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Copyright© 2011 Octet Matrix Audio
7) Adjust DWT4416 volume control up until you hear distortion. The onset of distortion
will be obvious, with a clear transition point. Back the DWT4416 volume control off
slightly until the distortion disappears. This setting should not have to be changed
again unless system component changes are made.
Highest Output Source
1) You should have a voltmeter or a computer with a soundcard* in order to determine
which source has the highest output level for a given input signal. You do not need a
calibrated measurement system because you only need to determine the relative
output of each source with a known signal (the Octet Matrix Audio 0 dBFS test tone).
If you have a voltmeter, play track 5 through each source and measure the voltage at
the source output. The source output that registers the highest voltage is the source
you should use for the dynamic range optimization setup. If you do not have a
voltmeter, you can download one of the audio level meters in the Resources section
to a computer with a soundcard (preferably a laptop) and connect the source outputs
to the soundcard input to determine the highest analog output.
2) If you want to skip the technical nonsense and trust your ears, make a copy of the
Octet Matrix Audio Test CD and play Track 5 in two sources at the same time. Set the
Main System Volume to ¼ volume and switch the source selector from one source to
the other to determine which source sounds louder for a given Main System Volume
setting. The source with the highest output should be used for Dynamic Range
Optimization.
* Any AC voltmeter or PC soundcard will do. You will be measuring sine waves and are interested in relative levels, so it
doesn’t matter if your meter is an RMS responding meter or an average responding meter, or even if it’s out of calibration. If
none of this makes sense to you, don’t worry. The relative values you measure with anything other than a truly broken
meter or soundcard will give you the results you need.
Maximum System Level
When adding wireless amplifiers/speakers to an existing system, the Maximum System Level
must be determined prior to optimizing the wireless system dynamic range. This step is the
most difficult because it relies on assessment of distortion levels through listening. The 0dBFS
1 kHz test signal ensures that the source (CD player, DVD player, Blu-ray player, PC soundcard,
or MP3 player) is outputting its maximum analog level. The difficulty comes when that analog
signal is amplified through a receiver or amplifier. We may want to set the receiver or
amplifier volume all the way up, believing that this should be the Maximum System Level.
The problem with this approach is that with most source output levels, almost no receiver or
amplifier will output a clean, undistorted signal when set to its full output. Without
specialized test equipment, the Maximum System Level must be determined by listening and
use of a suitable source signal. Two approaches are provided for determination of the
Maximum System Level: using the 0 dBFS test signal, and through use of several selections of