Pioneer Elite VSX-82TXS automatic MCACC calibration issues

[The sound guy]

After repeated automatic calibrations of the MCACC system so ensure the process was done right, the playback volume of a DVD is SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER than the playback volume with the MCACC turned off. In addition, the tonal quality with the system isn't as crisp and brillant as without MCACC.

Has anyone experienced the same results (repeated)? If that isn't the case, can anyone suggest what I might be doing wrong and not realizng it? Yes, I even set the microphone on a tripod exactly where I would be sitting with the mic at ear height.

Thanks

[gsmollin]

It is probably normal to lose some volume, because the filters are set to cut. Loss of brilliance is usually a result of the room curve being used. It is common to cut high frequencies 6 dB/octave with a cinema curve above midrange frequencies. This is done to match the expected response of the commercial theater speakers, which roll off significantly at high frequencies.

One important thing to remember is that you must have a quiet room. Do the equalization at ~2 AM to keep traffic noise minimized. Turn off projector, computer, HVAC, refrigerators, freezers, fluorescent lamp ballasts, aquarium pumps, everything! Finally, just before you run the equaliztion, shut off any CRT monitor you may be using for the OSD. The horizontal sweep will trash the high frequency response!

Afterwards, I think you can examine the filter settings. Is it reasonable? I'm not sure if you can adjust them manually. That feature may vary by model number of the receiver. If you don't like the automatic setup, and you can manually change it, then you may be able to do a manual equalization.

Lastly, equalization does not make poor equipment sound better. It generally makes it sound worse, since you are adding the stress of the equaliztion. This is why the conservative approach only uses cut filters to lower room peaks. Boosting dips will quickly overload most home systems.

[tcarcio]

I have the 81TXV and I believe that is correct as mine were also low after doing the MCACC. I don't know if it is the right thing to do but after runiing that I went into the menu of the Pioneer and with an SPL meter I turned up the level of each channel so they were more to my likeing. It sounds excellent and I had each level set to 80db.

[The sound guy]

gsmollin : Thanks for the help. Although my room was very quiet, I'll make certain nothing else is on like the A/C, ****, etc. as you suggested.
My display system is the Pioneer Elite PRO-1130HD. Once I get to the part of the automatic calibration where it performs something like 8 tests or so, I'll need to turn off the media receiver since it turns off the plasma display.

[The sound guy]

tcarcio : Thank you also for your help. In addition to redoing the automatic calibration as I just described above and saving it as MCACC -1, I'll do a manual calibration too. I've got a Radio Shack digital sound level meter which I'll use to try to manually set each channel at 80db, then save it as MCACC-2.

I'm anxious to see how the two different calibration techniques compare to each other and then to MCACC 'off'.