Hello to all - hope your Thanksgiving was warm and memorable...
They say there's no stupid question, but this may border on what may seem absurd to many of you: how do you tell if the subwoofer you're integrating into your sound sysem is A) working correctly and B) what level you should set the sound/volume control to be at the 'recorded'level to integrate the below 85hz basse as the music was recorded?
I'm using my Peak/Coral coaxial drivers with a Kenwood KA-3500. and integrating a used Velodyne V-1012-B subwoofer. The model I have is an earlier model than the manual pic on the velodyne website - I do not have a variable high and low pass, so my sub is set at 85hz and below. It has a 60 watt amp that powers it, and a volume control on the back to set the sound level...
My 1st question about how well it is working: seems to get not as precise (booming?bloated?) after the volume is turned up past half-way on tunes that have driving bass ( Black Eyed Peas, Stevie Wonder, Led Zepplin - and a Nora Jones CD from a friend that we use as a bass test).
Should bass rattle your walls? or should it be there as another part of the sound?
And my 2nd question: on the Nora Jones CD: IT BOOMS on my friends' speakers ( which I don't like) but how do I know it's not recorded that way/supposed to sound that way?
Any thoughts/help/suggestions? Bill
They say there's no stupid question, but this may border on what may seem absurd to many of you: how do you tell if the subwoofer you're integrating into your sound sysem is A) working correctly and B) what level you should set the sound/volume control to be at the 'recorded'level to integrate the below 85hz basse as the music was recorded?
I'm using my Peak/Coral coaxial drivers with a Kenwood KA-3500. and integrating a used Velodyne V-1012-B subwoofer. The model I have is an earlier model than the manual pic on the velodyne website - I do not have a variable high and low pass, so my sub is set at 85hz and below. It has a 60 watt amp that powers it, and a volume control on the back to set the sound level...
My 1st question about how well it is working: seems to get not as precise (booming?bloated?) after the volume is turned up past half-way on tunes that have driving bass ( Black Eyed Peas, Stevie Wonder, Led Zepplin - and a Nora Jones CD from a friend that we use as a bass test).
Should bass rattle your walls? or should it be there as another part of the sound?
And my 2nd question: on the Nora Jones CD: IT BOOMS on my friends' speakers ( which I don't like) but how do I know it's not recorded that way/supposed to sound that way?
Any thoughts/help/suggestions? Bill
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Rule of thumb for subs: if you notice it, it's turned too loud.
One major issue may be integration between sub and satellites. That is not a trivial issue! What's the high pass filter for the satellites, are they closed box, and what's their resonant frequency and Q (lacking the last two, the box volume)?
One major issue may be integration between sub and satellites. That is not a trivial issue! What's the high pass filter for the satellites, are they closed box, and what's their resonant frequency and Q (lacking the last two, the box volume)?
I think it comes from experience. Take time to change all the settings and listen and note changes with each change. Also play with placement of the sub as that will have an affect on the sound too. If you have the money to buy measuring gear or a friend that have the gear, take measurements as you make changes. Booming will show up as a peak way down low for example. By the way, this is not a stupid question. Every one on this site, at some point in their lives, did not know anything about audio!!!
P.S., were do you live? There may be many audiophiles in your area that can help. I live in S.E. Michigan and we have the S.E. Michigan Audio Club here and if I needed 10 sets of ears to help tweak my system it would only be a email away.
P.S., were do you live? There may be many audiophiles in your area that can help. I live in S.E. Michigan and we have the S.E. Michigan Audio Club here and if I needed 10 sets of ears to help tweak my system it would only be a email away.
SY: Thanks for your thoughts...
The sub has no high and low pass option to set - it's set at 85hz on the sub.
The Peak/Corals (made in Japan) HS-201 are in 14"w x 18" tall x 28" deep (odd hun? ) with a port at the back, set about 12" away from the back wall... no idea about the other info you asked about - I will have to do some research about the resonant frequency and Q... These speakers are about 6'apart with the electronics in a Lovan rack between them, and the Sub is placed in centered between the speakers and about 3' in front of the electronics.
I'm using 14g copper flat speaker wire from Radio Shack, from the Kenwood KA-3500 into the sub and the same cable out of the sub to the speakers... I think the Kenwood, although only 40 watts has good bass control ( or so I've read on other forums and reviews)...
ANy other thoughts would be appreciated - and again: thanks for the thoughts...
The sub has no high and low pass option to set - it's set at 85hz on the sub.
The Peak/Corals (made in Japan) HS-201 are in 14"w x 18" tall x 28" deep (odd hun? ) with a port at the back, set about 12" away from the back wall... no idea about the other info you asked about - I will have to do some research about the resonant frequency and Q... These speakers are about 6'apart with the electronics in a Lovan rack between them, and the Sub is placed in centered between the speakers and about 3' in front of the electronics.
I'm using 14g copper flat speaker wire from Radio Shack, from the Kenwood KA-3500 into the sub and the same cable out of the sub to the speakers... I think the Kenwood, although only 40 watts has good bass control ( or so I've read on other forums and reviews)...
ANy other thoughts would be appreciated - and again: thanks for the thoughts...
djn: Thanks for your thoughts... I'm on LI in New York - and I'm sure there are some 'groups' that I can reach out to... I'll investigate them and we'll see what happens.
... and thanks for your support about questions.
Any other ideas or thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks again - and Best Wishes.
... and thanks for your support about questions.
Any other ideas or thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks again - and Best Wishes.
I've heard that if you play some good full range piano music you should be able to set the sub such that the piano "sounds right".
Probably the same results as SY suggested.
It should fill in the low end presence but not be noticeable.
As someone else on here somewhere said...
You should hear the music not the speakers.
Probably the same results as SY suggested.
It should fill in the low end presence but not be noticeable.
As someone else on here somewhere said...
You should hear the music not the speakers.
Here is a group from NY over on AK that is having a meet up on 12/9
Upstate NY meetup - AudioKarma.org Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums
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Upstate NY meetup - AudioKarma.org Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums
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While your ear is the final judge and there's no objectively "correct" curve, all but impossible to sort things out in the frequency region you are talking about without investing in a bit of measurement gear. Even if you got advice from someone with the identical system, your room would be different.
In addition to your investment in efforts to understand the process, you'll need software and a Radio Shack sound level meter. I use REW (free) on a Mac laptop (which also requires an iMic, on my laptop). You'll find this very informative, if not quite definitive.
Ben
I admit it, I sometimes use my ears: I have my PopScience bass glide tone record (now on a CD) which glides from 300 to 20 repeatedly, with cricket chirps at 50 Hz intervals. I've listened to those glide tones hundreds if not thousands of times on dozens if not hundreds of system revisions, since I bought the record around 1958.
In addition to your investment in efforts to understand the process, you'll need software and a Radio Shack sound level meter. I use REW (free) on a Mac laptop (which also requires an iMic, on my laptop). You'll find this very informative, if not quite definitive.
Ben
I admit it, I sometimes use my ears: I have my PopScience bass glide tone record (now on a CD) which glides from 300 to 20 repeatedly, with cricket chirps at 50 Hz intervals. I've listened to those glide tones hundreds if not thousands of times on dozens if not hundreds of system revisions, since I bought the record around 1958.
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