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Marantz Bass Management Question (1 Viewer)

Doug_L

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Well I finally bought real tower speakers to replace my front (which were bookshelfs) and I'm having some bass management issues. This is a long post, but I'm trying to be as explicit as I can be.

The new speaks (Mission 783) are rated down to 38Hz, so I consider them to be full range enough for music. My receiver is a Marantz SR-19. I have a CD player hooked up using analog RCAs and my DVD player uses a digtial coax. Speakers are neither bi-wired nor bi-amped.

I've set my main speakers to Large, but have kept the center and rears set to Small/THX. With 5.1 sources I expect that all LFE, plus signals below 80hz in the rears and center channels will go to my subwoofer (connected by RCA as line-level, not speaker level inputs). So far, so good.

When I listen to audio CD's I want to take the subwoofer out of the equation completely, for my own personal taste. I thought that since it's a 2-channel signal and my main speakers are set to large that there would be nothing coming from the subwoofer - but I was wrong!

Even in stereo there's some processing that's routing some signal (not sure which) to the subwoofer. My Marantz does have a Signal Direct mode that allows the 2-channel signal to bypass the digital conversion, and in this mode the sub is quiet.

Can anybody explain to me how/why I would be getting sound through subwoofer with mains set to large on a 2-channel stereo signal? Something specific to Marantz?

Thanks.
 

John Garcia

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are rated down to 38db
38Hz not dB.

The short answer: Use Source Direct for music.

In stereo, if you have your mains set to large and sub=yes, you will still get sound from the sub. This is normal. Source Direct bypasses bass management, and if there is no sub track present on the material (multi channel SACD, DVD-A, DTS CD, etc...) then you will not hear anything from it.
 

Chris PC

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I actually listen to music with the subwoofer now because I like the bass. What you could do, since you have your mains set to large, is simply wire a light-switch to turn your subwoofer on and off.
 

John Garcia

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If you are listening to 2ch music, Source Direct should remove the sub with the push of a button.

I normally listen with Source Direct off, but sometimes I don't want the sub going also.
 

Steve_Ma

Second Unit
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May 7, 2001
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I second John and Chris's points. If your goal is to get the sub "out of the equation for music." Keep all speakers set to small with the sub = yes. Then use the S-direct function when you want to listen to music. It'll treat your mains as large and remove all bass mgt. It's quick and will allow you to still keep your system properly calibrated for multi-channel material, but will get rid of the sub for music.

I still use my sub to help out my towers even for music, but I know MANY tower owners who believe their sub just "gets in the way" when it comes to 2ch music.

--Steve
 

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