I have a Denon 3803 receiver, and a Samsung 4k KU6300 50 inch tv. I am taking the optical out of the tv, and running into the receiver optical 1 input. Here are the questions I have about channel levels.
1. I am watching a movie from the internal streaming part of the tv. The movie from Amazon is marked "5.1". Receiver is set to "AUTO" mode. On the front of the receiver it says "Dolby Digital". Does this mean I am putting out 5.1 discrete channels of audio?
2. As I see it in the 3803 manual, in the Dolby Digital mode all 5.1 channels levels are adjustable. Is this correct?
3. I did a channel level adjust from the 3803's setup screen. I made it so the levels sounded the same from each speaker. But how do you know whether the levels should be set at 2, 6, 9, or any number?
4. Since in the Dolby Digital mode all channel levels are adjustable how do you know your level adjustments are reflecting what the maker of the movie intended the levels to be?
5. The level adjustment in the 3803 setup is what Denon calls a master level. You can also adjust the levels for each surround mode individually. Then why do a master level setup?
5. Is there a digital signal where the levels are not adjustable, and the channel levels are output just as the maker of the movie intended?

Just adjust levels to your liking. Sound good now? The movie maker does not know you or your environment and is probably on a beach with a drink and not concerned what your settings are. HDMI people are probably with him too.

This is basic audio calibration 101.

[Link: audioholics.com]

Unfortunately, it's not obvious that Dolby Digital is just a means of getting information from one place to another; it's not a certain number of channels. You can actually have monaural Dolby Digital! The channel indicator on the front of your receiver should tell you how many channels you've actually got.


You missed the detail that you should set every channel to output 75 dB SPL (just below #9 on P24).

This implies that if you rotate the volume control when in this mode, the volume won't change. How many people have actual SPL meters? Yamaha solves this dilemma by making all adjustments in relation to one non-adjustable channel.

I'd set the Main Left to some middle level and then match the other channels to it.


If they're set to be the same in the setup mode, then the levels coming from the movie will be what the maker intended. Nonetheless, I haven't heard a system yet that could not sound better with the rears turned up 4 dB above equal volume.


I don't know the answer to this one.


Nor that.

REALLY!!!!
You heathen, you pagan, you hack.  :)

Certainly there are audio tracks that one might not agree with the mix levels sometimes. But if you constantly disagree with the mix levels of everything you hear; the problem might be you, not the mix. Just saying.
Like that customer that listens to everything in all-channel stereo.

With satisfied customers. Yes, it's sacrilege. Yes, it's wrong. It is not, however, all channel stereo!

New to surround listeners demand high surround levels. Unfortunately I can't remember this from installation to installation. I'll set the system up such that the levels are balanced all around, start a movie, and the first comment from the customer is "why aren't the surround speakers working?". I'll then set the rear levels to smack the back of their head and grumble off.

What buzz does, almost every time.

And customer education is paramount! How can people learn anything if they are not educated. This doesn't mean glossing over it and then setting it up wrong if the customer doesn't understand a brief answer.

1) Surround speakers are for immersion, ambience, to setup an environment in your listening space that emulates the action you are watching.
2) This means the amount of sound you get from the surround speakers, will be very dependent on the scene happening. A lot of times those speakers will have no sound at all for most of a presentation.
3) Demo an all action Hollywood movie with sound constantly going from everywhere (Transformers or something). Then demo a good movie that has more dialog.
4) Do you here sound coming from the rear speakers constantly in a movie theater? Are they setup wrong?
5) Try using the system setup the correct way for awhile, then let's see what you think.

Some customers just refuse to have things done properly. No amount of education or discussion is going to change their mind on wanting it setup wrong. For those, go ahead and press that all-channel stereo button for them or crank the rear channels up 10dB above the others. But I always explain their bad decision and also not to include my name in conversation about who did the system for them.

Don't forget about one of the main reasons for wanting to hear the surround speakers as well as the main speakers- "I paid for them, why can't I hear them?".