text: Hk Avr 630 | Page 2 | Home Theater Forum | Blu-ray Movie Discussion, Expert Reviews & News
  Just wanted to mention, i setup my athenas last night, to my hk 230. 2-ASF2's
  2-ASB2's
  1-ASC1
  and a AS-P400
  Played the Phantom Menace... -30db was very loud!
  and Music is really loud by CD, I think DVD's sound lvl has to be higher because of recording lvls, due to dynamic range..? anyways, wanted to pass that along.
  I compared the EZ set stats with my spl meter and they were way off. You could actually hear were the EZset didnt figure it out right? But anyways, with my 630, it turns on at -45 I usually listen to TV around -45 - -37, DVD's -32 - -20, and music to not louder than -15 and thats cranking it!!
  I have Paradigm 9se Mk2, wharfedale modus center, wharfedale diamond 8.1 rears. I cant complain and neither can my buddys. But I did find once I got my 630 that it took a week or 2 to tweak the system right to my likings. good luck,
  WendyS, welcome to the world of clean undistorted power!
  If you want proof that the volume is really wayyyy louder than you think it sounds, measure the sound pressure level.
  Wait a second... a woman who is into music and home theater, and wants to spend money to upgrade it? He should worship the ground you walk upon! 28 of 120
  LOL Tell him that!!!
  Ok... Mr. WendyS, I hereby swear that you should worship the ground upon which your wife walks. A woman who is into home theater and music is a rare catch indeed, and should be treasured.
  I doubt that an SPL is going to make any difference. It sounds as if one of 3 things is true:
  First) You are not getting a full audio signal. Something is not connected correctly. Are you having the same problem with the volume of your tuner as you are with your DVD player? Is it the same for your VCR? Do you have a CD player connected, and is it also giving you low volume output? If all these answers are yes, then check the speaker cables and make sure they are hooked up properly (not likely to be a problem if the volume is low in all channels). If all this is done correctly and the volume is still low, the most likely problem is #3.
  Second) You have the channel adjustments turned down, as JohnSmith suggested. This isn't the cross-over settings. There is a separate setting for channel volume adjustment. You'll find the directions for this in the manual on pages 27 and 28. Try this.
  Third) There is something wrong with your receiver.
  No way that a 630 does not have enough power for your room and speakers if it is working properly. I don't know what model Pioneer receiver you had, but HK amps are some of the most hardy in the industry. While other receivers are rated at more power, they seldom meet their rated specs when all channels are driven. HK always exceeds their specs. Besides that, they deliver high current which is even more important than wattage ratings. If your 630 isn't doing the job, there is some kind of a problem. It has more than enough power.
  Wendy, here are the part numbers that I got off of radio shacks web site for the spl meters:
  Analog:33-4050
  Digital:33-2055
  The analog is listed as out of stock for online ordering but you can put your zip code in and see if your local store has any in stock. Or you can get the digital one online.
  I think that if you still do not like your 630 it is possible there is something wrong with it, as I have the last model (the 525) and I love it. Your Athena's are more efficient then my Jbl studio's, and your reciever has 5 more watts per channel then mine. Is it possible to exchange it and try another one?
  Well it even states in the manual that the surround speakers will not have much sound comming out of them anyway....Unless it it specified to go there....
  Another thing is the source.....Some sources may be louder than others.....Like some TV shows are louder than others....Some stations also have a high amount of static which makes the speakers sound "hissy"....
  When I use 5 channel for music I have to turn the volume up higher, but when using DPLII out of the fronts, the music is loud at -40.....
  I was watching a show last night in Dolby Digital and it sounded really low as if something was wrong, but I turned the channel to another dolby digital source and it sounded fine.....
  I was testing channels and 1 channel appearded to only have sound comming from the front left main speaker, but when I change to another show the system was working fine...Just that TV channel.....
  I'm not sure if it is the receiver or the source in which there is a problem.....
  I have only been fooling around with CD's..........no TV, or DVD's.
  If I have it set at either 3,5, or 7 channel stereo shouldn't all speakers be getting equal power?
  I should not hear any volume change when I switch between these modes........should I? The surround back speakers used to be hooked up to the B channel on my crappy Pioneer. I could switch from A to B to AB and never notice a decrease in volume per se......just a change in the fullness and/or location of the sound.