steves,
I DID read what you wrote. The word 'IF' in your statement doesn't invalidate my statement and I didn't miss it when I read it the first time.
It implied that you condone altering the levels after SPL calibration. I see from your later post that you do not. You needed to clarify that though to make that point.

Now you're not just disagreeing with me, but also all the other people who adjust their levels slightly per source after level calibration (by ear of SPL meter) -which I'd bet is most of us here. At least many.

Lena,

Why the "Tsk, Tsk"? You seem to be criticizing me for discussing the use of an SPL meter when I don't use one myself -as if I didn't mention that fact, or I don't know what I'm talking about?

Obviously I never hid that I don't use an SPL meter, and in fact stated it outright. That's how you knew I don't use one- 'cuz I said it!?
No deception or anything on my part.

I understand very clearly how an SPL meter works. How they're meant to calibrate the speaker levels. How the results -if completed as intended- will improved a surround system. Seriously "No offence",but most likely more than you yourself do.

Most importantly (IMO) I understand how lots of variables alter this method into inaccuracy.

I've yet to be told (civilly or uncivilly) how to take into account for all these variables (or ANY of them individually even) and factor them out of the process.
I'm prefectly willing to learn from you or anyone on this issue.
So far I think I just put thoughts in people's heads that they'd rather not think about.
Uncertainly often causes uneasiness which comes out as anger -which you see here from others who are ticked at me.

I coulda' posted nothing, or I coulda' posted "Yeah, SPL meters rule! Everybody hug! We're all right!"

I challenge people to think deeper and lots of people hate that. Some people learn something though. I know I have when I've been challenged in the past (and I'm sure in the future).

I certainly don't know squat compared to some of these elec. engineer / custom modification / DIY speakers building / super high end audiophiles who post on certain other forums.

I've said things in the past that I knew I was far from the first to say -things I thought were just 'understood facts', and they busted me by telling me the details of what I never thought or knew about, and I learned from it. And I've busted other people on it.

Some like to learn stuff on forums, some just like to post to chit chat and be friendly w/ people who bought the same stuff they did.

You do seem to understand the points I'm making about the many many variables in the calibration method.
I believe you mentioned one yourself about pointing the meter up or pointing forward, but maybe that wasn't you who said that (I can't read the past posts while I'm making my own post -they don't show up on this comp.). No offence if it wasn't you ok?

I'm also NOT telling you that you did not hear an improvement when you used your SPL meter to calibrate your system. I trust that you DID. You misunderstand if you think I disbelieve you. I have no reason to not take you at your word. Nothing you've ever said has ever seemed untrustworthy IMO.

BTW, of all the mentions of rat shacks' SPL meters, 99 times out of 100 people rec. the analog over the digital, so I wouldn't worry about not having the digital model.
I believe the 'gist' of it is that the analog meter is more accurate since you directly see the meter needle w/ your own eyes, whereas with the digital model reads the analog input and tells you (presumed w/ less accuracy) what it thinks it read.
A cleaner reading from the cheaper model.

Gonk,

No need to worry about me getting flamed. I knew that I'd be in the minority on this issue, and I took a guess that some people would assume I'm telling everyone that they're wrong in using an SPL meter and turn 'mob mentality' on me.

I'm glad you can see what I really mean regardless if you agree or disagree w/ me.
Yes, I'm very 'forceful' a lot of times, I can't disagree with you on that. But you bring out the worst AND the best in others when you challenge them. I intend the latter (most of the time -heh).

Just as you stated all kinds of variables that are funny yet actually do effect things, you see my point about how you just have to accept variables that you can't correct for.

Let me ask everyone... how WRONG were you when you went from 'by ear' calibration to trusting the SPL meter results? And how do you know that factoring in some/any/all of the variables I listed, that you are still far more accurate (if any more) than you could get by ear?

Personally I'm just curious at how bad you all feel your ears are at listening to test tones and how accurate you think your specific method ('cuz no two people here do it exactly the same) of SPL calibration is.

It's not a big deal for me really. I would only be using a meter to level match my pair of rear speakers and my subs to my mains. My room is totally symetrical so I'm sure the mains and the rears as pairs are the same to eachother (meaning I don't need to guess about a left rear that's farther away than the right rear).

Since I hear a totally solid surround field and obviously specifically adjusted these levels till I fealt that's just what I heard, I really really doubt an SPL meter would improve on that.
Nor would I be confident in the least that the method I'd choose to use that meter would be without it's own equally bad flaws.

-and face it these very tiny flaws are would directly relate to just the sort of 'slight' db adjustments the SPL meter is intended to correct!