Challenge: SDA SRS Fronts w/SVS subwoofer

gij801
gij801 Posts: 32
edited February 2006 in Vintage Speakers
Ok, I've built my home theater around my original 1985 SDS SRS's (the big uns) - using them as the fronts. I've searched the forum and don't see much direct discussion on whether or not the 15" passive radiators in the SRS's benefit from a dedicated subwoofer (I've got an SVS 20 39 PCPlus on order). My first thought is that the radiator is just too, shall we say, "passive". Anybody have any practical experience or opinion on using SRS's with or without a dedicated subwoofer in a HT environment?

P.S. I cross posted this in the Bass Management group.
Post edited by gij801 on
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  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,341
    edited February 2006
    I use an SVS subwoofer with my 2.3's. in my HT. The 2.3's are about 15" from the back wall in order to place them out front of the entertainment cent. If my 2.3's were placed back closer to the wall, I probably wouldn't use the sub for music. These speakers have very decent bass when placed about 6" from the back wall and the bass braces mounted. I've go the sub set at a low crossover (50 - 60 Hz), volume about 10 o'clock. I just want to fill in some of the very low end.
    Carl

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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2006
    gij801 wrote:
    Anybody have any practical experience or opinion on using SRS's with or without a dedicated subwoofer in a HT environment?

    P.S. I cross posted this in the Bass Management group.
    Yes... The SRS's are gone by the time 30 Hz rolls along, so they can benefit from a sub. But don't bother buying a toy sub.

    Did SVS choose the sub for you based on room info you supplied?


    P.S. Don't do that...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
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  • Loud & Clear
    Loud & Clear Posts: 1,538
    edited February 2006
    Wow, Tour, I'm surprised to hear that the SRS roll off that sharply at 30HZ.

    Two Channel Setup:

    Speakers: Wharfedale Opus 2-3
    Integrated Amp: Krell S-300i
    DAC: Arcam irDac
    Source: iMac
    Remote Control: iPad Mini

    3.2 Home Theater Setup:

    Fronts: Klipsch RP-160M
    Center: Klipsch RP-160M
    Subwoofer: SVS PB12NSD (X 2)
    AVR: Yamaha Aventage RX-A2030
    Blu Ray: Sony BDP-S790
    TV Source: DirecTV Genie
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  • gyusher
    gyusher Posts: 77
    edited February 2006
    Most any speaker system benefits from a decent subwoofer even truly full range units. Subs can be a pain to integrate fully and correctly however they are a great way of saving amplifier power and once you remove the low bass from just about any full range speaker they immediately clean up and sound much better.

    I have used subs since the 70s with JBL's B460 and B380. I bought those to clean up the muddy bass on my L-150As. After the subwoofer the L-150s really came around. That JBL also uses a PR however not near as well as Polk in my mind anyway.

    Since then I have gone through the Parasound/ Definitive Technology / Velodyne / Paradigm periods to today where I have an SVS PB12+2 and a PB10 that is truly a giant killer. Soon those get replaced with an PB-Ultra2 Box. Actually I sold my PB12+2 last month and bought the PB10 for temp until I get my Ultra next month. . . I was not disappointed.

    I use the PB10 with my Monitor 10s with incredible results. In my case I leave the Monitor 10s full range and cut the sub off at 80hz. . .works very well. I keep the Polk sound and reinforce the low bass under 40hz or so. You can not tell where the bass comes from period if not from the speaker that is supposed to be playing it.

    Fool around you will love it. Use your meter setting levels and you will do fine. That SVS plus sub will impress you and your neighbors if you like. . .
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  • DarqueKnight
    DarqueKnight Posts: 6,765
    edited February 2006
    I use dual SVS CS Ultras with SDA SRS fronts in my home theater. The SVS's blend in seamlessly with the SRS's on both music and movies. They sound like they were made for each other.:D
    Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
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  • I-SIG
    I-SIG Posts: 2,243
    edited February 2006
    DarqueKnight wrote:
    I use dual SVS CS Ultras with SDA SRS fronts in my home theater. The SVS's blend in seamlessly with the SRS's on both music and movies. They sound like they were made for each other.:D

    Ditto. I have a single PC+. Blends very well with the SRS's. I don't x-over the SRS. They are running full range.

    Wes
    Link: http://polkarmy.com/forums

    Sony 75" Bravia 4K | Polk Audio SDA-SRS's (w/RDO's & Vampire Posts) + SVS PC+ 25-31 | AudioQuest Granite (mids) + BWA Silver (highs) | Cary Audio CAD-200 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Rotel Michi P5 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Cambridge Audio azur 840C--Wadia 170i + iPod jammed w/ lossless audio--Oppo 970 | Pure|AV PF31d
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  • gij801
    gij801 Posts: 32
    edited February 2006
    I bought the 20 39 PCPlus - partly budget, partly performance, partly aesthetics/fit. So how are you guys configuring the sub with your SRS's?

    I set the SRS's (my fronts) to small and set the x-over on the A/V receiver to 80Hz. The sub is, of course, set to "on" in the receiver's speaker setup and the receiver x-over is set to 80Hz. The x-over on the sub is disabled. My interpretation of this is that all freqs < 80Hz destined for the "small" speakers (fronts, center and surrounds), along with the LFE channel, will be routed to the sub.
    I suppose another configuration could be to change the SRS's to "large", leaving everything else the same. The remaining "smalls" (center & surrounds) would have their <80Hz freqs routed to both the SRS's and the sub. The LFE would still go only to the sub.
    Another way would be to do the Polk recommended config of connecting the receivers high level speaker outputs for the fronts to the subs high level inputs. Connect the SRS's to the subs high level outputs, change the receivers sub configuration to "off" and disable the receivers x-over (to let all main freqs and LFE pass to the sub). Use the subs x-over to fine tune the bass between the sub and SRS's.
    I did the first one because it was recommended by SVS and seemed most common - although using SRS's as fronts with SVS's isn't probably all that common anyway. I did not try the other two.
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  • I-SIG
    I-SIG Posts: 2,243
    edited February 2006
    MY Audio Alchemy preamp has two sets of outputs. I just run one to my big Parasound and the other goes to the SVS.

    You really need to run a 1/3 dB bass tone disc to calibrate the SVS's crossover and phase. With my SRS's alone, I had a massive 8-12dB canyon between 50 & 60 Hz. I added the SVS and calibrated it and low and behold I have near flat bass response with a gradual 4dB peak at 25Hz.

    Wes
    Link: http://polkarmy.com/forums

    Sony 75" Bravia 4K | Polk Audio SDA-SRS's (w/RDO's & Vampire Posts) + SVS PC+ 25-31 | AudioQuest Granite (mids) + BWA Silver (highs) | Cary Audio CAD-200 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Rotel Michi P5 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Cambridge Audio azur 840C--Wadia 170i + iPod jammed w/ lossless audio--Oppo 970 | Pure|AV PF31d
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  • Mike Reeter
    Mike Reeter Posts: 4,315
    edited February 2006
    DarqueKnight wrote:
    I use dual SVS CS Ultras with SDA SRS fronts in my home theater. The SVS's blend in seamlessly with the SRS's on both music and movies. They sound like they were made for each other.:D

    Damn Darque,TWO CS-Ultras + SRS Mains...I'm tickled to death with ONE PC-Ultra and a pair of RTi12's...

    You are DAH MAN:D
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