Listening Tests
Once you have your speakers properly positioned, its time to start listening to them. Subjective listening tests can
be made with reference material that you are familiar with; a favorite album, movie or other recording. Objective
tests can be made simply with a smartphone app or more sophisticated acoustic measurement system.
Reference Material
Play some recorded material that you are familiar with through the speakers to see if the sound is what you
expect. Adjust the tilt filters both directions to hear the dierent tonalities that are possible. It is also suggested that
you listen to material you know actually sounds bad or has defects in the recordings. A truly neutral loudspeaker
will reveal these defects clearly.
The whole point to a good loudspeaker is to get accurate representation of the sound, good or bad, so that mix
decisions can eectively be made. Adjust the tilt filter to the setting you are most comfortable with.
Pink Noise
For an objective test of the speaker’s response, you will need a metering system. This consists of a device that
can measure the spectral output of the loudspeaker in real time and a source of pink noise that can be played
back through the loudspeakers.
▪ RTA Spectral Analyzer
▪ Pink Noise Source
Dynaudio has created an iOS app with these tools built in so you can quickly test and calibrate your LYD speakers
using your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. In the Apple App Store, search for “Dynaudio Meter” to locate and
download this free app.
You can connect the device directly to the speakers using a conventional headphone to RCA adapter. Play the
pink noise from the Dynaudio Meter and adjust the level for a reasonable playback volume. If you wish to play pink
noise from your computer workstation, a WAV file containing pink noise is available at:
www.dynaudio.com/pinknoise
Play the pink noise through one speaker at a time at a reasonable level (~80-85dBA) and place the iPhone or iPad
at the listening position. Change the Sound Balance filter to see how the response changes the response curve in
the RTA. Pink noise is a balanced level of noise across the entire spectrum. In the RTA display, the reading should
be as level and even as possible.
If you notice excessive levels in the low frequencies, try setting the Sound Balance filter to Bright (B) and check
the results. If the spectrum analyzer shows a greater degree of high frequencies, set the tilt filter to dark (D) and
check the results.
Once you have the tilt filter set for the flattest response curve in the RTA, return to your reference material to see
how it sounds. Through this process of objective tests with the RTA and subjective listening tests with you ears,
you will arrive at the best setting for your Dynaudio loudspeakers.
20 LYD User manual
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