Phil Iturralde
Screenwriter
- Joined
- Oct 7, 1998
- Messages
- 1,892
My SVS 25-31PCi finally came around 5:30pm 
last night (April 11, 2002) and I took my time to set it up, ... this sucker is 66 lbs and after moving out my 68 lbs AudioSource SW15 200w 15” sub (thru & under my Grand Piano), then vacuuming / cleaning the corner of the dust bunnies, ... I lifted my SVS 25-31PCi over my Grand Piano and placed it in the corner! Time to take a breather!
Initial Setup/Calibration:
I spent some time** (3-4 hours) calibrating and re-calibrating, checking my final results w/my Dave Grusin, Bob James, Diana Krall, Joe Sample, etc. Jazz Music CD’s, etc. With my DVD’s, I primarily used Toy Story 2, a couple of THX trailers, Diana Krall DVD and Tomorrow Never Dies / SE. Early this morning, I finally settled on what I felt was a good balance between the Music CD Sub setting vs. DVD Dolby Digital / DTS LFE settings.
** Music CD’s - This is the area where I took an extra long time to calibrate the balance, because it's done by ear. Once I was satisfied with this playback balance, using moderate to above AVG listening levels (peaks up to 95 dB), I then REF Calibrated the DD/DTS LFE track using Video Essentials DVD LFE test signal (finalized early this morning)
Video Essentials:
·HT Speakers = 75 dB (± 1/8 dB)
·SVS = 77 dB (lowest swing 75 dB / highest swing 79 dB)
Equipment final settings:
oYamaha RX-V995
·SWFT = -13 (range: 0 to –20)
·DD LFE = -5 (range: 0 to –10)
·DTS LFE = +5 (range: -10 to +10)
oSVS 25-31PCi
·Level: ½ power (12 o’clock position)
·Crossover = Disabled
Initial Assessment:
I can honestly say that, ‘ALL’ the sub-sonic impact from my $199 AudioSource SW15 (15” woofer & dual-ports which moves a lot of air) is still there with my new SVS 25-31PCi, but I’m happy to report that what disappeared from my musical/movie content, was an apparent low frequency hump that my AudioSource SW15 has and outputs some of the time, depending on the software material.
After carefully REF Calibrating the SVS 25-31PCi with my HT/family Room and JBL Speakers, the SVS 25-31PCi lowest frequency output (under 25 Hz) up to the 90 Hz x-over was, ... is as Tom & Ron stated, very clean & flat!! (Let me quickly say ... “thank-you” Tom & Ron!!!)
Like my AudioSource SW15, ... the SVS 25-31PCi seamlessly blended in with my JBL S26/S-Center speakers very smoothly & nicely
Music CD's: (Effects off – 2-CH, primarily Jazz)
One of the first thing my SVS 25-31PCi vs. AudioSource SW15, revealed was that my Jazz Music CD's had more lower bass content and impact when called for by the different CD recordings. It was obvious to me that the biggest difference is the audible fact that the AudioSource SW15 did veil some of the bass guitar / upright bass delicate notes or aggressive attack slap! contained in some of my Music Jazz CD’s.
Needless to say, I was more than pleasantly surprised that my new SVS 25-31PCi is clearly playing back some unfamiliar bass notes, bass lines, sustained notes, base guitar fingering strings sounds, etc. that were in my CD recordings all the time, but somewhat buried deeply in the AudioSource bass sound! (...”thank-you” Tom & Ron!!!)
So, the SVS 25-31PCi 1st Hallmark here then, is it's ability to clearly playback those mid & lower bass notes, effortlessly and with great authority, raising the level of realism by balancing the played back Jazz CD Music with a solid fundamental lower sound foundation! In a sense, I’m now hearing the original mixed lower sounds foundation content, along with my already familiar super flat mids and crystal clear spine tingling highs, ... that was originally put in the music by the Recording Sound Engineer.
But like my JBL's Studio Series Speakers, the quality of what is heard, is depended on the quality of the Digital Recordings, ... which is why I choose recordings by Dave Grusin, Bob James & Joe Samples DDD Mastered Music CD's to Calibrate the SVS by ear w/my JBLs!
NOTE: The AudioSource SW15 was a very competent performer, especially for it's $199 (CostCo) price, ... I carefully integrated it in my HT room and REF Calibrated it using VE = 79 dB (lowest swing = 76 dB / highest swing = 81 dB) to achieve a balanced sound with sub-sonic impact without the associated boomy or bloated muddy bass sound – all without taking it apart and stuffing is with polyfill. (It’s going to my vacation house w/my JBL NSP1’s.)
DVD Movies:
2nd Hallmark - This arena is where the SVS shows it's world-class audiophile mettle vs. AudioSource SW15.
