Audio Calibration: What Does It Mean?

So you’ve gone out and purchased all of the equipment you will need for a home theater system.  Congratulations!

But have you calibrated the system?

Great sound can only be had in an optimal way when all of the component parts are working together to produce sound as it was intended to be heard.  This doesn’t happen by chance.  It happens by design.  Sound design.

Audio Calibration is the process of making micro adjustments in your audio system so that you attain the most pristine sound when you are sitting in the prime location of our surround sound system.  Just as there are the “best seats” in a concert hall, there is a prime location in your home, depending on how your sound system was designed (and by designed, I am referring to things like the structure of your room, the acoustics that are naturally present, and speaker placement).

The key consideration of a great home theater system is making sure the levels (or loudness) of each speaker are balanced.  There is a “correct” or “ideal” level for each speaker, but the levels are not necessarily the same throughout the surround sound system because each speaker as their own unique properties.

Getting the calibration correct for your home theater system is both an art and a science.  Doing it properly is not easy.  It involves using an SPL meter, going into the settings of your system and selecting the proper size and level for each channel, making adjustments to the subwoofer, avoiding any nulls with the subwoofer, and using a test disc.

If all of this sounds too complicated, give us a call at (661) 309-2508 and let us help you get it right!