My 1st Impression of new SVS & a question or 2 (1 Viewer)

[Dean DeMass]

As you all know I just received my new SVS. After I got the bad boy unpacked (I have seen nothing that tops the SVS packaging job), hooked up yesterday, and then calibrated, I threw some material at it. 1st off was The new DTS DVD of Jurassic Park - Chapter 11. HOLY SH*T!!!! It felt like the damn T-Rex was going to burst through my wall and have me as a snack. Gone was the boominess of my Energy and in was the deepest and most tightest bass I have ever felt/heard.
Next I put in The Matrix - Lobby Shootout through the Helicopter explosion. Again, HOLY SH*T!!!! The scene where Neo punches the cop in the chest after walking through the metal detector was incredible, the bass just punched you in the stomach. The helicopter explosion was fantastic. When that chopper crashed into the building, I thought my seat was going to fall apart.

I then wanted to hear how the SVS sounded with music.I listened to a couple of songs from Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile and a couple off of Tool - Lateralus. Again, bass was as tight as can be and not boomy at all. The bass punched you in the gut and made you smile at it.
So if you can't tell I am very happy with my new sub.

I still can't get over how cheap theses things cost. I was listening to $1000+ subs a couple of weeks ago that couldn't touch SVS. I highly recommend SVS to anyone.
Now a couple of questions for Tom and Ron.
1. Since I am using a stereo receiver as an amp to power the SVS, what should the Bass and Treble controls be set at on the receiver? Should they both be turned all the way down, both at the 12 o' clock position, all the way up? Right now I have treble all the way down and bass at the 9 o' clock position.
2. I was told not to put a sub on a wall that is an outside wall of your house. Currently, I have the SVS in a corner that has does have an outside wall there. Is this OK, or should I move it to a spot that isn't on an outside wall?
Again, thanks for the fast shipment and the outstanding product. I have never been as happy with a piece of HT equipment as I am with my new SVS.
-Dean-
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Link Removed
"I've seen you and you are not cool."

 

[Westly T]

Oops, and yes I know I'm not Tom or Ron, but I read that after posting my opinion below.
[Edited last by Westly T on August 23, 2001 at 09:00 AM]

 

[Westly T]

Ideally it should be at 12:00, if you turn it up or down you are distorting it buy boosting or reducing some frequencies more then others. Depending on your amp and how it boosts the bass will also contribute to whether turning it up or down will affect the frequency response in a negative way. In some cases, in some rooms other settings could be beneficial however.
Try your sub in several places, even if it's on an outside wall and let your ears tell you where the best place is. In my setup ALL THE WALLS it can be placed near are exterior walls.
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- Wes
My Home Theater
The MMG were replaced with 1.6QR's and added Marantz MA-700's. SVS is here. Ok, allot more then that has changed, I'll update my page some day...

 

[Steve Hauben]

Which one(s) did you get?
-Steve

 

[Dean DeMass]

Which one(s) did you get?

I got one 20-39CS.
-Dean-

 

[Dean DeMass]

I just got done checking out the beginning of Toy Story 2.... OMFG!!!! That is some of the most disturbing bass ever.
-Dean-

 

[Chris PC]

You want to leave the tone controls centered at 12:00 or at 0 dB. Not + or -. Try it like that for a while. If you like, you can boost or cut the bass however it suits your taste. It sounds like you are boosting the bass quite a bit, or actually cutting it. I can't see the tone control, so I don't know. Is your tone control top centered? Like, is 9 o'clock in the minus? On my amp, the tone controls position , both bass and treble, corresponds like this: 7 am = -9 dB, 12:00 noon = 0 dB and 5 pm = + 9dB.
You might want to boost the bass only 50% of the tone control max. Thats probably ok, but most people strive for a flatter response. You probably like bass, so try it flat this time and gradually increase it. Lots and LOTS of bass is impressive and does sound pleasant to some, but ideally you want to reproduce the recorded material as faithfully to the original as possible, and that usually means flat.
BTW, if you are using a receiver or integrated amp as your amplifier for the subwoofer, you can also adjust the bass by turning the volume knob.
What you should do is get a Radio Shack SPL meter and match the subwoofer volume to the rest of your speakers. Do this with the tone controls at zero or flat. Someone else here will be able to suggest what test CD's or LD's, DVD's to use in order to calibrate your subwoofer.
[Edited last by Chris PC on August 23, 2001 at 01:32 PM]
[Edited last by Chris PC on August 23, 2001 at 01:36 PM]

 

[Ron Stimpson]

