"clacking" noise at high volumes

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Cuchulain
Cuchulain Posts: 66
edited February 2013 in Subwoofer Hookup & Bass Management
I've had a new PSW125 for about 2 weeks and its been great. Been listening to music and watching TV until now. Its first big test was today with an action movie and it produced a "clacking" (for lack of a better word) noise on a couple of occasions. It happened on the biggest explosions; so when the most energy was needed. It has continued to work fine since this happened. It was turned up louder than it has been since I got it.

Does this sub just need to be broken in? Specifically, it has happened only with intense LFE signals.

Thanks in advance for any input.
AVR: Integra DTR-50.4
TV: LG 50PS70
DVD/CD/BR: OPPO BDP 93
MAINS: Polk RTiA7
CENTER: Polk CSiA6
Heights: Polk VS 625RT (in wall)
SURROUNDS: Polk TC60i (in ceiling)
REARS: Polk R1
SUB: Polk PSW 125
Post edited by Cuchulain on
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  • Cuchulain
    Cuchulain Posts: 66
    edited February 2013
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    Noted. Didn't think I had it close to it's limit.
    AVR: Integra DTR-50.4
    TV: LG 50PS70
    DVD/CD/BR: OPPO BDP 93
    MAINS: Polk RTiA7
    CENTER: Polk CSiA6
    Heights: Polk VS 625RT (in wall)
    SURROUNDS: Polk TC60i (in ceiling)
    REARS: Polk R1
    SUB: Polk PSW 125
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2013
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    Try placing the sub elsewhere in the room. It may be in a null, which will explain why it's not playing loud but exceeding xmax.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • gdb
    gdb Posts: 6,012
    edited February 2013
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    That "clack" you're hearing is an actual bottoming out of the voice coil. Continued bottoming will alter (mushroom) the coil's shape, then scraping will follow.
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  • maxima
    maxima Posts: 143
    edited February 2013
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    If the sub is not place in a corner, you can try corner placement which will greatly increase its output. A possible downside is the bass may sound a bit "boomier".
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,906
    edited February 2013
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    Probably a combination of both, volume and placement. Also, that sub isn't ment for a big room either, so if you have it setup in a fairly large room your turning the volume up to try and pressurize the room. Then when the big explosions hit in a movie soundtrack you'll bottom out the sub.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • Cuchulain
    Cuchulain Posts: 66
    edited February 2013
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    Thanks everyone. I really can't move the sub as I ran the cable behind the wall when I renovated. It's kind of recessed into this window area.
    IMG-20130219-00156.jpg

    It definitely benefits from being close to a wall/corner in this spot. I guess it was just a matter of me having a new toy and wanting to see what it could do. The volume was only two thirds up on the sub and set at -20dB on the AVR. The room is about 14' x 16'.
    AVR: Integra DTR-50.4
    TV: LG 50PS70
    DVD/CD/BR: OPPO BDP 93
    MAINS: Polk RTiA7
    CENTER: Polk CSiA6
    Heights: Polk VS 625RT (in wall)
    SURROUNDS: Polk TC60i (in ceiling)
    REARS: Polk R1
    SUB: Polk PSW 125
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2013
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    Time to pick up a longer cord and experiment with placement.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • kuntasensei
    kuntasensei Posts: 3,263
    edited February 2013
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    Or go ahead and realize that your room needs more subwoofage than the PSW125 can dish out, return it, and step up to one of the many non-Polk alternatives that will get you that kinda' output on the (relative) cheap (SVS, Hsu, ED, etc.). Just sayin'...
    Equipment list:
    Onkyo TX-NR3010 9.2 AVR
    Emotiva XPA-3 amp
    Polk RTi70 mains, CSi40 center, RTi38 surrounds, RTi28 rears and heights
    SVS 20-39CS+ subwoofer powered by Crown XLS1500
    Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player
    DarbeeVision DVP5000 video processor
    Epson 8500UB 1080p projector
    Elite Screens Sable 120" CineWhite screen
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  • Msabot1
    Msabot1 Posts: 2,098
    edited February 2013
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    Either a voice coil taxed or source anomalies ! Worked fine except during those passages?
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  • Tbone289
    Tbone289 Posts: 661
    edited February 2013
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    Cuchulain wrote: »
    The volume was only two thirds up on the sub and set at -20dB on the AVR.

    You might benefit from turning the volume down on the sub itself and recalibrating the AVR. You should try to get closer to 0 dB on your AVR. My PSW505 is set at about 1/4 max volume, and that gets me to about -3dB on the AVR, which is close to the same setting as my front and center monitors.
    2.1: PC>Schiit Gungnir MB>Schiit Freya Noval>NAD C-270>Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1, HSU STF-2 5.1: HDMI Bitstream>Denon AVR-1910>polkaudio RTE55, CS350-LS, RT3, HSU STF-2, Visio M55-F0
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,906
    edited February 2013
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    Just off the top of my head, I want to say three quarters of volume is way too much. I don't think I ever had a sub where the volume was more than a tad north of half way.

