A new sub question

[CraigT]

I have 340 mains with HSU VTF-2 and H/K AVR 430. I listen primarily to 2ch music. I am finding that I prefer listening to 2ch without sub due to a perceived clarity that is not present with sub...which is what DaveF mentions in another thread. I am convinced, however, this is more due to processed vs. unprocessed audio. For the AVR 430 to filter out the bass it digitizes(D/A) the signal and then converts it back to two analog(D/A) signals. Can anyone (hint, DaveF) comment on this?

[curtis]

I think DaveF mentioned he didn't like the bass in some of today's CD/mixes. There seems to be more and more emphasis on bass in music nowadays.

That said, the performance of a sub has a lot to do with placement and calibration. I know in my room, there are listening areas where the bass sounds spot on, and others where it sounds off.

Many people of told me that EQing the sub for a particular listening area is a "revelation". Because there is more emphasis on bass, I think the EQing of the sub is going to be more and more important for great sound.

Just my 2 cents.

[bikeman]

"Many people of told me that EQing the sub for a particular listening area is a "revelation". Because there is more emphasis on bass, I think the EQing of the sub is going to be more and more important for great sound."


As some of you know, I've just EQ'ed my inexpensive 10" Dayton sub with a BFD. The difference is night and day. Run a sweep of your sub in it's current location and see if there are any peaks. I had one that was 14db higher centered around 60hz. Once I tamed that one, it was a whole new sub. I plan to fine tune the freq. response when I have more time. I don't expect any earth shaking change in the sound like I experienced with the 60hz flattening however.

David

[curtis]

I'm lazy.....

My Sherwood/Newcastle P-965 is suppose have a firmware upgrade that will enable auto-EQ. Although, I am skeptical about auto-EQing the speakers, I do want to do the sub, and the firmware upgrade is suppose to allow for that. So I am in a wait and see mode.

Velodyne also has a standalone auto-EQ for the sub coming out this year as well.

More than one person has tried to talk me into getting a Behringer unit.....who knows, I still might.

[BradJudy]

I thought about picking up a BFD, but am considering R-DES once it is available. I have played with the corresponding software and it's very well done. Unfortunately, it's a good bit more expensive than the BFD.

I think the VTF-2 is a very capable and good sounding sub (I'm biased since I own one) and I have been happy with it for the past 2+ years. Once I actually do some more in-depth measurements, I may be inclined to EQ it one way or another.

[Abhi]

I am enjoying my CBM-170s and VTF-2 with BFD. Before and after BFD is a night and day difference, as bikeman has already pointed out. I can't think of a system without sub-frequency room correction now. BradJudy, R-DES may be a better equipment than BFD, but it has just 4 bands of PEQ, where as BFD has 11 (or 12?) filters available which let you fine tune the response very accurately. I think BFD is just good enough for the bass equalization. Now there is HK 635 which does this and more with its EZ-Setup/Eq automatically.

[curtis]

R-DES is going to be nice, but the Velo unit will only be $100(retail) more and much more capable.

[curtis]

ahhh....OK.

What crossover setting do you use?

[Eddie Horton]

Well, after all the talk lately about EQing subs on the various forums, I'm going today to pick up a BFD. It's cheap and it will give me something new to play with for a while. My Yamaha HTR-5790 will do EQing of the main speakers, but I never liked the sound. It reminds me of THX processing with the highs rolled off. Maybe I like a brighter, more forward sound, but the YPAO system that Yamaha uses never did much for me. I do have some nasty humps in my sub response, so I'm hoping I'll get the same "night and day" result that others have with the BFD.

[Eddie Horton]

After calling every place in Birmingham, Alabama, no one has one in stock. I'll have to order one.