"clacking" noise at high volumes

Cuchulain

I've had a new PSW125 for about 2 weeks and its been great. Been listening to music and watching TV until now. Its first big test was today with an action movie and it produced a "clacking" (for lack of a better word) noise on a couple of occasions. It happened on the biggest explosions; so when the most energy was needed. It has continued to work fine since this happened. It was turned up louder than it has been since I got it.

Does this sub just need to be broken in? Specifically, it has happened only with intense LFE signals.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Cuchulain

Noted. Didn't think I had it close to it's limit.

Face

Try placing the sub elsewhere in the room. It may be in a null, which will explain why it's not playing loud but exceeding xmax.

gdb

That "clack" you're hearing is an actual bottoming out of the voice coil. Continued bottoming will alter (mushroom) the coil's shape, then scraping will follow.

maxima

If the sub is not place in a corner, you can try corner placement which will greatly increase its output. A possible downside is the bass may sound a bit "boomier".

tonyb

Probably a combination of both, volume and placement. Also, that sub isn't ment for a big room either, so if you have it setup in a fairly large room your turning the volume up to try and pressurize the room. Then when the big explosions hit in a movie soundtrack you'll bottom out the sub.

Cuchulain

Thanks everyone. I really can't move the sub as I ran the cable behind the wall when I renovated. It's kind of recessed into this window area.

It definitely benefits from being close to a wall/corner in this spot. I guess it was just a matter of me having a new toy and wanting to see what it could do. The volume was only two thirds up on the sub and set at -20dB on the AVR. The room is about 14' x 16'.

Face

Time to pick up a longer cord and experiment with placement.

kuntasensei

Or go ahead and realize that your room needs more subwoofage than the PSW125 can dish out, return it, and step up to one of the many non-Polk alternatives that will get you that kinda' output on the (relative) cheap (SVS, Hsu, ED, etc.). Just sayin'...

Msabot1

Either a voice coil taxed or source anomalies ! Worked fine except during those passages?

Tbone289

Cuchulain wrote: »

The volume was only two thirds up on the sub and set at -20dB on the AVR.

You might benefit from turning the volume down on the sub itself and recalibrating the AVR. You should try to get closer to 0 dB on your AVR. My PSW505 is set at about 1/4 max volume, and that gets me to about -3dB on the AVR, which is close to the same setting as my front and center monitors.

tonyb

Just off the top of my head, I want to say three quarters of volume is way too much. I don't think I ever had a sub where the volume was more than a tad north of half way.

Is the room enclosed or does it open on one side to another area ? If so, you may need a bigger sub to get some pressure.

Cuchulain

Msabot1 wrote: »

Either a voice coil taxed or source anomalies ! Worked fine except during those passages?

It did. Didn't think of 'source anomalies'; the disc was a dvd rip.

Cuchulain

Tbone289 wrote: »

You might benefit from turning the volume down on the sub itself and recalibrating the AVR. You should try to get closer to 0 dB on your AVR. My PSW505 is set at about 1/4 max volume, and that gets me to about -3dB on the AVR, which is close to the same setting as my front and center monitors.

Its turned down now but anything louder than say -10dB is too loud for the room. I don't understand 'recalibrating' the AVR. Do you mean changing my mains back to 'large'.

Cuchulain

tonyb wrote: »

Just off the top of my head, I want to say three quarters of volume is way too much. I don't think I ever had a sub where the volume was more than a tad north of half way.

Is the room enclosed or does it open on one side to another area ? If so, you may need a bigger sub to get some pressure.

Yeah the room is more open. the HT is only part of the room; the room is 25' in total with no door. Theater side is 12x14.

Msabot1

I think your equipment and settings are ok....more than likely the source! By the way,think Canada is cool..used to live in B.C.

Tbone289

Cuchulain wrote: »

Its turned down now but anything louder than say -10dB is too loud for the room. I don't understand 'recalibrating' the AVR. Do you mean changing my mains back to 'large'.

I mean turn down the volume on the sub, then run YPAO Sound Optimization calibration.

Cuchulain

gotcha Tbone, thanks.

Cuchulain

Done. YPAO set my mains to large which I reversed; set the cross-over to 120Hz which I changed to 80 and set the sub to +3dB which I left. Not sure what the previous sub setting was but with it turned down it has probably changed.