Az,

Sorry, he who speaks from conjecture and not fact (since you have never tried an SPL meter) doesn't have any standing regarding the accuracy of using said SPL meter.

Until you actually use one, nothing you can say will change anyone's mind, especially mine.

I also use a calibrated mic with an MLS based software system to measure many of my rooms acoustic variables so I have a baseline to evaluate any changes I make.

This gives me RT60 echo values, impulse response graphs, frequency response graphs, phase graphs, waterfall plots of frequency over time, exact distance from mic to each speaker.

With these I can identify surfaces causing early reflections, adjust my paramtric EQ to reduce room mode bass peaks, adjust the blend of my sub to mains through an active external xover (symmetrical L/R -24db slope), etc.

And guess what? I still use the SPL meter plus VE DVD to balance the output levels of my 5.1 speakers.

[This message has been edited by bstan (edited August 07, 2002).]