WiredState Audio Community

qguy wrote:When it comes to sub, my thinking is that you have to consider the size of your woofer (The main loudspeakers woofer, not the subwoofer), while having a 15 or 18 inch sub is great, it may not blend well with a tiny bookshelf speaker with a 4.5 or 5.5 inch woofer, The sub is as an extension of your main speakers, it has to blend well with the mains loudspeakers. I have a M&K 12 inch sub before and it mated very well to a KEF 105.2 (which had 12 inch woofers too). I now use an Usher X-719 with a 7 inch woofer, what I notice is that that parang may butas sa mid bass. the system goes low but lack some punch in the midbass.

qguy wrote:I did try raising the crossover point, the mid bass was improved on new wave tracks, - Could it be that this setting corrected to what was missing in the recording?


but on good recorded cds I sense something was still wrong, - Could it be that since the source material is already ok, then there is no need to overlap the frequencies?


i can explain it but parang may mali pa rin. I need a bigger fronts :- ) There could be no problem in your gears, just needed proper set-up or settings

qguy wrote:I did try raising the crossover point, the mid bass was improved on new wave tracks, but on good recorded cds I sense something was still wrong, i can explain it but parang may mali pa rin. I need a bigger fronts

Jon Agner wrote:

qguy wrote:I did try raising the crossover point, the mid bass was improved on new wave tracks, but on good recorded cds I sense something was still wrong, i can explain it but parang may mali pa rin. I need a bigger fronts

Perhaps not bigger fronts but probably there may be midbass frequency cancellations at your listening spot.

JoeyGS wrote:I totally agree with you, Jon. I had the same experience when I transferred into a different listening room. Likewise, speaker set-up and room acoustics play a big part in really extracting those frequencies. With improper speaker placement and room acoustics, frequencies can either be canceled or muddled.

Jon Agner wrote:

qguy wrote:I did try raising the crossover point, the mid bass was improved on new wave tracks, but on good recorded cds I sense something was still wrong, i can explain it but parang may mali pa rin. I need a bigger fronts

Perhaps not bigger fronts but probably there may be midbass frequency cancellations at your listening spot.

JoeyGS wrote:

qguy wrote:I did try raising the crossover point, the mid bass was improved on new wave tracks, - Could it be that this setting corrected to what was missing in the recording?


but on good recorded cds I sense something was still wrong, - Could it be that since the source material is already ok, then there is no need to overlap the frequencies?

the porcupine wrote:

JoeyGS wrote:

qguy wrote:I did try raising the crossover point, the mid bass was improved on new wave tracks, - Could it be that this setting corrected to what was missing in the recording?


but on good recorded cds I sense something was still wrong, - Could it be that since the source material is already ok, then there is no need to overlap the frequencies?

+ 1

This is why I advocate neutral calibration of subs that extend the lower frequency range while maintaining the flat overall frequency response of the entire system.

the porcupine wrote:Prior to doing all this, I would recommend getting a subwoofer that can go down flat to 20Hz with very little distortion

the porcupine wrote:Some methods have been mentioned in this thread already.

My method is a bit complicated and takes a lot of patience but the results are very much worth it (YMMV). I'm sure there are better/easier methods out there so feel free to search for them.

Basically, measure the frequency response of your main speakers using Real Time Analyzer software with a calibrated measurement microphone. You can also use an SPL Meter, test tone sweeps and a spreadsheet. From the resulting frequency response graph, take note of where the lower frequencies attenuate and use that as a reference for setting the crossover point of the sub. Measure the audio system again but this time with the sub. If you notice a peak or dip in the crossover freq of the graph, adjust the crossover setting of the sub accordingly to get the flattest possible response in the crossover point. Take the opportunity to match the volume level of the sub's lower frequencies with the main speaker's frequencies while doing this. Since there will be a lot of re-measuring and adjusting to achieve the best integration of the subs and main speakers, using a real-time analyzer makes all the difference since its much easier and faster to use than the spreadsheet method.

Prior to doing all this, I would recommend getting a subwoofer that can go down flat to 20Hz with very little distortion. It is also best to determine the best sounding placement of the sub in the listening room as well as the right phase setting. Low frequencies are arguably the most difficult to tame in a room thus requiring acoustic room treatment like bass traps to help achieve flat response. Using multiple subwoofers helps significantly in flattening low freq response in any room. If you like, you can use a (Parametric) equalizer along with the RTA and a measurement mic to equalize the frequencies in your listening spot after doing all of the above. Use this sparingly, though, as extreme boosts and cuts tend to introduce distortion and artifacts.

Nelson de Leon wrote:@ Stagea:

Reviews naman on your new dual sub system.