TOPIC:

I switched out the cables going to my powered Genelecs from unbalanced to balanced using the Phoenix connectors and re-ran the Dirac measurements. The input remains unbalanced. Internally I left the 88a set to 2 volts input.

After running the calibration and re-engaging Dirac I noticed the system sounded quite a bit louder than before. My Genelecs were set to maximum output at the time of calibration.

I opened up REW and ran sound output measurements on each channel. Reference is now set at 85db for 0db on my Yamaha RX-Z7. I can cure this by lowering the output of the Genelecs (backing off on the volume pot). I tried this and it was easy to get back to 75db output at the 0db volume setting on the Yamaha.

By going this route, am I compromising anything? And, why is this happening? One thing of note, before switching the cables, -12 on the Dirac set up screen occurred at about -53db. After switching the cables, it became -63db.

The system sounds very quiet, with plenty of volume and very clean. I had to lower the Genelec volume control from full up to about two thirds to maximum to achieve the 75db output.

Thanks for any insight.

Hi, the balanced outputs are 4V or 8V.

john.reekie wrote:

Hi, the balanced outputs are 4V or 8V.

It is set at 4 volts. But I'm not sure how your response answers my question.

Are you sure? before you said it was 2V, which is for RCA out, for balanced out that would be 8V.

The input is unbalanced 2 volts. Output is balanced 4 volts.

And previously (with RCA) the output was 0.9 V?

Correct. Input 2 volts, output .9. Both unbalanced.

@ Tonygeno,

Ok let's summarize.
You went from:
SETUP#1: RCA in, 2Vrms in / RCA out, 0.9Vrms out

To

SETUP#2: RCA in 2Vrms in / Balanced Out, 4Vrms out.

So if we sum up you are not producing quite a lot more signal out from the Genelec. Based on the fact that Setup1 was using max volume on the genelec, it sounds like you're simply "matching" better the input sensitivity of your Genelec and your overall gain structure.

All good from what we can see. It's always better to have volume at the amplifier (i.e. plate amps at the rear of the speakers in this case) at a lower volume. It means that you're hitting the sensitivity (and optimizing your SNR) from our point of view.

Does this analysis make sense?

DevTeam

This is helpful. So the final question is, is it okay to adjust the channels after calibration, using the volume pots on the Genelecs and subwoofer again, AFTER calibration?

I am using the Yamaha to generate the test tone and REW to take the sound pressure measurements.

Thanks!

@ Tonygeno

Unless we're misunderstanding something, you really shouldn't go "monkey" with the Genelec volume once a calibration is done. You'll loose the whole process of "gain alignment" that Dirac algorithm is doing behind the scenes. If you need to modify your overall level, do it at your source maybe?

DevTeam