@doug56hl for you then, you will need to
increase your non Dirac levels, to get them to match the Dirac levels.
If I do that the eq off (no Dirac) volume will get even louder. which is not what I want.
I'm comparing content, not test tones.
I'll try explaining this again. I'm using the subs for music. I'm doing looped A/B comparisons of music between a Dirac eq'd modified tone curve and the eq off original (with the AVR550 levels for this set at 75db as stated in the manual). If the volumes don't match the louder one will always sound better.
Eq Off: Play stereo CD volume on 57, sounds loud enough for me.
Dirac Eq On: play stereo CD, volume needs to go to 62 to be as loud.
(checked on the meter).
For eq off I've now
decreased the front L/R levels to -4.5 from their original +0.5 which now almost balances eq on and eq off volume at the same volume setting. Meter using the AVR550 test tones for eq off shows 71dB with a max of 71.4 dB so a decrease of 4dB was required to match the eq off and eq on volumes.
While I can see I may need to decrease the eq off levels across the board (to get equivalent volume to Dirac eq on) I can see problems with the sub level. Eq off level currently at -10 for both subs (max possible level trim and reads 85dB on the meter). Audyssey also had this level at -9.5dB for one sub and -10dB for the 2nd sub with the same sub volume setting.
Using the required decrease in levels seen for the front L/R speakers it would seem that to match the Dirac set eq on sub -3 level I'm going to have to reduce eq off sub to -16 or so (not possible) or reduce the sub's own volume.
But if I reduce the sub volume it will also lower the level in Dirac which is barely into green now when setting master volumes. If anything the subs own volume needs to increased for Dirac. The sub is set at 0dB cut in the CD eq on settings and I find it sometimes needs a boost up in stereo using the rtn control.
So where do I go from here? Increase subs own volume control for Dirac? (and do yet another calibration) which would take the subs up to around 90dB with stereo eq off. And then, if necessary, cut the sub trim levels for stereo eq off using the sub stereo control in the AVR550 CD settings?