Audio Systems: Speaker balance, niles speakers, inexpensive radio

Question
I have a system with Niles speakers built into the wall for the front 3 speakers. When I ran a system setup disc I noticed that the center speaker has a very different equalization from the left and right. I would like to have all 3 the same, I think.

I have a Sony receiver that allows equalization of each channel, but I'm not sure what all the different levels really mean. Any suggestions on what to look for?

Thanks.

Answer
Dear John,

Ooh, set-up discs. Hmm.

My suggestion is this. Ignore the disc and use the Sony's set-up utility to configure your speakers. Access this through the Sony's on-screen set-up menu. Go to the speaker set-up section where you set the relative levels of all the speakers.

First, let's differentiate between speaker set-up and equalization.

Equalization is a tricky concept and can mean many different things. What you want--I think (I can't know what you *really* want)--is that the relative sound levels of all the speakers reach the optimal listening position at about the same strength. Notice I didn't say "time"--because the whole point of surround sound is allowing the sound to reach the listening position when the CD/DVD intend it to.

Equalization is also a set of sound shaping algorithms which contour the sound to accent treble, bass, and so on. Think "tone controls". What you need--again, I think--is simply to set the levels correctly.

Now, back to our feature...

The speaker level setting feature of the Sony will emit pink noise from each speaker in succession. The user's manual will tell you the sequence in advance. Listen to the intensity of the pink noise from each speaker. Set the level as you hear the pink noise at the optimal listening position. I have found that a very inexpensive Radio Shack Sound Level Pressure Meter is extremely helpful in doing this. (No, I don't have a financial interest in Radio Shack.) The meter will register the optimal level for the first speaker--say, 80dB, whatever sounds best to you. You then set each successive level to peak the meter at 80dB. Very simple. After 5.1 or 7.1 speakers, you're done.

If I've missed the boat entirely, let me know. Otherwise, give it a try. And don't worry about the disc that came with the Niles.

Good luck. And thanks for choosing allexperts.com!

Kindest regards,

Kevin