psw 450 HELP

YZFR1RACER37

I need some advise from the pros,which is the best way to hook up my sub. right now i'm using the LFE,but my receiver will only go down to 50 mhz,i'm told my using the LFE i have bypassed the subs crossover is this true.will i get a better sound by using the speaker connections on the sub.95% of the time i'm listening to DD 5.1 on this system.thanks for any help. PS: i'm looking for a new receiver in the 500.00 dollar range. which one is the best. i have read many reviews, very hard to pick one.

Dr. Spec

Set your speaks to small, the filter point to 80Hz on the receiver, and plug the LFE cable into the LFE (Unfiltered) port on the PSW450. Set your LFE level to -3 on the receiver and adjust to your desired sub volume with the sub amp volume control.

jgido759

Dr. Spec,

I have a PSW350, not a 450 and all speakers set to small, crossover is 90Hz (fixed on my Yamaha RX-V595), and connected via the LFE connection with LFE output level at "0" (scale is -20 to 0). All levels are calibrated using the S & V disk.

What, if any, is the advantage of setting the LFE out to -3dB?

Dr. Spec

Usually LFE scale is from -10 to +10. Yours is from -20 to 0, but the overall range is the same and the circuitry should react the same.

The idea is to avoid extremes at both ends of the spectrum, and if possible go a little bit below the halfway point.

Going all the way down to -10 (or -20 in your case) provides a very weak LFE signal and can make auto-on circuits tough to activate. Also, the S/N ratio is at its highest when the signal strength is at its lowest.

At the other end of the spectrum, maxxing out the LFE circuit to +10 (or in your case 0) often results in signal compression problems (the equivalent of the tiny pre-amp clipping). The dynamic range of the bass suffers as a result.

So a little less than half is what most industry experts suggest to completely avoid signal compression problems, still effectively activate auto-on circuits, and still maintain a decent S/N ratio.

In your case, you might want to try -13 and add the lost volume back in at the sub and see if the bass quality changes any. Also see if the sub is "sleepy" for auto on and if it is, you might want to bump it to -10. But I wouldn't go much higher than that.

jgido759

Thanks Doc, although it sounds fine in it's current configuration (I don't listen anywhere near reference level), I will try your suggestion as there might be some distortion present not noticable at lower listening levels.

YZFR1RACER37

thank you i made some adjustments things are sounding much better.IT'S LIKE A ACT OF GOD TO GET MY SYSTEM IN THE SHOWCASE.I HAVE EMAIL THEM FOUR TIMES NOW,AND NO REPLY.OH WELL

jgido759

Originally posted by Dr. Spec
Usually LFE scale is from -10 to +10. Yours is from -20 to 0, but the overall range is the same and the circuitry should react the same.

The idea is to avoid extremes at both ends of the spectrum, and if possible go a little bit below the halfway point.

Going all the way down to -10 (or -20 in your case) provides a very weak LFE signal and can make auto-on circuits tough to activate. Also, the S/N ratio is at its highest when the signal strength is at its lowest.

At the other end of the spectrum, maxxing out the LFE circuit to +10 (or in your case 0) often results in signal compression problems (the equivalent of the tiny pre-amp clipping). The dynamic range of the bass suffers as a result.

So a little less than half is what most industry experts suggest to completely avoid signal compression problems, still effectively activate auto-on circuits, and still maintain a decent S/N ratio.

One more question Doc. My Yammie has 2 settings relative to the subwoofer, Sub Level & LFE Output. If I am reading my manual correctly, Sub Level referes to the "volume" of the sub through the receiver while LFE Output refers to the "LFE Signal Level" being sent to the sub via the connection. The range in both is -20 to 0, with 0 being the default. Which setting should be reduced, or should they BOTH be reduced?

Thanks.

Dr. Spec

This is called an LFE "trim" control, and I don't have a full grasp of why there are two different controls for sub volume and LFE volume.

Anyone else care to take a stab who owns a receiver with both?