What volume levels are Optimal

[saurabh]

What volume levels are optimal for speakers in a 5.1 system, more for center or more for surround and less for front or vice versa or in what combiunation. I can set them individually for each speaker.

[Nick M]

You need to calibrate them with an SPL meter. The idea is to get all the speakers to play at the same volume at your seat. Speakers further away generally need bumps while speakers closer need cuts. The only modification I've found that sounds better is running the center 2 or 3dB hot at low volumes. But when I turn it up its cut back to equal the others at my seat.

Radio Shack sells them for $40.

[t_w_v]

Dito what Nicholas mentioned, and I'll also add that when you calibrate I would recommend matching the speakers at 80dB. Movie theaters generally run volume up to 110dB. You can try watching movies at the 80dB level, but most people turn the volume down for comfortable listening. When I say watch movies at 80dB I figured out the volume level when I calibrated my system. With white/pink noise I turned up the volume until the SPL meter registered 80dB. Remember the volume level for when your watching movies. Hope this makes sense.

[Shane Martin]

In case Saurabh doesn't have a Radio Shack nearby, then you should be able to do the calibration via the auto calibration on the receiver. Most decent receivers have this feature. Only the cheapo ones don't have this or some of the esoteric ones like Rotel don't have this feature

[H.T.C]

I think in harmon kardon they put the mics right into the remote itself.