My Pb10 not cutting it maybe another?

Jer_ry

My pb10 is not quite cutting it and i'm not sure why. Now I'm leaning towards getting another one. My problem with the sub is hard to explain but i'll try. I think the bottom line is that it's not loud enough. It hits nice smooth bass but the volume seems to low and i want that bass to be louder, but when i turn the sub up it sounds better but at times the sound is rather harsh and loses it's smoothness forcing me to turn it back down (the effect of the sub when i turn the volume up more is similiar to 2 10" subs in a car audio system with a high power amp how it vibrates everything but dosent have smoothness). But it only does this when it hits certian bass parts in movies. I have a yamaha reciever and i'm not sure if just getting a newer yamaha or better reciever will fix this or if i would be better off getting another pb10 to make that smooth bass twice as loud. I was even thinking about getting a pb12 or a cylinder so not to get that harsh sound and also using my pb10. Let me know what ya'll think if i made any sense at all.

Ron Temple

How big is your room? Have you tried different placement?
I listened to a PB10 fill a 3700^3 room with ease. It was totally dialed for both music and movies. Transparent for smooth jazz, articulate and deep. For movies it was astounding for depth and extention. The only thing lacking was the chest thump, due to room size and box tuning.

You'll get a more even bass response and output gain by going with 2 if placed correctly or you could go with the high output tube 25-31PCI or +.

Early B.

What model Yamaha do you have? What are your bass management settings on the Yamaha? In addition to placement, look at how you have the sub calibrated.

If a single PB10 sub still doesn't meet your satisfaction, I wouldn't recommend buying another PB10. Get rid of it and buy the biggest, baddest sub you can afford.

Jer_ry

my room size is 11ftx20 but only a bar separates it from the kitchen whcih would be another 10ft. i tired moving it and the best place i've found was moving my couch 2 1/2ft away from the only free corner i have and placing it there but it's a little to close to me then i would like but it's the best place i've found. My yahama is a HTR-5250 the only setting it has for the sub is the sub output volume at -5 and a LFE option which i have that set to the highest #. How do i have my sub calibrated? It only has 2 knobs a volume and a phase?

Ron Temple

Does your receiver have a crossover? The PB10 relies on the receiver with no internal xover. It also starts to rolloff at 80hz so if your recs xover is fixed at 100hz you may have a hole.

Your room isn't that large figuring 8' ceilings. As a rule of thumb, I'd set the sub trim on the receiver to ~ -5, the gain on the sub to about half, crossed at 80 (if possible). You should have more than enough output and extention.
You might be sitting in a null.

Do you have it calibrated with more speakers @ 75db?

Have you contacted SVS?

Jer_ry

Yes i have it at -5 and the sub half way. Not sure if my reciever has a cross over? What does the LFE do is that a crossover? I have that set to a + number is this correct? How do i calibrate with other speakers? Also i was thinking about getting a 25-31 PC-Plus to take the pb10's place?

Early B.

For a 11' x 20' room that opens up to the kitchen, I'd say invest in a larger sub. But before you do that, your PB10 should perform better than it is. Sounds like a setup issue. Re-read your SVS manual and Yamaha receiver's manual on calibrating your sub to achieve the best performance.

Jer_ry

I'll do that, but don't get me wrong it sounds really nice, but the over all volume is too low, and when i turn it up it's how i want it but then it hits certain bass that almost sounds like the speaker bottoms out.

janmike

I have a REL Strata I sub in an 18.5 X 14.5 room and I have to turn it down. The upstairs can shake. Imagine a SVS in that room.

gregure

I have a PB10 as well, and I find that it is often too loud. So loud in fact, that the neighbors come over and ask me to turn it down, and I'm in a house, not an apartment. This obviously obliterates any issues with room size if the people in the next house over are annoyed by it. I try to keep it up about 1/2 way on the gain for the loudness I like, but sometimes have to turn it down.
I have a room about the size of yours, which also opens into other areas of the house. I really think you have a setup or placement issue if you find it not to be loud enough, although there is no question that a larger sub would help.
I have my crossover set to 60 Hz, and the LFE and Sub levels around -2 I think. In my opinion, -5 is too much, that may be part of your problem. Of course, I also have a B&K receiver, which probably accounts for some of the my sub's superior performance, but I really agree you should be getting better results.
If I had the $$$ to go out and buy a new sub right now, I'd look at a Depth or Descent from Martin Logan. The Depth runs about $1700, and the Descent around $2500. That's a lot for a sub, but I've never heard better. I will probably never hear a PB12/2 Ultra to compare them to, so I can't say which is better, but my money would be on a Descent any day, especially for quickness and musicality. No one beats Martin Logan in that quality.