Where to Put the Calibration Microphone for Receiver Room Correction

Put the calibration microphone where your head normally is: at your main listening seat, at the height of your ears when you’re sitting down. Mount it on a tripod or stand rather than setting it on the cushion, and keep a clear path between it and every speaker.

That rule works for Sony’s Auto Calibration, Yamaha’s YPAO, Denon’s Auto Setup and Audyssey, and Onkyo’s AccuEQ. What differs is how many spots you measure. Five of the six receivers covered below take a single measurement at the main seat. Systems that measure several positions, such as Audyssey MultEQ on the Denon AVR-S960H, still start at the main seat and then want the other positions close by, not spread across the whole room. Whatever the brand, keep the room quiet and stay out of the path between the speakers and the mic while the test tones play.

The placement checklist

• Position: your main listening seat, the one you’d sit in to watch alone.
• Height: seated ear height. Sony, Yamaha and Denon all say this.
• Support: a tripod or stand. Yamaha recommends a tripod and says you can use its screw to hold the mic steady. Denon’s AVR-S960H comes with a mic stand.
• Clear path: nothing between the mic and any speaker. Sony says to remove obstructions, and Yamaha and Denon say not to stand in the way.
• Away from walls: Denon asks for at least 20 inches (50 cm) between the mic and the wall.
• Pointing: Denon says to point the tip of the mic toward the ceiling. Sony, Yamaha and Onkyo don’t specify.
• Not on hot gear: Yamaha warns the mic is heat-sensitive and shouldn’t sit in direct sunlight or on top of AV equipment.

How many positions your receiver measures

Check which kind of system you have before you start. Moving the mic around on a single-position system doesn’t help, because it only measures once.

Receiver	Calibration name	Mic jack	Positions
Sony STR-DH590	Auto Calibration	CALIBRATION MIC	1, at your listening position
Sony STR-DH790	Auto Calibration	CALIBRATION MIC	1, at your listening position
Yamaha RX-V685	YPAO	YPAO MIC (front panel)	1, at your listening position
Denon AVR-S570BT	Auto Setup	SETUP MIC	1, at the main listening position
Onkyo TX-NR6100	AccuEQ Room Calibration	SETUP MIC	1, at the listening position
Denon AVR-S960H	Audyssey MultEQ	SETUP MIC	Up to 6. Denon recommends all six

Placing the mic for multiple positions (Audyssey)

Audyssey’s first position matters most. Denon’s manual says MultEQ uses the first measurement to calculate each speaker’s distance, level and polarity, plus the best crossover for the subwoofer. So always start at the main seat.

1. Put the mic at the main listening position for position 1, at seated ear height with the tip pointing up.
2. For position 2 and every position after it, move the mic somewhere within 2 feet (60 cm) of position 1. That’s Denon’s limit.
3. Keep every position at least 20 inches (50 cm) from the wall, just like the first.
4. Choose “Continue” on the screen after each move. The setup lets you choose “Complete” to finish before position 6, but Denon recommends measuring all six for the best results.

The idea is to measure a small zone around your head, not every seat in the room. If you sit on the left cushion, place position 1 there, not in the middle of an empty sofa.

Get the room ready before you press Start

1. Make the room quiet. Close the windows and turn off noisy things like fans, air conditioners and fluorescent lights. Denon lists all of these, and Onkyo asks for a room “as quiet as possible.”
2. Take phones out of the room. Denon notes that cell phone signals can disrupt the measurements.
3. Unplug headphones. Sony, Yamaha and Denon all say to disconnect them before you start.
4. Warn the household. Each speaker plays test tones at high volume. On Sony and Yamaha receivers you can’t turn them down during the measurement. That’s normal.
5. Prepare the subwoofer using the settings in the next section.
6. Plan to step aside. After you start, move out of the path between the speakers and the mic. Stand behind the mic or leave the room.

Set the subwoofer’s knobs first

The subwoofer’s own volume and crossover knobs affect what the mic hears, so each manufacturer tells you where to set them. They don’t all agree, so follow the one for your receiver:

Receiver	Subwoofer volume	Subwoofer crossover	Other
Sony STR-DH590 / DH790	Just before the mid-point	Maximum	Turn auto standby off
Yamaha RX-V685	Half	Maximum
Denon AVR-S570BT / S960H	12 o’clock	Maximum	Low pass filter off, standby off. If the sub has a direct mode, turn it on instead.
Onkyo TX-NR6100	More than half	Not specified	Check the sub is powered on

Don’t touch the subwoofer’s knobs after calibration, because the receiver’s results depend on them. Denon says the same about changing connections or the subwoofer volume after Auto Setup.

Common placement mistakes

• Setting the mic on the couch cushion. That usually puts it below ear height and right against the upholstery. Use a tripod or stand.
• Holding it in your hand. Your body ends up in the sound path, which the manuals tell you to avoid.
• Measuring from the middle of the room when you sit off to one side. Calibrate for where you actually sit.
• Tucking the mic against a wall or high-backed chair. Denon’s 20-inch (50 cm) rule keeps it away from nearby surfaces.
• Spreading Audyssey positions across the whole sofa. Keep positions 2 to 6 within 2 feet (60 cm) of the first.
• Leaving the mic plugged in on top of the receiver. Yamaha warns heat can harm it. Unplug it and store it when you’re done.

When the results look off

A few odd results come from the setup, not the mic position:

• The subwoofer distance looks wrong. Sony and Denon both say the measured subwoofer distance may differ from the real one. That’s expected and isn’t a placement error.
• Onkyo shows “Noise Error.” The room was too loud. Quiet it down and run AccuEQ again.
• A speaker isn’t detected. That’s usually wiring or speaker configuration, not mic placement. Each receiver has its own error messages. Our model guides list them.

For the full procedure on a specific receiver, see our walkthroughs for Audyssey setup on the Denon AVR-S960H, YPAO on the Yamaha RX-V685, AccuEQ on the Onkyo TX-NR6100 and Auto Calibration on the Sony STR-DH790.

Quick answers

Which way should the microphone point?

Denon’s manuals say to point the tip toward the ceiling. Sony, Yamaha and Onkyo don’t give a direction, so keep the mic upright on its stand unless your manual says otherwise.

Can I rerun calibration after moving furniture?

Yes. Calibration measures the room as it is, so rerun it after you move the speakers, the main seat or large furniture. Use the same placement rules each time.

I don’t have a tripod. What can I use?

Anything stable that holds the mic at seated ear height with nothing right beside it will do, such as a camera tripod or a mic stand. Avoid the sofa cushion and your hand.

Does it matter if people are in the room?

Only if they make noise or stand between the speakers and the mic. Keep everyone quiet and out of the path until the measurement finishes.

Denon’s Audyssey Setup page and Yamaha’s YPAO page give the manufacturers’ own placement instructions.