adjust sub with an integrated two channels amplifier

rafaeide

hello guys, i'm Brand new here and i hope you can help me with your opinions about my stereo system, i've got a Yamaha a s500 two stereo channels, i like listening to music and watching some movies eventually, but music is my life to tell you the truth, the fact is that my main speakers are a pair of the entry level polk tsi300 but they really sound good enough in my opini

rpf65

Maybe a little better to explain how that cross over knob works. You currently have it set at 60 hz. That means your reciever will start sending the signal to the sub at the 60 hz freq. Your TSI's will still be recieving the signal at 60 hz, but will start to fade away from them at lower freqs. So, in your opinion, it sounds like your not missing any music signal, little hole in the bass area, you're good.

I've heard the TSI 300's, but never really played with them, but best guess is you may want to try raising that cross over setting. I would try 80, or even 100 with the 300's on 2 channel. Not very familiar with that particular sub, but you may also try adjusting the phase, if you can. Since your limited to placement, it may also help.

Good luck,and welcome to Club Polk

rafaeide

well the fact is that there's a great variation in music sources, what i mean is that it's not the same to listen to a bob dylan's song speccialy from his accustic times than to hiromi for instance, perhaps a solution could be adjusting the crossover knob according to each source of music being played at any time given, but you know, knobs are in the back and it's a little embarrasing to be changing them all the time, I'll try 80 or 90 hz again and see what happens, thanks a lot for your replay, it's my first sort of decent stereo system and sometimes i wonder if the bass is not too overwhelming but perhaps it's the proper bass for most types of music

rpf65

If your bass seems overwhelming at times, then the volume is probably too high. I'm guessing that in certain parts of your room,it seems more pronounced than in another area. When that happens, we call it a null, which means a bass dead zone. Because bass is non-directional, it acts a little weird. The room, furniture, floors, cielings, construction materials, and pretty much anything else you can think of effects these waves. The reason is in the world of sound these are really big waves, so it is easy to disturb their pattern.

Sometimes moving your sub a few inces, if possible, will greatly improve the sound. Sometimes it takes a second sub to correct these problems. If it happens to be placed in a corner, and you can give it a little free space from the walls, that will also help. The idea of having that sub is to simply help your other speakers. You really should have no idea where it's at in your room. I realize you have limited space, but you may try moving it left or right a little, sometimes big things can happen.

rafaeide

you are right!! the volume factor, that's it!!!! now moving the volume knob i think i found a really satisfying sound, and you were right too in terms of that hole in the bass frequency from my tsi, i can hear sounds that were there but i could not hear them before, thanks my friend, your piece of advice was really useful and although my stereo system is just quite fair, very entry level, the sound is so warm and detailed!!

John K.

Raf, welcome to Club Polk. You have your Yamaha amplifier correctly connected to the left input on your PSW110. You should understand that the frequency control on the back of the 110 isn't a full crossover; it just rolls off the response of the sub above the number set, but it has no effect at all on the TSi300 speakers(even if they were wired through the sub)and they'll operate over their full designed range. Since the TSi300 is rated by Polk to be down by 3dB at 47Hz this means that its response begins to drop off a little above that, probably in the 50-55Hz area. So, for the best blend between the sub and speakers the sub should match that by rolling off above about 55Hz. Since the lowest setting on the sub is 60Hz, that's the closest that can be done and the sub should be left at that lowest 60Hz setting.

As to the sub's volume control, many users set the sub volume too high. It would be best to have a sound level meter to match the volume of the sub and speakers, but if you don't have one, you have to try by ear. The sub shouldn't be so loud that it's obvious as a separate sound source; it should be as if the sub isn't playing but the speakers are putting out more bass. Although different music sources have different levels of bass, this is the way they were recorded, and you shouldn't have to try to change the sub level for each one.

