Polk speaker configuration/settings

EischMan

Just checking my speaker configurations/settings to see if they are right or should be changed, so this is what they are set to now in a 25' X 25' room (open concept)

FRONTS - RTi10 - set to LARGE
CENTER - CSi5 - set to SMALL (crossover is set to 60hz)
SURROND - FXi5 - set to SMALL (crossover is set to 60hz)
SUB - DSWpro660- set on NORMAL

What I'm asking is, when the settings of the speakers are set to small it then wants to
know what crossover (HZ) I want, and I am unsure if 60hz is the best choice?


Then comes the Parametric EQ on them all, I have the Mains set like you would for rock on a old school EQ and they sound good but unsure of how I'm to set the Center and Surrounds?

THANKS!

Hermitism

Are you using an external amp to power your speakers or just an avr? If just an avr, I think most people here would recommend setting all speakers to small to take some of the load off the avr's amp, and setting crossover to 80. If I'm wrong, someone else will chime in. My avr set the EQ automatically, so I can't comment on that. I remember tonyb saying before that he likes the sound of fronts set to large, but I think he was referring to having an external amp connected to power them.

rpf65

Set to large, speakers will receive the full bass signal. If a signal of 25 Hz, for example, was sent, both your sub and mains would receive that signal.

Setting your fronts to small will allow you to determine where the cross over freq is for your speakers. It isn’t a hard cut off. So depending on the AVR, and the algorithm it is using, the sub will gradually receive the bass signal and your fronts will not.

I run my LSI M705’s with a small setting, crossed over at 60 Hz, and it’s very difficult to tell the difference from the large setting when listening to music. Sub positioning is critical to achieving good results, especially with music.

I would try the small setting, play with the cross over setting, and let your ears decide. I can’t say that every room will give good result to every combination of equipment to everybody’s ears, but it can’t hurt to try.

EischMan

thanks, so when I set the crossover at say 80hz that means nothing BELOW that will come through, got it!

EischMan

Forgot, yes, just the avr for power.

rpf65

The cross over setting isn’t a hard number. Meaning that everything below that number, 80 Hz in your particular case, will be completely eliminated. Depending on the software, the bass signal will start transferring above tha crossover freq, and send the bass signal completely to the sub a little bit below that freq.

I don’t know the actual numbers, but as an example at 80 Hz crossover it may be:

90 Hz 100 percent bass signal to speakers
85 Hz 70 percent to speakers 30 percent to sub
80 Hz 40 percent to speakers 60 percent sub
75 Hz 20 percent to speakers 80 percent sub
70 Hz 100 percent to sub

Like I said the above is just an example to better understand what is going on with the crossover setting. The idea is to gradually let the sub take over the bass frequencies so that it sounds as if there is no separate sub in use.

Willow

all small. My 703s are set to small and xover at 60. I also have the LPF set at 120. So go into your settings as others have suggested and set those mains to small. Your AVR can't give them what they need to run as large plus you have a sub. This will allow your sub to use its own amp and relieve the avr. So go small and I'd say most probably stick with an 80hz xover for all. I am assuming you used the YPAO to help set it up? You may wish to turn off the PEQ but that's up to you