 82db because I have a DSP centre with sensitive mains/rears and powerful amps for them - I am more concerned about any loss of fidelty through attenuating the L/R signal than matching the THX standard. This is a subjective thought, not based on any hard facts.

Typical listening levels are 64/PLIIxTHX for TV, 82 for DD/DTS in THXsurEX (hate Ultra), 75 for Direct CD.

Do you notice any quality problems through calibrating to the higher level?

Hello VintageGenX thanks for the response. The adaptors are hand made 1.5 meter cables by FMS & not those small balance to unbalanced adaptors. I consider anything an adaptor that changes from one thing to another within it self. I have tried differant adaptors small ones and ones they use in band equipment and it doesn't make a differance. I have them because my old VAC amp and preamp. They had only RCA connections for the front L&R speakers so I had them made all the same just the legths are differant . I did not have that 6 bd issue with the center speaker at that time and that is why this bothers me cause that part has not changed yet the calabration db has.

Hello gianni thanks for your reply also.
The issue with the higher db I am having is, if I try to set the bass speaker size now on my front speakers at the higher db settings they distort at a much lower size, now 4 before 8 and I am wondering if this will be an issue with sound quality at later date.

Interesting.

My logic goes something like....

A speaker will distort at a given spl regardless of any upstream settings. So any reduction in sensitivity on the processor will be balanced my an increase in overall volume setting - so the speaker is not a variable. And I thought that by reducing the sensitivity in the procesor there is a risk of digital distortion due to lower dynamic range at the processor. You have made me think again bringing in the speaker size which will make the speaker a variable.

I am not familiar with your speakers or amps. Could you be overloading the inputs to the amps?

Hi All,
I see the critics are out there as useual.

None of course have run a sucessfull Hi-End AV company from ground up, so their opinions should be wieghted in accordance to their experiance.

It is easy to sit on the sideline and comment but if its your baby your perspective will be differant.
Poor Meridian, damned if they do as speculation results and damned if they dont, as speculation results.
What to do, what to do?

We will just have to wait and trust they know what they are doing. You can be certain it will be their best, which to date hasn't been so bad.

Cheers, Chris

Edit: Does that sound a bit strong, I dont mean it to.

Chris,

I assume this is in the wrong thread.

I'd also verify that the "adapter" on the balanced side includes a jumper from pins 1 & 3.