So I'll be be listening to music or watching a movie and want to check the channel level calibration. So I start the test tones and whip out my RS SPL and turn up the volume on the 1070 until I can actually measure something with the SPL. I turn up the volume until I am at 65 Dbs on the SPL, I fiddle around a little bit and then exit calibration (forgetting to turn the volume back down) and the volume blasts at me at a painful level because the volume on the 1070 was actually at +10, the highest it will go. So a +10 volume setting is needed to get a 65 db test tone? This just doesn't seem right. The test tones just seem so out of whack with the actual SPL when playing music or movies. I have my channel levels set to pretty much plus or minus one. Am I missing something here?

Test tones are not really any sort of real relation to real listening material, which may be part of the confusion. Here's my suggestion: First, set the volume to 0dB before entering the menu and then leave the master volume control alone. Next, set your meter to "slow" and C weighting. With this done, you should be able to calibrate the test tones to 75dB without making more than 3-8dB of adjustment per channel. You certainly should be well above 60dB in this case unless you have some unusually inefficient speakers.

I am trying that, be back in few minutes...

Ok, master volume set to 0, using the 7.1 inputs with the fixed 80 hz bypass, I must increase the front left channel to +10 to get a reading of 65 db on the SPL. My speakers are quite efficient Polk RTi's 91 db efficientcy. I am measuring at 8 feet from the speaker. Here's the interesting part, when I switch to optical DVD input using dolby digital, the test tone is measured at 75 db with the same +10 channel level and master volume set to 0.

What are you using for a test tone? Does the DVD player have built in tones, or are you using a test disc?

Actually, wait. If you're using the 7.1 inputs, I believe you have to use the DVD player's calibration settings, and not the receiver. Since everything is kept in the analog stage, all of the calibration is taken care of by the DVD player.

I could be wrong about this, but I'm not sure. Also, I'm not sure how you're doing this, but if you're using the DVD player's test tones, you might want to try a calibration disc.

Here's more info. Without the +10 channel increase and master volume set to zero, the SPL will read 55 dbs for all channels expect for the sub which will read 65 dbs. Now, when I switch to optical input using dolby digital, without the +10 channel increase, all channels including the sub will read 65 db.

I tried the other 7.1 bass management modes as well and found that the tets tones using the two bypass modes are both about 10 db low on all channels except for the sub compared to the optical input. The "digital" 7.1 mode is measured at the same SPL level as the optical input on all channels including the sub.

Jhoff80,

I am using the 1070's test tones. You bring up an interesting point, since I am using the 7.1 inputs in a bypass mode, maybe I can't use the internal 1070 test tones to measure anything. I just though it was interesting that depending on the input mode selected on the 1070 that it would play the test tones at different levels.

I used Avia to calibrate, but I'm also using the digital crossover for the 7.1 inputs, so maybe thats why I didn't see an issue. Maybe see if your DVD player might have test tones within its menus, and see if that gives the same results.

If you are using the internal test tones, the active input and bass management options should not have any effect on the output levels from the test tones. If you are encountering a difference, then I have to say that I'm stumped (speaking as someone without a 1070 in hand to experiment with). Don't be afraid to make use of the Outlaws, though - you can call them or fire off a question to the online support site .