For example, with Toy Story 2 (approx. @ -10 dB below REF Level) , a few seconds before the “Toy Story” Logo fly's to it's center lock location in the beginning, the room literally LIT-UP with previously "Unfelt ENERGY",
... in my pant leg, floor (20’ x 20’ is solid cement w/oak flooring), couch, wall, windows, air ... I monitored it with my SPL Meter (9' from my Center / about 12' from the 25-31PCi corner) and all that "Felt ENERGY" started - when the needle was still around 94/95 dB area (Dial = 100 / Speed = FAST / Weight = “C”) ... climaxing with an SPL Fast Peak above 105+ dB! Man, that was GLORIOUS!!! (... “thank-you” Tom & Ron!!!)
I cannot remember (not because of age :p) ), ever experiencing this sub-sonic LFE effect before with this DVD!!!
This leads me to believe, if the DVD has encoded energy in its somewhere, anywhere, ... the SVS 25-31PCi will reproduce that sub-sonic LFE with Cinematic Theater Class “Impact and Decay”! To quote "Tom Nousaine" in Sept. 1997 Stereo Review –
last night (April 11, 2002) and I took my time to set it up, ... this sucker is 66 lbs and after moving out my 68 lbs AudioSource SW15 200w 15” sub (thru & under my Grand Piano), then vacuuming / cleaning the corner of the dust bunnies, ... I lifted my SVS 25-31PCi over my Grand Piano and placed it in the corner! Time to take a breather!Initial Setup/Calibration:
I spent some time** (3-4 hours) calibrating and re-calibrating, checking my final results w/my Dave Grusin, Bob James, Diana Krall, Joe Sample, etc. Jazz Music CD’s, etc. With my DVD’s, I primarily used Toy Story 2, a couple of THX trailers, Diana Krall DVD and Tomorrow Never Dies / SE. Early this morning, I finally settled on what I felt was a good balance between the Music CD Sub setting vs. DVD Dolby Digital / DTS LFE settings.
** Music CD’s - This is the area where I took an extra long time to calibrate the balance, because it's done by ear. Once I was satisfied with this playback balance, using moderate to above AVG listening levels (peaks up to 95 dB), I then REF Calibrated the DD/DTS LFE track using Video Essentials DVD LFE test signal (finalized early this morning)
Video Essentials:
·HT Speakers = 75 dB (± 1/8 dB)
·SVS = 77 dB (lowest swing 75 dB / highest swing 79 dB)
Equipment final settings:
oYamaha RX-V995
·SWFT = -13 (range: 0 to –20)
·DD LFE = -5 (range: 0 to –10)
·DTS LFE = +5 (range: -10 to +10)
oSVS 25-31PCi
·Level: ½ power (12 o’clock position)
·Crossover = Disabled
Initial Assessment:
I can honestly say that, ‘ALL’ the sub-sonic impact from my $199 AudioSource SW15 (15” woofer & dual-ports which moves a lot of air) is still there with my new SVS 25-31PCi, but I’m happy
to report that what disappeared from my musical/movie content, was an apparent low frequency hump that my AudioSource SW15 has and outputs some of the time, depending on the software material.After carefully REF Calibrating the SVS 25-31PCi with my HT/family Room and JBL Speakers, the SVS 25-31PCi lowest frequency output (under 25 Hz) up to the 90 Hz x-over was, ... is as Tom & Ron stated, very clean & flat!! (Let me quickly say ... “thank-you” Tom & Ron!!!)
Like my AudioSource SW15, ... the SVS 25-31PCi seamlessly blended in with my JBL S26/S-Center speakers very smoothly & nicely
Music CD's: (Effects off – 2-CH, primarily Jazz)
One of the first thing my SVS 25-31PCi vs. AudioSource SW15, revealed was that my Jazz Music CD's had more lower bass content and impact when called for by the different CD recordings. It was obvious to me that the biggest difference is the audible fact that the AudioSource SW15 did veil some of the bass guitar / upright bass delicate notes or aggressive attack slap! contained in some of my Music Jazz CD’s.
Needless to say, I was more than pleasantly surprised that my new SVS 25-31PCi is clearly playing back some unfamiliar bass notes, bass lines, sustained notes, base guitar fingering strings sounds, etc. that were in my CD recordings all the time, but somewhat buried deeply in the AudioSource bass sound! (...”thank-you” Tom & Ron!!!)
So, the SVS 25-31PCi 1st Hallmark here then, is it's ability to clearly playback those mid & lower bass notes, effortlessly and with great authority, raising the level of realism by balancing the played back Jazz CD Music with a solid fundamental lower sound foundation! In a sense, I’m now hearing the original mixed lower sounds foundation content, along with my already familiar super flat mids and crystal clear spine tingling highs, ... that was originally put in the music by the Recording Sound Engineer.
