New Monitor Audio GSW-12 sub

[admin_exported]

I think I need help. Yesterday I received my new Monitor Audio GSW-12 subwoofer. Fantastic looking quality!

I have spent only a couple of hours with it and was expecting the ornaments to shake off the shelves and pictures fall off the walls, but this hasn’t happened. I didn’t experience any wow factor at all.

Does this sub require a run in time for the speaker and electronics to improve and if so how long?

The sub does sound tighter and more controlled than my BK XLS200. The XLS200 seems louder and more frenetic, more energy, it’s presence is more obvious.

This is with the GSW-12 set on impact at -20db volume, whereas the XLS200 is at half volume.

My front surrounds are MA Radius 270HD’s set at small with the AV X-over set at 80Hz.

Are the 4 eq presets enough for most people so no real need to mess about with subsonic and user eq settings and slope angles etc.

Is it OK to daisy chain 2 different subs? Ie the GSW-12 with the BK XLS200?

Any help and advice would be very appreciated.

 

[RickyDeg]

My personal experience of Monitor Audio subs (I have the AW-12) is that they definitely require running-in to reach their intended performance. Like most speakers, in other words. No factory-new speaker will ever sound optimal, is the general rule. Mine took about 80-100 hrs or so until it started to shine, now after several months its great.

Also take note that not all subwoofers have the same approach - some will send your teeth flying, others will be more defined and controlled. I have no direct experience with GSW-12, so I'm not sure about its abilites. