Rotel 1098 at max volume and barely loud~!

[HoboLoco]

Hi, I just recieved my Rotel 1098.

I have it hooked up to a Earthquake Cinenova Grande 5. What volume levels are

you guys listening too? I mean at 95 (max) volume my rotel 1098 and cinenova

is loud but not REAL LOUD. When turning it up, I hear NO VOLUME all the way to

40. At 40 it is quiet. At 60 it is still really quiet. At 80 it is normal listening

Volume. Do you guys have to turn it up this loud to make it loud? What have I

done wrong here? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks Guys.. Hobo

[TimGRA]

Did you calibrate?

[Kevin D]

300 watts at MAX volume should be loud in pretty much any room. Even if you ran all the output levels down -10 in the setup menu it should still be loud.

Thoughts:

Looking at the back of the amp, I can't tell if the turn adjuster I see is for the crossover or the input level. If it's the input level, turn it up there.

Not loud from just one source or all? If just one source check and make sure it has no volume adjustments on it (some cable boxes do!)

You have hearing problems.

If you can't find anything else, I'd point at the 1098. The Cinenova is 5 different amp units and I doubt that al 5 would share the same problem.

Good luck!

Kevin D.

[HoboLoco]

I don't believe so. How do you go about doing this? Thanks

[HoboLoco]

300 watts at MAX volume should be loud in pretty much any room. Even if you ran all the output levels down -10 in the setup menu it should still be loud.

Thoughts:

Looking at the back of the amp, I can't tell if the turn adjuster I see is for the crossover or the input level. If it's the input level, turn it up there.

Not loud from just one source or all? If just one source check and make sure it has no volume adjustments on it (some cable boxes do!)

You have hearing problems.

If you can't find anything else, I'd point at the 1098. The Cinenova is 5 different amp units and I doubt that al 5 would share the same problem.

Good luck!

Kevin D.

The sound is quiet from all speakers.. It is from the DVD source (I have had this problem on 2 different DVD's too). The back of the cinenova gains dont do much of anything volume wise. I also believe it to be the 1098. Just not sure why I dont get sound even at 40!

[mjb]

HoboLoco, look at your 1098 manual again, and ask yourself which setup feature influences output level...

[Stevebez]

Check dyamic range setting is not set to MIN ... I have mine on MED / MAX most of the time.

Rgds Steve.

[Kevin P]

Also, make sure the mute button isn't turned on.

[Jason R]

For your reference i watch TV at 50-55 and listen to really loud music at a max of 85 and then it's already to loud for me. This is through levinson 100W amp.

Are inputs correctly assigned ? analog, digital, optical

[Andrew Pratt]

I'd turn up the gains on the amp to max and then calibrate each speaker with an SPL meter if possible and see if its just the levels being set to low...though default settings shouldn't give you the low volumes you're getting now.

[HoboLoco]

Thanks for all replys.

I have tried all things that you guys have mentioned. I am still having the

problem. The mute is not on, the gains are set to high (on the amp), I have all

speakers set to +3 dbs. Still quiet. I hope something isn't wrong with the unit

itself. I mean, it sounds good when it is at max volume, but this is putting alot of

strain on my amp, which all the speakers blink red on its warning lights. What

level volume do you guys start hearing music/tv/dvds. My is not audible at 40!

[TimGRA]

When you say +3, you have adjusted with an SPL meter? Turned the LF front up to the reference (+5 db) on the meter and then adjusted all of the other speakers to that level?

Just making sure.

I know this is a stupid question, but you have the cables plugged into the pre-outs right? Not the Multi-channel area.

Just making sure.

My reference level is 81

[apotts]

Don't those red warning lights indicate that the amp is being overdriven? In which case the Rotel is outputting the correct signal, the amp is amplifying, but the speakers (or the speaker wiring, or something unknown) are faulty.

[Wolfenstein 2k2]

Very strange. My listening room has a size of about 20m² (5 x 4 meters => 1 meter = 3.3 feet) and I use a Dynaudio 5.1 speaker setup (Audience 72SE, 52 SE and 122C). Provided that it is quiet in the room, I can even hear some music at volume 1 if you put your ear close the the speaker! Normally, I listen to music with the volume set to 40-45 or 50-55 whenever DVD´s / SACD´s are used.

A friend of mine uses the 1098 as well. His room has more than twice the size as my room. However, volume setting 70 is really the maximum he listens music to. Above that level it´s simply too loud. In the end, I strongly assume that both room size and effeciency of the speakers have a large impact on the 1098´s (general) volume setting(s). Thus, volume settings can vary considerably from user to user, and one should keep that in mind.

If you don´t hear anything at volume 40, something might be wrong with your setup. I personally wouldn´t even try to listen to music for a second at MAX volume unless I wanted to blow up my speakers .

PS:
My speakers are set to +9dB in the 1098´s TEST TONE menu and to +6dB concerning my rears.