But like my JBL's Studio Series Speakers, the quality of what is heard, is depended on the quality of the Digital Recordings, ... which is why I choose recordings by Dave Grusin, Bob James & Joe Samples DDD Mastered Music CD's to Calibrate the SVS by ear w/my JBLs!
NOTE: The AudioSource SW15 was a very competent performer, especially for it's $199 (CostCo) price, ... I carefully integrated it in my HT room and REF Calibrated it using VE = 79 dB (lowest swing = 76 dB / highest swing = 81 dB) to achieve a balanced sound with sub-sonic impact without the associated boomy or bloated muddy bass sound – all without taking it apart and stuffing is with polyfill. (It’s going to my vacation house w/my JBL NSP1’s.)
DVD Movies:
2nd Hallmark - This arena is where the SVS shows it's world-class audiophile mettle vs. AudioSource SW15.
For example, with Toy Story 2 (approx. @ -10 dB below REF Level) , a few seconds before the “Toy Story” Logo fly's to it's center lock location in the beginning, the room literally LIT-UP with previously "Unfelt ENERGY",
... in my pant leg, floor (20’ x 20’ is solid cement w/oak flooring), couch, wall, windows, air ... I monitored it with my SPL Meter (9' from my Center / about 12' from the 25-31PCi corner) and all that "Felt ENERGY" started - when the needle was still around 94/95 dB area (Dial = 100 / Speed = FAST / Weight = “C”) ... climaxing with an SPL Fast Peak above 105+ dB! Man, that was GLORIOUS!!! (... “thank-you” Tom & Ron!!!)
I cannot remember (not because of age :p) ), ever experiencing this sub-sonic LFE effect before with this DVD!!!
This leads me to believe, if the DVD has encoded energy in its somewhere, anywhere, ... the SVS 25-31PCi will reproduce that sub-sonic LFE with Cinematic Theater Class “Impact and Decay”! To quote "Tom Nousaine" in Sept. 1997 Stereo Review –
"No aftershock, no decay, means no lows."
The SVS 25-31PCi unequivocally has sub-sonic, air/wall/floor-moving, dust cleaning & cob-web melting LOWS!!
I once wrote that the AudioSource SW15 easily delivers aftershock and decay, but until now, what I didn’t realize is that man cannot just live on, aftershock and decay!
In essence, I couldn't believe how much SPL 'ENERGY' INFO the SVS was reproducing, ... basically floor, couch, pant leg, etc. moving sub-sonic SPL’s from the encoded LFE in the “Toy Story 2” Intro Scene, while the RS SPL Analog Meter was reading around 94/95 dB!!
Only change I need to make now, ... I must figure out a way to silent my two 4' x 5' double-pane windows that are on either side of the SVS/corner!!
All in all, my overall volume levels were exactly matched vs. my 200w 15" sub, but now, adding the new SVS 25-31PCi subwoofer just increased the overall Dynamic Capability of my system by playing back unknown/unfelt/unheard LFE ENERGY already encoded in my Blockbuster DVD’s.
It’s also obvious that my new SVS 25-31PCi extends the low-frequency bandwidth as well, so, I did not have to increase the overall volume level to get the benefits. In other words, my new SVS 25-31PCi subwoofer allows my system to go both Louder and Deeper. - yeah!!!
Overall, my SVS 25-31PCi has very, ... very impressive air/wall/floor-moving, dust cleaning & cob-web melting sub-sonic impact, and coupled with my super clear, full-frequency balanced JBL S-Series speakers, I can’t wait for my next Friday NITE DVD Movie session!
Well, if it isn’t obvious, I love my new SVS 25-31PCi!!!
Yep – another NEW satisfied SVS customer!!! My new SVS 25-31PCi lower, flat frequency bass performance is mighty impressive!!! You could say that the SVS 25-31PCi sub-sonic character is ... “most glorious!” & “with much honor!” to quote a well-known Klingon!
So, let me repeat what ALL the “other SVS owner’s” have said, ... Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you ... (Sub-human) Tom Vodhanel & Ron Simpson!!! My SVS 25-31PCi, ... Is, without a Doubt, The Best Investment I’ve Ever Made for my Home Theater!!! (Tonight, ... Jurassic Park III
FYI: SVS size vs. SW15
HT/Family ROOM: 20’ x 30’ w/10’ high vaulted ceiling.
Associated Equipment:
AV RECEIVER: Yamaha RX-V995:
-- Fixed crossover = 90 Hz
-- Tone Controls = Bypassed
HT SPEAKERS = JBL S26 (four corners) & JBL S-Center (all set ‘small’)
CD PLAYER: Technics SL-MC410 110+1 Mega CD Changer (analog input)
DVD PLAYER: Panasonic DVD-RV31K – using AR Component Cables
TV: Toshiba 50H81 16x9 50” HDTV
Phil
This is way too cool!!!