Dean,
You already got some good advice but I'll add my two cents.
First, you'll almost certainly get the best response with the bass control "centered" (at the middle of the scale or at the center detent if you have one). Most bass controls will tend to emphasize one band (say centered at 30Hz) which is going to introduce an artifical peak, and since it's a form of equalization, cut avaiable amp power too probably. Treble on the other hand, you might as well turn it all the way down. Your Dolby Digital receiver should not be providing your subwoofer amp/receiver any high frequency information but if any noise is finding it's way in this might be a simple way of cutting it out. So either centered or all the way down would be my recommendation there.
On calibration, you might want (if you haven't already) try to turn up the receiver as high as you can and get a good calibration. That is, turn the bass output of your DD processor/front end to about 1/4th up (so you still have a few dBs to turn it down from you main remote) and feeding the sub amp the cleanest signal it can. Depending on the voltage level of the DD receiver's sub out, and the sensitivity of your sub amp/receiver you might find you can turn the latter full up, or only 1/3 up. Just run the sub amp up high as you can.
And as noted, calibration is key (so is final checkout on scenes as you have). With good corner loading and a typical moderate viewing/listening level you can juice up the SVS several dBs over your mains. Use a test disk like Video Essentials if you can. Receiver test tones do NOT test your entire audio chain like a test DVD. Needless to say an SPL meter is key here.
Sounds to me though like you just about nailed things. You are getting the visceral effect you want and apparently are not bottoming the sub (relatively hard to do with a receiver as the power, but when receivers go into clipping, odd things can happen. 100watts, when going clipped can fry a driver, even before it bottoms).
You discovered just what we tell folks all the time though... that moderate power from an old stereo amp or receiver is more than enough to get world-class bass on a relative shoestring. If the sub that's powered is well tuned and efficient.
Rock on Dean, and imagine what a second sub might be like when colocated with the first! Hey, you already have the amp channel!
;^)
Ron

 

[Dean DeMass]

OK, here is what I am doing.
1. I have the volume on the receiver for the sub maxed out.
2. I have the treble all the way down (0 db would be at the 12 o'clock position).
3. I have the bass at the 9 'O clock position (-6 db).
4. I calibrated with the test tones from Video Essentials using an analog Rat Shack SPL meter.
5. My DD/DTS processor is set at -8 (-12 is the lowest it can go)
Now here is my question. If I set the Treble and Bass controls on the receiver, the bass is too loud and I can't lower it anymore on the decoder. Is it OK to turn the volume down on the receiver for the sub, say to the 2 or 3 O' clock position so I could then place the bass and treble at 0 db? Or do I have to have the volume control all the way up? If it is OK to lower the volume control then I can play around with the volume on my decoder with the Treble and Bass controls at 0 db.
Thanks for all of the advice guys.
-Dean-
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Link Removed
"I've seen you and you are not cool."
[Edited last by Dean DeMass on August 23, 2001 at 04:24 PM]

 

[AVspec]

"1st off was The new DTS DVD of Jurassic Park - Chapter 11. HOLY SH*T!!!!"
Now this is what I can not wait to try with my twin 20-39CS's! I hope Universal sends me my fixed.... I mean my changed dts version soon!

I also have to agree with you Dean on the packaging as it is the best I have seen.
My twin 20-39's are "The Best Bang For HT Buck" I think I have spent next to my Barco 808s FP!
Great job SVS!!!
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-Mark
**** Digital Vortex ****
The Digital Electronic Site
www.digitalvortex.com

 

[Dean DeMass]

OK, I made some adjustments.
1. I turned the bass control to 0 db (12 o'clock position).
2. I kept the treble all the way down.
3. I turned the volume control down a couple of notches, it is now between the 3 and 4 o' clock position.
4. My subwoofer level on my DD/DTS decoder is now at -8.
With the bass control at 0 db, I noticed even tighter bass.
My only question now is this.....
Is it OK not to have the receiver's volume control turned all the way up? I don't want to cause any damage to the sub by giving less power than it needs, or am I just worrying too much?
-Dean-
[Edited last by Dean DeMass on August 24, 2001 at 05:51 AM]

 

[Ron Stimpson]

Dean,
You missed the answer to your question in my last note:
"Depending on the voltage level of the DD receiver's sub out, and the sensitivity of your sub amp/receiver you might find you can turn the latter full up, or only 1/3 up. Just run the sub amp up high as you can."
So yes, no problem. If the sub amp/receiver is NOT full up but you have the right calibration (and where the DD receiver's sub level still has some downward adjustment)...you are THERE.
What we DON'T want people doing is cranking their subwoofer level controls on the DD/DTS receiver, and keeping the sub amp low. This tends to over drive the sub amp with distortion (or, it can). Very bad, especially when someone is turning their overall sub calibration hot (over the mains) and THEN runnning some high level demos.
Distortion=clipping=lots of nasty noises sent to the voice coil=fried driver.
It happens.
P.S. Remember that all your settings on the receiver mean very little in relative terms. It's what you are measuring with your SPL meter using calibration tones AND the settings of your amp and receiver together that matter. Follow the guidance above and in your manual, and back off calibration levels if you ever bottom your driver and you should have no problems.
Ron

 

[Dean DeMass]

Ron,
Yup, I missed the answer in your original post, my bad. I actually feel more comfortable anyway with the receiver volume a bit lower and the sub level on the decoder a bit higher. Just as a comparison, I now have the sub level set at -8 db on the decoder. The level on my Energy sub was +4 db on the decoder. Also, the SVS had a noticeable hum with the volume all the way up, with the volume lower, the hum is completely gone.
Again, thanks for all the help.
-Dean-
[Edited last by Dean DeMass on August 24, 2001 at 08:41 AM]