HOME THEATER AUDIO CALIBRATION AND DESIGN

The reason that this technique can be superior to that found in products today are many.  First, the quality of the microphone is not going to be very high.  Quality microphones and electronics need to have flat response and be fast enough to measure room reflections.  Systems that can do this are not cheap.  Second, the receiver cannot do any adjustments to your subwoofer or speaker placement.  These are critical parameters for achieving the best sound quality from your equipment.  Third, balancing individual speaker response and overall system response is a very complicated thing and subject to significant error if not done appropriately.  Fourth, the methods that are employed tend to over process the audio data reducing its clarity.

Click on this link for an example of the mistakes made during automatic calibration versus AccuCal manual calibration.  Here are two frequency response measurements comparing automatic and manual calibration for another system.  Here is another example showing Audyessey versus manual calibration for the LFE channel.  These are average measurements of a 5.1 system from the same location using the same microphone.  The automatic calibration was from a major brand receiver.  These differences in performance are typical and very audible.

We also specialize in calibrating products like the ADA Cinema Rapture, Bryston SP2 or SP3 and Classe SSP-800 preamplifier processor that do not include any automatic calibration methods, but instead wisely rely on manual techniques.

Proper setup of all of your audio components is key to achieving the best results from your system.  These components include your cables, receiver, preamp/processor, speakers, subwoofer, room, furnishings and listener positioning.  All of these aspects will be reviewed to determine what is best for you.

Acoustic design services are also available to ensure your room will deliver the best results possible.  Here is an example of what is included in the lowest cost treatment plan.  Optimum seating and speaker placement can also be included in the design.  Each plan will be customized to meet your needs.  A visit to your theater before and after the plan is also available.

Acoustic treatment and speaker placement design (if purchased)

Various movies and music recordings