To sub-sonic filer or not? (1 Viewer)

[Adam.Heckman]

I recently built an endtable Tempest. (see here)

I used the PE 250w plate amp (like everyone else), but I've been left wondering. How would it sound with out the 30hz rumble filter? Some people say not having a filter for sub-sonic sound helps you 'feel' a movie. Some say I miss out because I have a filter.
I've never heard a sub like this without the filter (I don't peronally know anyone else into HT like us here at HTF). So, I don't know what I'm missing. I've been toying with the idea of swapping amps to one without the filter.

What are people thoughts and opinions on the matter of filtered subwoofers?

 

[Jack Gilvey]

If you have the PE 800-796 , there's not only a filter but a boost @ 30Hz of about 6dB (an underdamped high-pass). This effects the sound quite a bit, rolling off the deepest bass but possibly adding more punch/impact to music (Chevelle has some nice bass ) and explosions than otherwise. Might be fun to try it without, there are instructions for modifying the boost in the instruction manual.

In general, filters are much more important in ported subs, as the driver can go into wild excursions below tuning. In a sealed box, the air resistance is usually enough to control things.

As an option, this amp , while $100 more expensive, has switchable eq settings, and built-in parameteric eq, and twice the power.

 

[Adam.Heckman]

Thanks for that info. I didn't see that amp when pricing during my build. I looked hard at rythmic and the PE. That's a very nice amp. However, I'm not to sure I coulda swung the extra dough.

Anyone else and their thoughts on sub-sonic filters?

 

[Jack Gilvey]

Is removing the boost/filter, as described in the manual, something you'd try? You can see the shape of the frequency response in that .pdf, the rolloff is slightly more severe with the stock amp...but what you're really hearing is the boost above the rolloff.

 

[VinhT]

Adam, I have modified a PE plate amp in the past to remove boost. Quite intimidating at first, but the swap turned out to be fairly easy. My local Radio Shack had an assortment of resistors to chose from.

I would definitely use a high-pass filter on a ported sub.

 

[Adam.Heckman]

VinhT,

I have a mid-q sealed.

You say you removed the boost. After the switch, were you more or less happy with the sound?

Also, I'm a bit confused... you can swap out resistors to change the boost, but we can't do anything to remove the filter?

Thanks everyone for the responses.

 

[al lout]

Adam,

I have a mid-q sealed tempest w/ 250W PE (the one with no boost). After a few month of tweaking and messing around with my sub, I then decided to modify the plate amp. Adding +2db at 20hz-24hz region (swap out 2 resistors). Before the mod, my sub reaches down to 21hz with authority. After the mod, it reaches all the way to 18hz. Plus I recently added BFD to smooth out FR. Pretty sweet right now. I said remove the boost at 30hz and maybe add a couple db at the lower freqs. Give it a shot, see how you like it. Worst to come worst, you can reverse the boost back. If funds allow, I recommend the BFD.

Al,

 

[Adam.Heckman]

Thanks for the reply. I may just try that. I'll post back (probably in weeks) with the results.