Looking for bass

Familycat
Familycat Posts: 16
edited April 2006 in Speakers
I just finished putting together a new system. It seems to lack some of the bass my old system had. The RTA's sound very warm and clean and I understand they do not have a subwoofer, just a passive radiator but I think I was expecting more. Currenty I am running the following.

Pioneer elite VSX-74TXi reciever
Sony DVD Player
Direct TV with HD
Polk RTA12C-front
Polk CS-400i center
Polk F/X 500i surrounds
Outlaw LFM-1

The sub is big and powerful when listending to movies and heavy bass music with sub turned up fairly high, but doesnt seem to have the tight drum beats that my old Pioneer HPM speakers had. Is this just the way subs are supposed to sound as compared to speakers with subs integrated? Any thoughts?

Thanks

Rick
Post edited by Familycat on

Comments

  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited April 2006
    make sure all the drivers in those 12C's are screwed in tight... you need to have a good seal around all of them.. including the passive radiator for best bass.

    So now when you play the music you are familar with.. the 12C's seem to not have the same amount of bass as your former Pioneer's? IS the bass with the 12C's and your LFM-1 not getting the job done?

    Even my big **** SDA SRS's sometimes lack bass.. mostly when the music I listen to has little bass recorded into it. Other times if the music has plenty of bass... the SRS's do just fine.
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  • Familycat
    Familycat Posts: 16
    edited April 2006
    danger boy wrote:
    make sure all the drivers in those 12C's are screwed in tight... you need to have a good seal around all of them.. including the passive radiator for best bass.

    So now when you play the music you are familar with.. the 12C's seem to not have the same amount of bass as your former Pioneer's? IS the bass with the 12C's and your LFM-1 not getting the job done?

    Even my big **** SDA SRS's sometimes lack bass.. mostly when the music I listen to has little bass recorded into it. Other times if the music has plenty of bass... the SRS's do just fine.


    Thanks for the response.

    Yes, when I play music I am familar with, the 12c's don't have the same amount of bass impact. They sound fine but just don't have the in your face impact. You could feel the old Pioneers. I can't feel the Polks. With the sub on it will shake the room but a completely different kind of bass. I have the crossover point set at 80HZ and have played with the 12C's in small or large mode on the reciever. Just not sure what is going on. The 12C are in perfect shape, no leaks. I purchased them from and older man who I believe never pushed them.

    Anyway not entirely unhappy with the system, actually it sounds good. Just want more. Maybe I just expect to much.

    Rick
  • MrBuhl
    MrBuhl Posts: 2,419
    edited April 2006
    I believe you will find the "attack" that you are missing is the higher bass, not the sub.

    The punch usually comes from mid-bass in my experience. It could just be that the Polks (probably in fact) are more accurate that the exaggerated mid-bass of the old pioneers (my brother still has his). That's why they make so many different speakers in so many brands, what you like is subjective.

    Another thought might be that you have a lot of speakers being driven by one reciever, even my Monitor 5's light up when connected to my separate amp. Like night and day.

    I happen to love the Polk sound - got a buddy who digs Klipsch. Get what you like to hear.
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  • therealjeepguy
    therealjeepguy Posts: 62
    edited April 2006
    I have never heard of these. I searched for them in the vintage Polks section and no such thing came up. I'm not doubting their existence...I just want to know what they look like.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,753
    edited April 2006
    The punch usually comes from mid-bass in my experience. It could just be that the Polks (probably in fact) are more accurate that the exaggerated mid-bass of the old pioneers.................Another thought might be that you have a lot of speakers being driven by one reciever, even my Monitor 5's light up when connected to my separate amp. Like night and day.

    Bingo!
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,753
    edited April 2006
    I have never heard of these. I searched for them in the vintage Polks section and no such thing came up. I'm not doubting their existence...I just want to know what they look like.

    The search function is your friend. Anyway, start here.......http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/search.php?searchid=294603
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk