PSW303 bass seems to bottom out sometimes

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rroost2
rroost2 Posts: 3
edited February 2005 in Troubleshooting
It's most noticeable when I play Star Wars Episode II when the big silver aircraft flies by in the intro. My PSW303 kinda gives off a boomy sound that cuts out prematurely, instead of a nice constant bass sound as the plane flies by that trails off as the plane gets further. Hope this is making sense!!! I have the RM6600 system and have my front speakers input into my PSW303 and then into my Onkyo receiver. Everything else seems to play well. I was going to plug in the pre-out bass plug from receiver to my PSW303 until I read the instruction manual which said to not do that. So I've played with my crossover and receiver controls and can't shake this boomy bass sound for certain sounds. Any ideas???
Post edited by rroost2 on
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  • faster100
    faster100 Posts: 6,124
    edited February 2005
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    where is the subs amp volume setting at? it should be less than 12Oclock specially if you did not calibrate it with a spl meter.. Its a very small sub and cant be cranked up on low bass scenes or it will bottom and eventually break..
    MY HT RIG:
    Sherwood p-965
    Sherwood sd871 dvd
    Rotel 1075 amp x5
    LSI15 mains
    LsiC center
    LSIfx surround backs
    Lsi7 side surrounds
    SVS pb12/plus2

    2 Channel Rig:

    nad 1020 Pre-amp
    Rotel 1080 stereo amp
    Polk sda 2B
    kenwood grunt Tuner
    realistic lab 450 TT
    Signal cable IC
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2005
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    What you describe doesn't seem like bottoming... When any driver bottoms-out, it makes a noise that startles the owner... to say the least... and you're not mentioning that...

    If after playing as you stated you did, is the "boomy" bass the only issue, or is it still cutting out as well? Boomy could simply be room interaction. Easy check is to move to different listening positions, repeat the "boomy" passage and see if it is boomy everywhere...
    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
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • PolkThug
    PolkThug Posts: 7,532
    edited February 2005
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    The 303 is a really small sub and can be easily overdriven. You're gonna have to turn it down for some movies.
    Never Forget
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  • rroost2
    rroost2 Posts: 3
    edited February 2005
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    It's only with the Star Wars movie that I really notice anything wrong. It simply rattles the bass kinda like a jackhammer going off and then silence (when the sound really should be trailing off). Does that mean I'm overdriving it? I set the crossover settings at 100 on my sub and the receiver. It seems that everything else is working fine except this. Is it just that this particular scene in the movie is outputting too much bass for my lil PSW303 to handle?
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2005
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    Jackhammering... that would approximate the sound I was looking for...

    Yup, overdriving it... Although I read nothing about that sub's amp having a protection mode, going into protection would account for the silence that follows the noise...
    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
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • faster100
    faster100 Posts: 6,124
    edited February 2005
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    or the spider is separating, or its overexcursion is pulling the coil out to far, if that makes sense? I had the 404 and if it was up to loud it would pump in and out really bad... i actually blew one driver before i realized it had severe limits.. that high large surround is stiff as hell and doesnt allow for much movement.
    MY HT RIG:
    Sherwood p-965
    Sherwood sd871 dvd
    Rotel 1075 amp x5
    LSI15 mains
    LsiC center
    LSIfx surround backs
    Lsi7 side surrounds
    SVS pb12/plus2

    2 Channel Rig:

    nad 1020 Pre-amp
    Rotel 1080 stereo amp
    Polk sda 2B
    kenwood grunt Tuner
    realistic lab 450 TT
    Signal cable IC
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  • rroost2
    rroost2 Posts: 3
    edited February 2005
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    So basically I need a more powerful sub is what I'm hearing. Thx for the input. I'll have to start searching for one. My dad just bought a JBL system that was cheaper than my polk and his sub reporduced the sound with no problem at all. That's what I couldn't believe and what started me wondering. His sub isn't all that different, but it sure enough did reproduce the sound perfectly. Maybe I should submit my sub's sound to Science Theater 3000. I'm sure they could come up with something smart about a jack-hammer and a spacecraft flying toward a planet!!! Any thoughts on the PSW-505?
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  • PolkThug
    PolkThug Posts: 7,532
    edited February 2005
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    505 kicks butt from about 27Hz and up.
    Never Forget
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2005
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    505 is stronger, no doubt, but...

    rroost,
    Hard to recommend a sub without knowledge of your room.

    How many cubic feet? Are there openings to other rooms that cannot be closed off?
    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
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter