Ever wanted to forego those automatic speaker setups (Audyssey MultEQ, YPAO, MCACC) that come with your receiver? This is a simple guide on how to manually calibrate your speaker system using a SPL meter. It really is pretty simple and fun to do, it should take you no more than 15 to 20 minutes to get things up and running.

Calibrating your speaker system enhances the overall sound experience when watching movies because the channels work harmoniously with each other, one does not overpower the other.

Follow these steps to calibrate your home theater system using a SPL meter:

1. Obtain a sound pressure level (SPL) meter.There are various brands out there but most people find the RadioShack 33-4050 Analog Sound Level Meter to be adequate for home use. Others may argue that one with a digital display would be a more accurate way of doing things. If you agree with digital being better, there is also a RadioShack 33-2055 Digital Sound Level Meter available. The analog version is priced at $45 while the digital dversion is $50. For this guide, the analog version was used.

2. Set the SPL meter to C-Weighting and Slow Response.

Note: Placing the SPL meter on a tripod would yield slightly better results as it will be more stationary than holding the device in your hand.

3. Go to the “sweet spot” or your usual listening position and place the sound meter at a height approximately where your ear level is.

4. Orient the SPL meter microphone towards direction of the speaker being calibrated.

5. Play your test tones. It can be the test tones on your receiver or a calibration disc such as Avia or Digital Video Essentials (DVE).

6. Do not stand anywhere between the SPL meter and the speaker currently playing the test tone.

7. Find the volume level on your receiver which will hit 75dB the closest. Mine was set at -4.0dB on the receiver to hit 75dB (I use a Yamaha RX-V663). This would let you make minimal level adjustments.

You might ask why calibrate to 75dB. 75dB is considered the “reference level standard.” Do note that when you watch movies, you will rarely go to the reference volume point, which in my case is -4.0dB, because that is deafeningly loud already.

How to interpret the needle readings on the SPL meter: If you set the dial to 80, that means your reference point is 80dB. When the needle points to 0, that means you are getting a reading of 80dB. When the needle points to -5, that means you are getting a reading of 75dB, and so on.

8. Adjust the speaker level of each channel accordingly until a reading of 75dB is achieved for each and every channel, including the subwoofer. You can calibrate your subwoofer to be +3dB or +6dB higher if it has enough headroom and you prefer more emphasis on bass effects.

9. Do not forget to set your speaker distances accordingly on the receiver. Measuring with a tape measure would suffice. This lets the receiver automatically setup the speaker delay for each speaker depending on the distance you’ve inputted.