For a while now I've just had all speakers set at 0 (except for the center which was +1). Everything sounded ok but I just didn't seem to be getting enough sound from my rear speakers.
Now my fronts are set to -3 and rears/sides to +3 and it made quite a difference without overpowering the fronts.
Now I can actually hear something coming from the rears and sides.
Just wondering what others here have their settings at and if it's a big difference between the front and rear/side speakers.

The settings are dependent on room placement, room acoustics, and speaker efficiency. You really need to grab an SPL meter and set these levels that way. It will make a significant difference. The Outlaw manual has some good instructions for doing this, and you can pick up an SPL meter from Radio Shack for $30 or $40.

Hello: I only have a 5.1 set up. Depending on the type of speakers your running on your surrounds will determine the trim settings. Have you done a calabration with the radioshack SPL tool? When you do the test tones with the 990 you must have the volume set at 0 dbs or close to that. For my B&W's my settings are 0 for the fronts +3 dbs for the center and +4 dbs for my surrounds.

before I added my rear surround and was only 5.1, I did set things up with a meter but that was a while ago. Since then I am running 2 separate amps. 1 for the mains and center, the other for the rears. I think that some of the problem may be that my one amp (adcom) has volume level controls in the back. Right now they are turned all the way down so the levels of my rear speakers may not have been the same as my fronts which are hooked to an outlaw amp. Yes I'll most likely have to get a meter. But seeing that your level settings are higher for the surrounds makes me think that my levels were too low to begin with. Thanks for the info guys, I'll go get a meter. Dave

System changes such as adding different amps are always good times to re-visit the calibration.

Yes, when I was trying out two different amps I had to recalibrate after every amp change. Sometimes two or three times a day.

Well after picking up a meter from Radio Shack and calibrating the system I found that it still didn't sound right so the meter is going to be returned. After calibration, my fronts were 0 my center was -6 my surround left and right were +1 and surround rear was +2. I couldn't make out the dialog very well and ended up changing it to -3 on my center and I changed the the surround left and right to +4 and the rear surround to +5 and it sounds much better. The meter may technically be correct but my ears told me otherwise.

Some of what you are hearing is likely personal preference. Many people are used to running the system with the surrounds hotter than normal because you hear more from them, even though the intent of the surround mixes is to have the front soundstage be more active.

This is my fist time at the saloon. I purchased a 990 this past December. I have been very happy with the product. Previously owned Fosgate 3 and 4, Citation 7 and 5. Speakers are the original MC220 LCR and SD-180 surrounds. In regards to calibration. I agree with gonk. My personally preference is to heaar the intent of the surround mixes. I have found when you are combining both movie and and music systems together in most cases you get better overall performance with equall response to all speakers. Listen to acoustic string bass. A solo bass should be centered. With a properly calibrated system the performer will appeared centered. When your surrounds are jacked too high the center image will appear stretched. But again it is a hobby and everybody has different taste. Nice meeting everybody.

Welcome to the saloon, singing italian. Glad to hear that the 990 is doing a good job for you.