Novice help required setting up Surrounbar

barrow3521

Hi I would be very grateful if someone could give assist me with a novice set up guide with my new system. I have a surrounbar 42, Polk sub woofer PSW111, Onkyo TXSR608. The problem is everything, the Onkyo receiver doesnt correspond to the Polk instructions in anyway i.e large/small settings. Please could someone help me with ideal crossover settings and sub settings, sub set up best way is it the pre out on the Onkyo reciever, db levels, equalizer settings on onkyo? Am i better using the Audessey room set up on the Onkyo or not?
As you can see it is everything really so any help would be gratefully appreciated?
John Liverpool England.

[Deleted User]

Hello John,
Welcome to Club Polk. The sub needs to play up to 150Hz to match the low frequency capability of the SurroundBar. There should be a way to adjust the low pass filter in your receiver's setup menu. If so, set it to the frequency that is closest to 150Hz. Keep the front speakers, center and surrounds set to "large" or "unfiltered" unless you consider yourself to be a loud listener. If you do then set everything at "small" or "filtered".
Because of the unique nature of the SurroundBar you will not be able to use the receiver's automatic setup.
Cheers, Ken

barrow3521

Hi Ken, Thanks for the reply. The Onkyo receiver doesnt have large or small which is the confusing part and thats one of the areas i am unsure about to gain the maximum effect. Do i set the surroundbar to 120HZ for all the speakers and the sub at 150HZ?
Thanks John

tavogee

does it have full band? If so that is the large setting.

[Deleted User]

No problem, John, glad to be of help.
The SurroundBar (abbreviated "SB") has built-in high pass filters, preventing it from playing much bass information below 150Hz. It would be best to have the receiver not filter (the setting may be called "full range") any of the channels coming into the SB. This avoids "double filtering", where a filtered signal from the receiver is at the same frequency as the built-in filter. An exception to this would be if you tended to listen at fairly high volumes and began hearing "cone breakup". A "loose" or uncontrolled quality to bass and lower midrange sounds. Then introduce a high pass filter, in the receiver's setup, using the lowest frequency needed to prevent cone breakup. Start at 40/60Hz and see how that sounds. If you still hear it raise the crossover frequency.
The sub-woofer needs to be able to play up to 150Hz, make your receiver connection to the "LFE" input on the sub.
Cheers, Ken

barrow3521

Ken,
Thanks so much for the help i think i am finally getting there. I will set the sub to 150 and the surroundbar channels to full band. My sub is connected to the 2 pre out connections on the Onkyo. Would you recommend adjusting the db levels on any of the sb channels? Also do i need to set an LFE level the options are 80hz, 90, 100 or 120?
John