Need help with 20-39CS (1 Viewer)

[Conrad_S]

I had the opportunity to hear a 20-39CS today at another HT Forum Member's home, and WOW!!!! It truly lived up to all the hype I heard in the forums and reviews.

Problem is that my sub peforms NOWHERE near what his sub performed at. ie. He had it at 10db BELOW reference, and it smoked my MAXED out 20-39CS.

Same S700 amp, same sub. He has an Onkyo 989, I have a 494.

Tom & Ron are out of ideas, so hopefully you guys/gals can help brainstorm what the possible culprit may be...

 

[Mifr44]

"I had the opportunity to hear a 20-39CS today at another HT Forum Member's home, and WOW!!!! It truly lived up to all the hype I heard in the forums and reviews."

"Same S700 amp, same sub. He has an Onkyo 989, I have a 494."

Have you asked this forum member if you could try your S700 in his system? At least you could eliminate the S700 as the source of the problem.

You are using "Mode 1" on the 494 for the sub, right?

Michael

 

[Conrad_S]

Yep, I will. Problem is that he's about 45 minutes away from me. I'll first take my receiver/amp/sub to a nearby friend's house since it's a shorter drive.
I have a hunch that ALL the audio components are working correctly. My brother has a system in the living room, and he experienced the same exact "phenomena" with all different components. The only thing we shared between the two setups was the 12 gauge Home Depot wire and the electricity. Same box, different breakers.

 

[Conrad_S]

Yes, I use Mode 1 normally. (Although I've tried all 3 settings)

 

[Conrad_S]

One more thing to add, it's not my source. I've tried a Sony S560D DVD Player and resulted in the same problem.

 

[Rick Radford]

Conrad,
Did you try a different 1/4" adapter? Seems I recall hearing of someone else with a similar problem that was cured with a change in the adapter (as Tom suggested above).
Otherwise, I don't know much, but I'd be glad to stop by and take a look at your system sometime if you'd like. (shucks, I'd just like to see your PC!)
I also remember the revered Guy Kuo not being impressed with the initial sound of his twin SVS package either.. until he realized he forgot to switch on the amp. (but I know that's not your problem!)
There has got to be a simple solution for this.
Forum members: Conrad has a concrete slab for the subfloor. Covered with carpet, can that possibly be part of the problem? I can't imagine that it is... or any sub would suffer similarly.

 

[Mifr44]

"Forum members: Conrad has a concrete slab for the subfloor. Covered with carpet, can that possibly be part of the problem? I can't imagine that it is... or any sub would suffer similarly."

The fact that the Polk sub performs fine and easily with more output than the SVS subwoofer rules out the Onkyo receiver. If he is using the same 24' audio cable to his Polk sub, which works, then that is not the problem.

I do have one question for Conrad. In your first post you mention 16 ga. wires, then later say it is 12 ga. I would have more confidence that it isn't the speaker wires if it were 12 ga.

That would just leave the S700, the SVS sub, and the RCA->1/4" plug converter. To the owners of the SVS subs: can Conrad connect his sub directly to his Onkyo receiver? I realize that there isn't a crossover for the mains, so that's why I asked the question. I was wondering if he could perform a low volume test without damage to the SVS sub just to eliminate it as the source of the problem.

Michael

 

[Conrad_S]

I can't find an easy way of trying another adapter, so I ordered the "SVS Recommended" silver serpent. As I said above, taking the 3 components over to my friend's house may be the easiest way of limiting it down to the audio equipment or something else. (Hopefully it's not the something else)
Rick, you are welcome here anytime. If you heard my PC you'd swear that the jets you fly are quieter.

 

[Rick Radford]

>I can't find an easy way of trying another adapter<

Conrad.. just go to your local Radio Shack and get a $2 RCA female to 1/4 mono adapter. Add a 1/2 buck and get gold plated, if ya want.

Gold Phono-to-Mono Adapter

$2.49 Reg. Price

Cat.#: 274-884

 

[Conrad_S]

I'm already using the non-gold version of the Radio Shack Phono to mono adapter.
http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...5Fid=274%2D320

 

[Conrad_S]

I just talked with my brother a little while ago, and it seems that the SVS's are not the only victims of this problem. We had a set of NHT 1259's that never performed well. Even the Polk's we had here didn't perform as well as other locations.

I'm not sure where this leads... but I'm thinking perhaps a voltage problem or something to do with our electrical system in the apartment?

 

[John_P]

Conrad,

I know Tom has mentioned this but I didn't see a reply that you tried this - try reversing the phase on the SVS.

I had the same problem you are having. I bought dual 1646cs's with a Samson 700 (also using Onkyo, DTR7 though). When I hooked-up one and tried it out, there was almost no output, unless I cranked it. Through some e-mails with Tom, I switched the posotive and negative wires at the sub (rather than red/red, black/black I swithed to red/black, black/red), and yup, that worked. The terminals must have been put in the sub incorrectly. Try that. Hope it works.

 

[Conrad_S]

Forgot to add another tidbit that may help isolate the problem. My brother mentioned this particular occurrence as strange:

When the NHT 1259's were connected to the AudioScource AMP3 he has, the AMP would never got warm/hot to the touch. However, as soon as he connected his Eosone RSF-400's to it, the amp would start to heat up. He feels as if the subs were somehow not drawing the current for some reason.

 

[Conrad_S]

Tried the phase a while back, not it. :frowning:

 

[Conrad_S]

Just came back from my friend's place. His wife was nice enough to let us test it. Problem is that the new location did not fix the sub-par peformance...
Guess that narrows it down to receiver and/or settings, rca cable, phono/mono converter, amp, speaker wire, or sub.

 

[Mifr44]

Conrad,

I am sorry to hear about that. What exactly did you take from your system and use in the other system? Did you swap out anything while there, like using the other person's cables, converter, amp, etc.?

I would eliminate the receiver and its' settings as the source of your problem, since the other sub (Polk) works much better than the SVS sub.

My gut feeling says it's the amp.

Michael

 

[Conrad_S]

Same RCA, Phono/Mono converter, AMP, speaker wire, and sub. The only new variables were an Onkyo 787 and the new location.
I hope Rick is willing to let me bring my stuff over to his place and help me with the testing.

 

[Conrad_S]

Actually, the Polk performed on par with the SVS in the frequencies it could reproduce. (And we all know that there is no chance the Polk could keep up. )

 

[Rick Radford]

I hope Rick is willing to let me bring my stuff over to his place and help me with the testing.

Sure Conrad. Be glad to. Let's set up a time when I can make sure the family is gone. (they don't have the same appreciation of subwoofer testing that I do)
Besides. I'd love to hear what dual 20-39s will sound like in my HT.
Give me a call.

 

[Conrad_S]

My gut feeling says it's the amp.

Michael, I just received an S1000 today on my 20-39. (Nice to have a local shipping warehouse nearby!) Still the exact same problem as my S700. :frowning: