Why only one speaker?

[DrBob]

Brand new to REW. I keep reading that measurements should be done with one front speaker and the subwoofer, but I haven't seen any explanation for this. My intuition says I should be running all the speakers, because that's the way I'm going to listen to music. If I EQ my system for just one speaker, won't the levels be off when I am running all of them?

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

If I EQ my system for just one speaker, won't the levels be off when I am running all of them?

“EQ” and “levels” are not the same thing.

Typically you measure each speaker independently to see what its frequency response is. In a symmetrical room you can expect the front L/R and rear pairs to measure virtually identical, but if the room is asymmetrical, then you can expect that each speaker will measure differently, even if they are all matching speakers.

You’ll want to measure a front speaker with the subwoofer, to make sure the transition between the two is smooth. It’s probably best to do this with both front L/R speakers as well.

Not a bad idea to also measure the two front speakers together as well, without the sub. It’s possible to see a slight droop in the highs when measuring both together, although I personally haven’t seen it to be a problem. But if the highs show a reduced level compared to what you saw measuring them independently, it’s nothing to worry about. Meaning, don’t try to correct it with EQ.

P.S. Welcome to the Forum!

Regards,
Wayne