Enjoy your music on your fine Polk equipment.

rafaeide

so in my case this sub just fill some empty little holes in the bass area from my tsi300, perhaps, mmm i should have waited for a sub capable of going too far beyond my tsi300 bass level but that means too much money to me at this moment, anyway i'm not a bass freak by no way i like balanced sound in the whole spectrum of the music and i "do" feel a change in music sound, switching the sub on or off, it sounds more real to say a word with the sub on, and you are right, the bass seems to be part of my main speakers not coming from the sub itself, where i live, a small town from my country, Argentina, i have not any posibility to test amplifiers or speakers so i ordered this piece of equipment based on reviews and my budget posibilites, but although this may not be a hi end audio system my music sounds warm and detailed and that's more than enough to me, my main source is my pc with an asus xonar essence tsx sound card and i sounds terrific!! in a near future my idea is going for a dedicated cd player like marantz, nad etc just to mention some brands- once again a apolagize for my poor english and your patient, i feel like learning a lot from you my friends and that's something i really appreciate, i really do

Erik Tracy

Welcome to Club Polk.

If you like what you are hearing, then that is all that matters - we all start someplace.

Then, depending on how involved you are with this hobby - upgrades will come over time.

Just remember, there is no 'end' - just enjoy the path! :cheesygrin:

rafaeide

yes sir!! while listening to eric burdon and the animals with their masterpiece "stop" i feel like knocking on heaven's door with the music and the sound!! i really didn't listened another hi fi brand more than polk so far, including the yamaha a s500 in the pack, it should be greater hi fi equipment even into these own brands, but in my opinion just my humble opinion i guess i have to invest too much money to really get another level of listening my music, but what I'm listening now it's a pleasure, thanks to Polk and my yammi, and thanks to you guys you really know what's it all about!!!, but you are right, upgrades are unlimited in terms of music equipment that's for sure, but man!!! these humble piece of electronics rocks to me now!!! lol

rafaeide

just a question about output connectors from the asus xonar essence txi, i have my yamaha integrated amplifier connected to line one input to the two rca connectors from the sound card left/right channels, i read somewhere about conecting the sound card from its headphone connector to get better fidelity, is that right? or you think the two analogue rca outputs from the asus are made to connect an external amplifier properly?, as you know this sound card has its headphone output amplified while the two rca outputs come just from the dac built in the asus, a cirrus logic as far as i'm concerned

rafaeide

or a burr brown im not so sure now, anyway both are good dacs according to several reviews

rafaeide

rafaeide

rafaeide

that's how i have my connection from the sound card to the yamaha a s500, as you can see there's a headphone output aside the white rca connector some say that taking sound from that amplified output you get more fidelity, but i guess left with left and right with right output/input - what do you think about my yamaha is totally an analogue integrated amplifier two channels for pure stereo system, not A/V

doctorcilantro

rafaeide wrote: »

you are right!! the volume factor, that's it!!!! now moving the volume knob i think i found a really satisfying sound, and you were right too in terms of that hole in the bass frequency from my tsi, i can hear sounds that were there but i could not hear them before, thanks my friend, your piece of advice was really useful and although my stereo system is just quite fair, very entry level, the sound is so warm and detailed!!

Quick and dirty setup would be to generate a sine wave on PC at your crossover point, and adjust the knob until you hear no change. Amplitude is another story but you could use an SPL meter and compare the same tone coming out of mains vs. sub.

rafaeide

i think i have found a real pleasant sound from my tsi 300 and the psw110, anyway, some say although they mostly refers to hi end headphones, that connecting a macho stereo jack to two rca to an amplifier even, you can get a better sound from the asus xonar essence tsx, but then, what rca out puts stand for, i guess they are intended for two channel amplifiers like my a s500 or those powered multimedia speakers in the market, or are they right? besides i have just a 3.5 mm macho stereo plug to two rca so i need an adaptor that cames with the box of the asus, but in my humble opinion that will narrow some way the outcoming sound, a little bit confused there, i like what i hear now, but if they are right? that input besides the white rca is the one i am talking about, it is amplified for headphones up to 600 mv i think

doctorcilantro

rafaeide wrote: »

that's how i have my connection from the sound card to the yamaha a s500, as you can see there's a headphone output aside the white rca connector some say that taking sound from that amplified output you get more fidelity, but i guess left with left and right with right output/input - what do you think about my yamaha is totally an analogue integrated amplifier two channels for pure stereo system, not A/V

Check if these 1/4" TRS are balanced or unbalanced outputs. They can be designed to do both.