Subwoofer sensitivity and 5.1 (1 Viewer)

[ardismm]

I own an Acoustic Reasearch ARS112 subwoofer. I know it's an entry level sub at best, my question has to do with the sensitivity of subwoofers recognizing an LFE signal. It's the only sub I've ever owned and I've had reservations with it from day one. It makes a very noticeable pop when switching off during quiet moments in movies and music. I love listening to multichannel music and sacd's in particular with my Yamaha DVD-S1700. Here's the problem: I have to turn the output of my Yamaha RX-V530 (in 6-channel mode) up quite loud before the sub will kick on, yet during even minimally quiet moments during Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, it pops off if the volume isn't left at a fairly loud level. Is the normal for most subs? Thank again for any help and any recommendations would be great. I hope to purchase either Definitive Technologies Pro Sub 1000 or Supercube 2000 to go with my Pro Cinema 100's.

 

[Mr645]

try just turning it on and leave it

 

[gene c]

I'm not sure about the popping sound, it could be anything. As for the low signal, there was an "issue" with DVD-Audio and SACD when they first came out. Apparently they were recorded with the subwoofer muted by 10 db. I don't remember why that was but there were many complaints about low subwoofer level while playing these formats through the multi-channel inputs. The usual advice was to lower the other speakers volume by 5 db and raise the subwoofer 5 in either the receivers volume controls or the players if so equiped. But this was never satisfactory to me. Another thing you can try is to connect the players subwoofer output directly to the subwoofer, bypassing the receiver. This didn't work for me but it might for you. Newer receivers have the option of increasing the subwoofers level output in the setup menu correcting this "issue". I found this in a quick search. Read #4) Scotty, we need more bass! http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/How_To_Set_up_a_Blu-ray_Player_Using_Multi-Channel_Analog_Outputs_And_Why.shtml

 

[John Garcia]

The popping sound is likely the sub shutting off and dumping the stored power in the capacitors on the amp. The issue is that either your preamp out voltage is too low from the receiver the sub or the sub has a low input sensitivity so it shuts off when there is little to no activity on that channel. Similar to the answer for SACD/DVD-A LFE offset, you can try simply turning the sub's level up either in the receiver or on the sub itself to see if it remains on during those quiet passages. You can also try something that was recommended by HSU with their early sub amps and that is to run a Y splitter connected to both the L & R main inputs (if it is setup this way) which sometimes helps with an amp like that.