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Help a noob – Audioholics Home Theater Forums

Dolby Reference Level is defined as 105 dB PEAKS at the listening position. The LFE can be 115 dB (most receivers now add the +10 dB automatically although some allow you to set it).

The level of the test tone you use determines what level you should shoot for on the SPL meter. All receiver’s internal test tones are at -30 dB (it’s a THX requirement and they all use it, whether the unit is THX certified or not). Thus, if you want Dolby Reference Level you want the SPL meter to read 75 dB (75+30=105).

Most receivers have a test tone system, so what you do is to buy a Radio Shack sound pressure meter and set it for C weighting and then turn up the volume until you get 75 dB out of all your speakers. Most AVRs have a way to set each channel’s equalization up and down a little so it is all equal.