subwoofer newbie (1 Viewer)

[Mike X]

I wasn't sure if I needed to post here or the Basics forum so I'll start here....I have finally decided to add a subwoofer to my setup and get the .1 I've been missing from the 5.1!!! I have never owned a subwoofer before and have a few basic questions:
1. Do I need the specialty "subwoofer cable" to connect? I'll be hooking up the sub (JBL PB10) directly to the reciever (Yammy RX-V620) through the "subwoofer out" connection.
2. What is crossover frequency and what should I set this to?
3. Should I change the settings (LG, SM)of my center channel and mains now that I am adding a sub?
4. I've heard alot about calibration devices here but I've never used one....does this purchase (along with a new Panny CP72 DVD player ) warrant a calibration?

 

[Keith Outhouse]

No, It's just an audio cable like you would use to hook up a CD player.
Yamaha usually crosses at 90, so set the crossover on your sub around that area.
I have a Yahama 995 with mid size speakers (6.5" drivers)
I set all speakers to small and set the Yammie to "both" for the bass output. Your mileage may vary
At minimum, buy or borrow a Radio Shack SPL meter and use the Rcvr's test tones to calibrate. Your Yamaha may not have sub test tones. I set my sub by ear, but Avia or Video Essentials DVD's are the best way to calibrate.
Plenty to be found about all this in the Basics section under FAQ's

 

[Neil Joseph]

Yamaha usually crosses at 90, so set the crossover on your sub around that area.

In an ideal world I would agree. Problem is the slope of the filter is not "brickwall" and slopes off at 20-40dB/decade or thereabouts. You may actually consider setting the crossover of the sub up to maximum and let the receiver to it so that both crossovers are not trying to do the same job resulting in a null.

As far as setting the speakers to small or large, I would say all but the largest speakers would be set to small so that the sub can handle the bass.

If you want to get the best out of your equipment, calibrate using AVIA, Video Essentials or any other such disk along with a sound level meter available from Radio Shack. This will help to set the speaker levels correctly, as well as set up your video controls (hue, colour, sharpness etc).

 

[allan espinoza]

hey neil,
i have a yamaha receiver with a crossover of 90hz and have my sub set at 90hz as well, as ive heard thats the way your suppose to do it or i could be wrong, so could my set up be possibly wrong? i have a sound and vision set up disc and there is a test that is suppose to test your crossover by playing a sound from 200hz down to 20hz and it say that is suppose to play smoothly with no drops of audio, so if i can get that to happen will that make set up correct or is there another way of checking my crossover? this would really help thanks

 

[Brian Fellmeth]

The crossover control on the sub is there so that the unit can handle a full range signal and chop off frequencies too high for it. The sub out line is not a full range signal. It is already prepared for the sub, and the crossover in the sub should not be allowed to modify it. It should be disabled. If this is not possible, it should be turned up as high as possible which is almost the same thing.

there is a test that is suppose to test your crossover by playing a sound from 200hz down to 20hz and it say that is suppose to play smoothly with no drops of audio, so if i can get that to happen will that make set up correct

well, yes. But you cannot assess this by ear. If SPL meter measurements show flat with a sweep from 200 to 20 Hz (give or take 3-4 dB) then the setup is by definition correct.