As others are indicating, I would trust Audyssey but not completely. It typically gets it right, but there might be things about the room that throw it off. However, you can usually examine the results to see if they make sense. In some cases, it might simply be a reflection of a coffee table or a nearby chair that is throwing it off. Cover the reflective object with a thick towel or blanket and run Setup again.
Then once the basic setting make sense, you can go back in and tweak them to your personal taste. For example, many people will bump the Center Channel up a few dB to more emphasize Dialog.
However, it is very handy to have a
SPL (loudness) Meter. Radio Shack made the best (for the money) but they are no longer available. The suggested Silverline should be as good as any for general SPL measurements.
Cell Phone Apps can give you much more than simply SPL measurements, and even the paid Apps are still pretty cheap. Because there is really no way to calibrate a Cell Phone, so the accuracy is in question, but they should be consistent. That is, while it may measure 90db as 85db, it will be consistent in that measurement and very likely consistent across the spectrum.
A Smart Phone is good for making relative measurements. For example -
Before and After - or this frequency vs that frequency. Rarely does a home hobbiest need absolute measurement in the sense that you need to know that the current volume is precisely 90.0000 dB. More often you are making relative measurements -
this vs that - which can be done on a Smart Phone.
Plus, as I said, if you check Smart Phone Audio/SPL Apps you will see that many can do much more than simple SPL Measurements. So, the absolutely have some value.
However, depending how deeply you want to get into this, if you have £100 (more or less) to spend, then some Free Audio Analysis Software, a Calibration quality mic, perhaps a small pre-amp, and you can do very sophisticated room analysis -
Room EQ Wizard - FREE - estimated value EASILY £500 -
REW - Room EQ Wizard Room Acoustics Software
REW - Room EQ Wizard Features and Screenshots
Free for non-commercial use.
On th
e Room EQ Wizard website, there are hardware recommendations over on the lower right.
Dayton Microphones (XLR and USB) are reasonably priced and very popular.
You have two potential approaches -
USB Mic or XLR Mic. USB is very simple to use, but a bit less flexible. An XLR microphone will likely require a small Mixer, but these are not crazy expensive.
The
Focusright Scarlett is popular though not the cheapest -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B01E6T50LY
You can get a very basic
Behringer Mixer for a reasonable price -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-802-Input-Bus-Mixer/dp/B000J5XS3C
However, using a good USB Calibration Microphone and the Computer's Audio Out, you should be able to accomplish it for under £100.
There are several videos on YouTube about how to setup and use the Room EQ Wizard Software. Worth checking out.
Given that you can get a Smart Phone App for little or nothing, it probably makes sense to select more than one options. The Smart Phone Amp you can carry with you anywhere always at hand and ready to use. For more serious testing, a laptop and REW can get to a professional depth of detail.
You can enhance the ability of a Smart Phone App with the addition of a low cost external microphone of Calbration Quality -
"Dayton Audio iMM-6 Calibrated Measurement Microphone for Tablets iPhone iPad and Android" from www.parts-express.com!
This is a USA link, but you should be able to find Dayton products in the UK/EU. I think there are also YouTube video reviewing this Smart Phone Mic.
For the same site, here are specs and info on the most commonly used Calibration Microphones -
Measurement Microphones in the Speaker Components Department at Parts Express | 2057
All of which should be available in the UK/EU.
As to Smart Phone Amps, it depends on which Smart Phone you have.
If Android -
SPL Meters - Android Apps on Google Play
You should fine a similar selection for iPhone.
Apparently AudioTool hits a pretty high standard at US$8 -
AudioTool – Android Apps on Google Play
Bofinit Corporation
Though, as indicated, only one of many.
For iPhone, AudioTools (US$20) is pretty good -
AudioTools on the App Store
AudioTools Modules | Studio Six Digital
These are probably the top TWO Audio Analysis Tools out there for a reasonable price.
I know one person
(YouTube) who bought an older iPhone (5/6) and never bothered to activate it as a Phone. He simply used it as a low cost handheld computer along with
AudioTools exclusively to analyze audio. You can get iPhone 5 and 6 for very low cost today, and you can probably buy a used iPhone even cheaper.
Steve/bluewizard