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Denon 1912 Volume question...

7K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Tezster 
#1 ·
I just purchases a Denon 1912 which is hooked up to my shaw direct box by HDMI, the problem I am having is it seems that I have to turn the volume up really loud. It sounds great , dont get me wrong but it seems unusually high on the dial. I have calibrated all the speakers but was just wondering if this is just the way it is or is there something I am missing. Thanks.
 
#2 ·
What levels were the speakers set to by Audyssey?

I ask this because, earlier today, I helped a colleague tweak his new HT set-up - which includes a Denon AVR-1712 and a Klipsch Sub 12 (nice pieces of equipment, good values when on sale) - and we noticed that the volume had to be turned up fairly high to get to a good playback level. (I don't recall the exact numbers, but we were playing Master & Commander somewhere in the range of -10dB to -7dB, and I believe I normally play it at somewhere in the range of -16 to -12dB.)

He had already run Audyssey and it had set all the speaker levels around the -4dB level (and the sub to -12dB).

In his case (and perhaps in yours, too?), turning down the gain on the sub may cause Audyssey (once it's re-run) not to drop the sub level - and, in concert with that, the levels of the rest of the speakers - quite so low, which should result in not having to turn the volume up as loud for playback.
 
#3 ·
I have to turn the volume up really loud
All the way to 11? ;).

Seriously, how far do you crank it (what number is on the face of the unit). What are you comparing it to? As mentioned by eljay, try reducing the volume on the sub (12 o'clock is usually a good starting point) to see if the other speakers are then at higher levels after running Audyssey again. Different sources can also have different volume levels and I believe the Denon allows you to adjust each source level (which you may wish to increase)
 
#4 ·
Volume levels with broadcast TV can be highly variable, so it's not surprising you need to turn it up quite a bit with your Shaw STB.

I've so far found that -10dB for my Denon receiver sounds about right for a "loud" movie-watching experience. It was a small surprise for me having previously used a Pioneer AVR, where my typical listening levels were around -28dB to -30dB on its volume scale. I suppose it makes sense when you consider the Denon volume control goes up to +18dB.

As 57 mentioned, you can adjust the default volume offset for each source on the Denon - I have my TV source set to +8dB.

You may also wish to try using the Dynamic Volume and/or Dynamic EQ modes to 'normalize' the volume levels. I rarely use Dyn. EQ, as I find it increases both the LFE and surround channel levels too much, but it's still useful for certain sources.
 
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