What does professional calibration actually include?

Depends on the level, and I would rather say so than sell one-size-fits-all. We offer it at three levels, each with defined deliverables, and all of it is a paid service.

The first level is corrected AVR tuning. Speaker configuration checked and fixed, distances and levels set correctly, crossovers and speaker sizes set by hand rather than left to whatever the auto routine guessed, and the AVR's own room correction run properly, with the mic at the right positions and the results reviewed. Then a manual pass over what auto-cal typically gets wrong: bookshelves declared Large, subs crossed too low, surround levels off. This is the right level for a well-laid-out living room system where nothing is badly wrong.

The second level adds instrumented measurement. A calibrated microphone and measurement software show what the room does at your seats, and the corrections are driven by that data rather than by ear. The heart of it is subwoofer integration: position, level, phase and crossover set so the sub and main speakers hand over cleanly, which is the part most systems get wrong and the part that changes bass from boom to weight. Dual subs land here almost by definition.

The third level adds verification. Before and after measurements at your seats, documented, so you can see the response and decay that changed and we can prove the work did what it claimed. This is for dedicated theatres, serious music systems and anyone who wants the evidence rather than a reassurance.

Which level fits you depends on the system, the room and what is bothering you. If your room only needs the first rung, we will say so; upselling a bedroom 5.1 into a measurement session helps nobody.

And if someone's "calibration" is a free five-minute menu run at delivery, you now know what it is worth: it is the starting point our first level begins by correcting.

Request a quote with your system list and room size, and a photo helps. I will tell you which level applies and why.