Why does my Pioneer Receiver show volume in negative numbers??

I'll try to explain. Zero is reference level. So you are in negatives because you are at minus # to reference. So when the volume reads -20, it means you are minus 20 decibals to reference level. (Which again is zero) It is more accurate and very useful for calibration. I will never understand why people insist on a 0 to ten scale. Denon recievers work the same way.

I've never understood the reasoning behind it. Its counter-intuitive. Just to add... The "0" reference level is the same as if you

plugged a source component (i.e. CD player or DVD player)

directly into an amplifier. Depending upon the output level the

source unit puts out (and the output power of the amplifier itself),

along with how loud the source material is as well, connecting it

this way would be too loud for most people in most applications.

This reference level is usually the maximum volume level prior to

clipping (i.e. distorting) the signal. With an attenuator (i.e. volume)

control, you can adjust the volume to your desired level, which is

normally between -40 dB and -10 dB. To make it simple and not complicated like the other guys, The negative is just I low volume, and keep turning it up more and more and I will get in the positives.

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