Thanks gonk and all that responded, and to respond to a part of gonk's first response, yes, I am using balanced cables.

I can't wait to try this out!

Just wanted report I calibrated my speakers over the weekend and I am just flabergasted by the sound...my system sounds so sweet!

I ended up turning the volume down on the 990 to -10 and calibrated to 75db at that setting. It worked great. All of my trim levels are between -3 and +1. I do feel like I'm running my sub a bit hot though (Outlaw LFM-1 EX). The volume on the sub is at about 10 o'clock and the trim level is +1, but the db at -10 on the 990 is about 90db.

I admit I like a lot of bass, which is really a matter of taste, but 90db seems a bit hot. I'm thinking it is most likely a matter of sub placement. I'd like to move it around to see if I can get the calibration and sound a little more balanced, but my current sub cable is too short to move it anywhere. I'm planning to buy a longer cable, but can anyone tell me what the recommended max length of a sub cable would be?

Once I get the new cable, I plan to place the sub in my favorite listening position and do the "sub crawl." I told my wife that the other night when we were enjoying a few beers and she laughed so hard she spit her beer all over the coffee table. Luckily, my remotes were next to me on the couch. She told me I'm turning into such a geek, which I take as a compliment!

Also, gonk, I tried the crossover settings you recommended for my Axiom speakers (60 for the mains, 100 for the center, and 120 for the surrounds) and man does it sound great. The difference is most evident in the M80's. I forgot just how much these speakers can handle and now that I lowered the crossover frequency, they really shine. I was listening to some music in stereo mode last night and I fell in love with my system all over again.

Sub cable length shouldn't be an issue - get what you need to put the sub where you need it, and be sure to avoid running it in parallel with the power cord (close proximity to 120VAC could yield a "hum" from the sub).

Keep in mind also that the standard Radio Shack SPL meter is not perfectly accurate at low frequencies. There's a correction chart out there somewhere to compensate for that, and if you haven't done so already you may be running hotter than you think. It's just something to think about. Once you get the sub into its final place, you might want to experiment some more with the trim settings.

Glad to hear that the new crossover settings are working well for you!

Thanks gonk. I'll have to see if I can find that correction chart to compensate for the SPL meter's deficiencies at low frequencies. When you say I might be running hotter than I think, is that necessarily a bad thing? I mean, doesn't it really boil down to setting the speakers (sub included) to a level that sounds best to me? Is there any harm with the sub running too hot?

Fredneck

Here is a link to the correction table.

Correction Table

Thanks mzpro5. Perhaps you can help me decipher what those corrections actually boil down to when I'm calibrating my sub. Specifically, when I calibrated my speakers, I set the volume on the 990 at -10 and set all the speakers to 75db from that reference point. The trouble I'm having is with the sub. I'm at work right now, so I don't have all my trim levels available, but if I recall correctly, most of them were set between -4 to +1. I set my sub up to my liking at +1 trim level and the volume on the sub itself is at about the 10 o'clock position. I like a lot of bass, but at this level, the db for the sub output is coming in around 90db (with the radio shack meter). Based on the chart you provided, how should I be measuring/calibrating this?

In the end, it is your ears (and your satisfaction with the overall sound reaching those ears) that matter the most, but calibration by ear alone is almost impossible (I've tried it, as have others, and it's inevitable disappointing) and subwoofer/speaker integration is a tricky matter. I'd at least try running the system with a lower trim setting on the sub to at least have something to compare to.

I'm curious what the meter readings would have been if you had moved the sub channel's trim down to around -10dB (and if you then liked the resulting sound when listening to movies and music).

I did try that at first. In fact, when I turn the trim down to around -10, the SPL meter reads around 75 db. However, the difference is very noticable...to wit, almost non-existance of bass. Perhaps that is what it should sound like, but I like to hear and feel the bass. Now, the other issue involved here is probably the sub placement. I'm going to order a 30 or 40' cable from blue jeans cable so I can really experiment with the sub's placement. I'm thinking my primary listening/viewing spot is right in the middle bass dead spot.

I'll have to say that my sub trim/setting is where I rely on my "subjective analysis". I will use the meter for the sub but always end up tweaking it to my personal preference. In fact I will alter the trim via the sub's controls for different media. I realize the practice probably wouldn't be considered "professional" but it's what I like. And I have a tendency to run a bit hot according to the meter, especially with movies (like the floor to shake