DerekCV

muddy bass

I just got my sub and calibrated everything… I during movies I feel as though my bass is a little muddied (I have a pb12-plus2 so I don’t think the sub is the issue). I tried it with a CD that has some deep strong bass and the bass was very weak. I turned up the gain and that only seemed to amplify the muddiness of the bass. I have demoed the older model of this sub and it had killer bass in CD’s. I tried different settings on my receiver and none of them helped at all. What is my problem and how can I fix it? Thanks!

JohnRice

Re: muddy bass

Describe the room and where the speakers and sub are located. Also, what are all the settings on the amp, and whatever other info you can give such as settings of the other speakers, crossover...

You seem to be kind of going around in circles here...

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DerekCV

Re: muddy bass

yes... yes i am. Here is a sketch of my room... it is old, i've moved and removed speakers, but the basics are still the same. My SVS is in the upper left corner of the room.

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MaxL

Re: muddy bass

first thought is to get the sub out of the corner. you could be experiencing any number of room problems including corner loaded bass gain. it may be a matter of trial and error. another possible fix might be bass traps to cut down on those long sound waves bouncing around off of everything. they can be pricey, but there are DIY options also.

HT: Marantz SR8000, PSB Alpha B fronts, Alpha C center, CSW New Ensemble surrounds, Martin Logan Dynamo Sub, Philips DVD, Sony CRT TV

Stereos include vintage Sony receivers/amps into vintage AR and KEF speakers.

DerekCV

Re: muddy bass

Really? I thought the corner is usually the best place for it. Is this one of those times that I put the sub in front of my couch and crawl around on the floor listening for the best sounding bass, and then put the speaker there?

MaxL

Re: muddy bass

yeah, i've heard of using that method before too. never tried though. the corner may be a good place for a sub but it may not be as well. placing a sub, or any speaker for that matter, in a corner generally boosts the overall bass output. so if you're in a situation where you want more bass than you're getting, putting your speaker or sub on the floor in the corner is probably a good idea. but if you have too much bass or it's too boomy or muddy (in your case) it may help to get it out of the corner. it won't necessarily fix the problem but it might help.

HT: Marantz SR8000, PSB Alpha B fronts, Alpha C center, CSW New Ensemble surrounds, Martin Logan Dynamo Sub, Philips DVD, Sony CRT TV

Stereos include vintage Sony receivers/amps into vintage AR and KEF speakers.

Jean D

Re: muddy bass

SVS is always willing to help you calibrate if you use their equipment if you want their help. They like to make sure their customers are happy w/ performance.

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John Garcia

Re: muddy bass

I would check your system settings; it sounds like something is configured incorrectly. There is always the slim possibility that the sub was damaged in shipping, but I would think that would be fairly rare. Do you have an SPL meter to properly calibrate it?

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HT: Marantz SR-8300, MA500 monoblocks x 2, 5X GR Research A/V-2s, Adire Audio Tempest sub, Denon 2900, Oppo 980H, Toshiba HD-A2, RC2000MkII remote, Panamax 5100, Panamax Max2 sub, Slim PS2, PS3 60G + 320G USB

Bedroom: Marantz PM-7200 Integrated, GR Research A/V-1s, Sony 222ES SACD, RC3200 remote, Panamax M8EX

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DerekCV

Re: muddy bass

yea, i bought the radio shack meter and calibrated it, a few dB hotter then the other speakers, but the gain is only about 1/4 the way up and the reciever sub out is set to 0 dB. I'll check the settings again though too, afterall i wasn't happy with my surround sounds until i realized that my reciever was in a "advance surround mode" which had some added echoing that i found annoying.

JohnRice

Re: muddy bass

How far is the sub from the front and side walls? If it is a rear porting model, try moving it a foot or two away from the front wall. Also, avoid having it the same distance from both the front and side walls. Mine is currently about 15" from the front wall and 30" from the side. don't take "corner loaded" too far and stick it right in the corner. It needs to breathe some.