Audyssey calibration Re-run required — Couch B is the primary seat
Position 1 must be Couch B center (B2) — not Couch A. Audyssey uses Position 1 exclusively to calculate speaker distance, level, polarity, and crossover for the sub. If Position 1 is at Couch A, every distance and level in the system is calibrated from the wrong seat and Couch B will always be mis-calibrated.
Mic position pattern — 8 positions for Couch B primary + Couch A secondary
- P1 — Couch B center (B2), ear height. This is the MLP. Audyssey uses this position for all distance/level/crossover calculations.
- P2 — B2 again, mic raised 10–15 cm. Height variation is mandatory — without it Audyssey over-compensates and produces harsh midrange or shrill highs.
- P3 — B1 — shift mic ~30 cm toward TV (left along Couch B), ear height.
- P4 — B3 — shift mic ~30 cm toward right wall, ear height. Stay at least 50 cm from the glass — hard boundary reflections at close range corrupt HF measurements.
- P5 — B2 again, mic lowered 5–8 cm below P1 height. Third height sample at primary seat.
- P6 — Couch A primary (A1), ear height.
- P7 — Couch A, shift ~30 cm toward Couch B side (A2), ear height.
- P8 — Midpoint between B2 and A1, raised 10 cm. Spatial averaging bridge between both seating zones.
Use all 8 positions. Fewer positions give the algorithm insufficient data — running 4–5 positions is equivalent to rolling a dice on room correction quality.
Pre-calibration setup
- Turn off ceiling fan — air movement creates mic noise that corrupts measurements.
- Close glass slider, silence HVAC. A quiet room is not optional — Audyssey raises test-tone volume in response to background noise.
- KC62 sub: volume knob at 12 o'clock (50%), mode switch to LFE, EQ slider to Wall (front-wall placement) or Corner (if in corner). Phase to 0°. Audyssey sets levels and crossover — start from neutral.
- Use a tripod or mic stand. Mic must be stationary during each chirp sequence. Point mic at ceiling.
- Setup → Speaker Configuration: all three LS50 Metas set to Small, crossover 80 Hz, Subwoofers 1 spkr.
Verification checklist (post-calibration)
- Speaker distances reported by Audyssey match physical measurements from Couch B (not Couch A)
- Target curve set to Flat (not Reference) — Reference applies a cinema X-curve HF rolloff designed for perforated screens; this room has no screen and hard glass walls
- Sub Configuration confirmed 1 spkr (Sub EQ HT stays inactive — requires 2+ subs)
- Crossover at 80 Hz for all three LS50 Metas (−3 dB at 79 Hz per KEF spec); accept Audyssey's assigned value if it assigns higher
- Post-calibration sub level check: if KC62 sounds thin, add gain at the physical gain knob on the sub — Audyssey frequently underestimates sub output level
MultEQ Editor app — required for this room
See audio.html § Denon → MultEQ Editor app for the full procedure. Summary of why this room specifically needs it: the glass slider on the right wall creates an asymmetric HF reflection that only shows up as a right-channel plot deviation in the Editor app. Without per-channel view, you are calibrating blind to a 2–4 dB asymmetry. App confirmed approximately twenty dollars at current App Store / Google Play pricing (Audioholics review confirmed; AVR-X3800H confirmed in supported models list).
Key app step: after calibration, view the before/after frequency response plots per channel. If the R channel shows an HF bump vs. L channel (from glass), apply a gentle custom shelf to R only. Set target curve to Flat in the app — changes write back to the receiver.
Operational workflow
Per-session Dynamic EQ / RLO / Dynamic Volume
| Session | Dynamic EQ | RLO | Dynamic Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaleidescape, full volume | On | 0 dB | Off |
| Kaleidescape, normal evening | On | 0 dB | Light |
| Apple TV+ / Netflix streaming | On | −10 dB | Light |
| PS5 Pro gaming | On | −10 dB | Light |
| Late-night any source | On | raise 1 step from default | Medium |
| Music via AirPlay (not Pure Direct) | On | −10 to −15 dB | Off |
| Pure Direct stereo music | N/A (bypassed) | N/A | Off |
Late-night bass risk: Dynamic EQ at 0 dB RLO with low master volume boosts bass aggressively to compensate for Fletcher-Munson rolloff — can over-drive the KC62 in a small apartment. Always raise RLO one step at low-volume sessions.
Watching anything routed through VRROOM (Apple TV, Kal, PS5, Switch 2)
- Pick up that source's native remote/controller, wake the source
- CEC propagates → VRROOM auto-switches to that input
- Sync Box receives the new video → S95F displays on HDMI 1 (always HDMI 1)
- Denon stays on "VRROOM" input — never need to change
- Siri Remote volume controls Denon via CEC chain — same as today
Watching S95F's own apps (Netflix on the TV, etc.)
Avoid this if possible — use Apple TV instead. If you do use S95F apps: press home on Samsung remote → S95F switches to smart TV → Denon switches to TV/eARC return input (manual one-button on Denon remote) → audio comes via eARC.
Music listening
- AirPlay 2 from iPhone/Mac directly to the X3800H (the AVR is AirPlay 2 capable). Bypasses Apple TV's 48 kHz cap and Apple Music Lossless loss.
- Mode: Stereo + Audyssey Flat (your existing setup — correct).
- RLO: −5 dB (Music) or −10 dB (TV-streaming-mastered).
- You don't use Pure Direct — no change needed.
Skip the integrated amp purchase. The X3800H is not the bottleneck for your music at NYC-apartment listening levels — confirmed via AVNirvana blind ABX testing (Denon AVR vs Krell vs Mark Levinson vs Parasound vs Emotiva: nobody could consistently identify differences at residential SPL). A Hegel H400 class purchase only makes sense if you want a unified streaming/DAC platform (Roon, lossless source chain) — that's a platform purchase, not an amp-fidelity one.
Sources
audyssey_couch_b_workflow.md audyssey_advanced_workflow.md music_amp_needed_or_not.md