    Is the room enclosed or does it open on one side to another area ? If so, you may need a bigger sub to get some pressure.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Cuchulain
    Cuchulain Posts: 66
    edited February 2013
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    Msabot1 wrote: »
    Either a voice coil taxed or source anomalies ! Worked fine except during those passages?

    It did. Didn't think of 'source anomalies'; the disc was a dvd rip.
    AVR: Integra DTR-50.4
    TV: LG 50PS70
    DVD/CD/BR: OPPO BDP 93
    MAINS: Polk RTiA7
    CENTER: Polk CSiA6
    Heights: Polk VS 625RT (in wall)
    SURROUNDS: Polk TC60i (in ceiling)
    REARS: Polk R1
    SUB: Polk PSW 125
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  • Cuchulain
    Cuchulain Posts: 66
    edited February 2013
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    Tbone289 wrote: »
    You might benefit from turning the volume down on the sub itself and recalibrating the AVR. You should try to get closer to 0 dB on your AVR. My PSW505 is set at about 1/4 max volume, and that gets me to about -3dB on the AVR, which is close to the same setting as my front and center monitors.

    Its turned down now but anything louder than say -10dB is too loud for the room. I don't understand 'recalibrating' the AVR. Do you mean changing my mains back to 'large'.
    AVR: Integra DTR-50.4
    TV: LG 50PS70
    DVD/CD/BR: OPPO BDP 93
    MAINS: Polk RTiA7
    CENTER: Polk CSiA6
    Heights: Polk VS 625RT (in wall)
    SURROUNDS: Polk TC60i (in ceiling)
    REARS: Polk R1
    SUB: Polk PSW 125
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  • Cuchulain
    Cuchulain Posts: 66
    edited February 2013
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    tonyb wrote: »
    Just off the top of my head, I want to say three quarters of volume is way too much. I don't think I ever had a sub where the volume was more than a tad north of half way.

    Is the room enclosed or does it open on one side to another area ? If so, you may need a bigger sub to get some pressure.

    Yeah the room is more open. the HT is only part of the room; the room is 25' in total with no door. Theater side is 12x14.
    AVR: Integra DTR-50.4
    TV: LG 50PS70
    DVD/CD/BR: OPPO BDP 93
    MAINS: Polk RTiA7
    CENTER: Polk CSiA6
    Heights: Polk VS 625RT (in wall)
    SURROUNDS: Polk TC60i (in ceiling)
    REARS: Polk R1
    SUB: Polk PSW 125
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  • Msabot1
    Msabot1 Posts: 2,098
    edited February 2013
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    I think your equipment and settings are ok....more than likely the source! By the way,think Canada is cool..used to live in B.C.
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  • Tbone289
    Tbone289 Posts: 661
    edited February 2013
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    Cuchulain wrote: »
    Its turned down now but anything louder than say -10dB is too loud for the room. I don't understand 'recalibrating' the AVR. Do you mean changing my mains back to 'large'.

    I mean turn down the volume on the sub, then run YPAO Sound Optimization calibration.
    2.1: PC>Schiit Gungnir MB>Schiit Freya Noval>NAD C-270>Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1, HSU STF-2 5.1: HDMI Bitstream>Denon AVR-1910>polkaudio RTE55, CS350-LS, RT3, HSU STF-2, Visio M55-F0
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  • Cuchulain
    Cuchulain Posts: 66
    edited February 2013
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    gotcha Tbone, thanks.
    AVR: Integra DTR-50.4
    TV: LG 50PS70
    DVD/CD/BR: OPPO BDP 93
    MAINS: Polk RTiA7
    CENTER: Polk CSiA6
    Heights: Polk VS 625RT (in wall)
    SURROUNDS: Polk TC60i (in ceiling)
    REARS: Polk R1
    SUB: Polk PSW 125
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  • Cuchulain
    Cuchulain Posts: 66
    edited February 2013
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    Done. YPAO set my mains to large which I reversed; set the cross-over to 120Hz which I changed to 80 and set the sub to +3dB which I left. Not sure what the previous sub setting was but with it turned down it has probably changed.
    AVR: Integra DTR-50.4
    TV: LG 50PS70
    DVD/CD/BR: OPPO BDP 93
    MAINS: Polk RTiA7
    CENTER: Polk CSiA6
    Heights: Polk VS 625RT (in wall)
    SURROUNDS: Polk TC60i (in ceiling)
    REARS: Polk R1
    SUB: Polk PSW 125
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