Sub Calibration : Is it necessary ?

R1tt83

Pretty much plain and simple : Is calibration in the sub needed ?

Its just bass so why is there a need to configure it. You can always turn it up or down if you wanted to,so whats the difference.

Thanks for your feedback.

mantis

Lke any channel of a home theater system, it needs to be in balance with the rest of the system. You don't want the sub or any other speaker to call attention to itself.

www.dolby.com

Dan

mldennison

i have always found my sub to be the most "off" in terms of calibration, which means that what i thought sounded right was usually quite a few decibels above what the other speakers were putting out so i was not hearing quite exactly what was on the source. that being said, if you calibrate and dont think the sound is a good and you can do by adjusting yourself then it does not make much sense to use the settings that dont sound good.

aaharvel

i adjust my subwoofer volume by ear whenever it needs it. I adjust the other 7channels via SPL meter. I keep the sub crossover at 80hz, all speakers as "small".

Imo sub calibration (volume) isn't that crucial. Subwoofer and dedicated LFE output varies from source to source. Merely adjust it as you go. I'm not going to blast my ears out or wake my neighbors just because some expert says I should have the sub volume set to one certain point. That's simply ridiculous and illogical.

Tritonman

R1tt83 wrote:

Pretty much plain and simple : Is calibration in the sub needed ?

Its just bass so why is there a need to configure it. You can always turn it up or down if you wanted to,so whats the difference.

Thanks for your feedback.

Its not just bass...its an integral part of your home theater. Its probably one of the most important aspects that really draws you into the movie and makes you part of it.

If your sub is not calibrated properly you sub and fronts can be out of phase which can dramatically decrease the performance of your sub..making it work harder due to the fact that you need to turn it up higher to increase spl.

If you arent using the proper crossover setting your sub wont blend well with your other speakers.

If its set too high it can be overbearing and "drown" out everything else.

If its not properly positioned you can be increasing frequencies while decreasing others.which again could cause you to turn it up higher thus enhancing the peak even more while trying to compliment the missing.

I could go on and on explaining why calibrating your sub is very necessary..you can tell the difference between a properly calibrated and postioned sub vs a non calibrated sub.

Do some research..ask questions on properly setting up your sub. then when you are done..purchase the BFD for $99. It will do amazing things to your sub and your performance...then you will hear how a properly calibrated sub will sound. It will make a world of difference.

nellis8166

I run my sub about 5db hot.

michael_w

I just sort of go by ear with mine. Whatever sounds best to me. Since I have a remote for my sub I find myself always tweaking it. Right now my crossover is set to about 45 Hz. Crossing over your sub at the right level is essential to making it blend and appear as if it is part of one soundstage. It all depends on your system, the room and your taste.

aaharvel

i know this much- Even though I use the subwoofer jack thereby using the crossover in my receiver- I NEVER turn off the one in my subwoofer. I stagger both of them. I've found that if I turn my crossover in my subwoofer off it plays full range (iow- it sounds like ****.) For me I turn my h/k crossover to 80hz, and my sub's crossover turned "on" to 80hz as well.

Tritonman

aaharvel wrote:

i know this much- Even though I use the subwoofer jack thereby using the crossover in my receiver- I NEVER turn off the one in my subwoofer. I stagger both of them. I've found that if I turn my crossover in my subwoofer off it plays full range (iow- it sounds like ****.) For me I turn my h/k crossover to 80hz, and my sub's crossover turned "on" to 80hz as well.

I am honestly surprised that you have your sub set up that way..and I dont mean that in a rude way.

gakboone

Tritonman wrote:

I am honestly surprised that you have your sub set up that way..and I dont mean that in a rude way.

I think mine is set that way too. Is that wrong? 80 on the Onkyo and 80 on my Yamaha sub. It doesn't have a turn off switch. Just 50 to 150.

Tritonman

gakboone wrote:

I think mine is set that way too. Is that wrong? 80 on the Onkyo and 80 on my Yamaha sub. It doesn't have a turn off switch. Just 50 to 150.

You want to raise the crossover on your sub as high as it will go. If you are using line level outs on your receiver to your sub then you should be using the crossover on the sub and not the one on the receiver.

If you arent, then use the Bass Management of the receiver to control the crossover point on your sub.

aaharvel

all i'm saying is having a sub playing full range (it's own crossover off) sounds terrrible. It blares, it localizes, it intrudes on the lower midrange, it just sounds bad- ESPECIALLY when it comes to critical listening with 2ch. sources. even the instruction manual for my velodyne suggests that i keep the crossover on and stagger it and the one in my receiver for best sound. And I actually did an experiment tonight- using the measurements of my sub via HomeTheatermagazine I've adjusted EVERYTHING to 60hz. It sounds PERFECT, and it disgusts me that i've NOT put it to this setting since i've got my gear.

R1tt83

Right now , my speakers are calibrated at 80hz with a volume of 60 , starting at -5db. My sub is at 0db , phase at 180 and running a crossover of 80 (receiver's crossover is set at 80 as well). Im 4ft away from my fronts , center and sub , and 1 ft from my surrounds. Im curious on what kind of calibration my sub should be at ?

Thank you.