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RSP-1580 SURROUND SOUND PROCESSOR
TEST TONE SETUP
T E S T
T O N E
F L : +
1 d B
F R : +
2 d B
C N T : -
1 d B
S W: +
9 d B
S L : +
4 d B
S R : +
5 d B
C B L : - - - - -
C B R : - - - - -
L V H : -
3 d B
R V H : +
3 d B
M A I N
M E N U
This menu uses filtered pink noise test tones to set equal volume levels
for all speakers (left front, center, right front, right surround, center back,
left surround, left vertical height, right vertical height and subwoofer)
to ensure proper surround sound reproduction. Setting the output levels
using the test procedure provides the most accurate adjustment so that
digital surround sound material will be reproduced as it was intended
and is a critical step in calibrating the system.
Note:
If you have configured your system to use two center back
speakers, there will be an additional line in the menu, giving you the
ability to independently adjust the CENTER BACK 1 and CENTER BACK
2 speakers. If you have selected Vertical Height speakers in Speaker
setup, the CENTER BACK speakers will not be adjustable.
To access this menu and perform the test tone calibration, you can be
in any surround mode except BYPASS with any input except the MULTI
INPUT. Enter the OSD menu system and select TEST TONE from the MAIN
MENU to reach this screen.
When you enter the TEST TONE menu, you will hear a test tone coming
from the highlighted speaker. Highlight different speakers by moving the
cursor to the desired line using the Up/Down buttons. The test tone will
shift accordingly to the selected speaker.
Seated in the normal listening location, shift the test tone to the various
speakers. Using the one speaker as a reference, listen for any speakers that
are noticeably louder or quieter. If so, adjust that speaker’ s levels up or
down (in 1dB increments) using the Left/Right buttons. Continue switching
among the speakers and adjusting until all are the same volume.
To return to the MAIN menu, press the ENTER button. Press the MENU/
OSD button on the remote to cancel the menu display and return to
normal operation.
Calibration with an SPL meter:
Calibrating the system with an SPL (Sound Pressure Level) meter, rather
than by ear , provides more precise results and improves the system’s
performance significantly. Inexpensive SPL meters are widely available
and the procedure is quick and easy.
Both Dolby and DTS specify a standard calibration level for all theaters
to ensure that soundtracks can be played at the volume level intended
by the director of the film. This reference level should result in spoken
dialog played at a realistic level for normal speech with the loudest peaks
in any single channel at about 105dB. The RSP-1580’s test tones are
generated at a precise level (-30dBFs) relative to the loudest possible
digitally recorded sound. At the Dolby or DTS reference level, these test
tones should produce a 75dB reading on an SPL meter.
Set the meter to its 70dB dial setting with SLOW response and C-weighting,
held away from your body at your listening position (mounting the SPL
meter on a camera tripod makes this easier). You can point the SPL meter
at each speaker as it is being measured; however , positioning the meter
in a fixed position pointing at the ceiling is easier and probably produces
more consistent results.
Increase the master volume control on the unit until the meter reads 75dB
(+5dB on the meter scale) when playing the test tone through one of
the front speakers. Then, use the individual channel adjustments on the
TEST TONE menu to adjust each of the individual speakers, including
the subwoofer, to the same 75dB on the SPL meter .
Note:
Due to meter weighting curves and room effects, the actual level of
the subwoofer may be slightly higher than you measure. To compensate,
Dolby suggests setting the subwoofer several dB lower when calibrating
with an SPL meter (i.e. set the subwoofer to read 72dB on the meter instead
of 75dB). Ultimately, the proper subwoofer level must be determined by
personal taste and some listeners prefer to set it above 75dB for film
soundtracks. Exaggerated bass effects come at the expense of proper
blending with the main speakers and place stress on the subwoofer and its
amplifier. If you can localize bass from the subwoofer, the subwoofer level
may be too high. Music can be useful for fine-tuning the subwoofer level
as excessive bass is readily apparent. The proper setting will generally
work well for music and movie soundtracks.
Remember the setting of the master volume control used during this
calibration. To play a Dolby Digital or DTS soundtrack at the reference
volume level, simply return to that volume setting. Note that most home
theater listeners find this setting to be excessively loud. Let your own ears
be the judge for deciding how loud to playback movie soundtracks and
adjust the master volume control accordingly. Regardless of your listening
levels, using an SPL meter to calibrate equal levels for all speakers in the
system is recommended.
DELAY SETUP
D E L A Y S E T U P
[ f t ]
[ m]
[ f t ]
[ m]
F L : 1 2 . 5
3 . 7 5
F R : 1 1 . 5
3 . 4 5
C N T : 1 1 . 0
3 . 3 0
S W:
5 . 0
1 . 5 0
S L :
5 . 0
1 . 5 0
S R :
6 . 0
1 . 8 0
C B L :
9 . 0
2 . 7 0
C B R :
8 . 0
2 . 4 0
L V H :
6 . 0
1 . 8 0
R V H :
6 . 0
1 . 8 0
MA I N M E N U
The DELAY SETUP menu, which is reached from the MAIN menu, allows
you to set the delay for individual speakers. This ensures that the sound
from each speaker arrives simultaneously at the listening position, even
when the speakers are not all placed at equal distances from the listener
. Increase the delay to speakers located closer to the seating area and
decrease the delay to speakers located farther from the seating area.
This Rotel processor makes setting the delay time for each speaker very
easy. Simply measure the distance (in feet or meters) from your seating
position to each speaker in your system. Set the measured distance in
the line for each speaker. The menu provides a line for each speaker
configured in your system and gives a range of settings up to 99 feet (30
