Subwoofer setting - need advice (1 Viewer)

[DaveDickey]

I have Athena floorstanding main speakers that are rated down to 35Hz. I have the option to set my Athena subwoofer crossover at 40Hz (mains set to large, center and surrounds set to small). Do you think that 5Hz gap leaves enough room between the crossover points? I have read on other threads that speakers rarely match their advertised frequency range. I'm concerned that the speakers will max out at 45Hz (or something higher than 40) and I'll have a "dead zone."

The speakers sound pretty dang good at the above setting...but the system also sounds nice with all six speakers set to small and the subwoofer crossed at 80Hz. I'm just concerned about the 5Hz gap.

Thanks, Dave

 

[John S]

Yes, with that setup, put it anyway you want it really.
The way that sounds best is the way it should be run.

I would run mine at 40hz also if it sounded best that way.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Generally it’s recommended to set the crossover at least an octave above the lowest rated extension for home theater.

But even that didn’t work well in my situation. My mains have a 8” woof and a 10” passive radiator and easily hit 30Hz. I initially set the crossover for 60Hz and it worked fine for music. But movies have highly exaggerated bass response, so some action flicks would practially blow the woofs out into the street – even with steep 24dB/octave high and low pass filters. I ended up moving the setting to 90Hz.

That said, try and see. I have a really big room which demands high volume levels. Your mileage may vary.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Chuck Schilling]

Dave,

The real key is whether the response curve on your speakers is flat to 35 hz. If so, then you should be ok. However, if the curve slopes steeply, and the speakers are straining mightily at those low frequencies, you'll definitely want to set the low pass filter higher.

But...which sounds better to you? Isn't that the most important aspect? No one here can tell you which is best, since we don't know your particular tastes and preferences. I personally like setting my low pass filter quite high (80-100 hz or so) and letting the PB2+ do what it does best, and let my NHT's do what they do best.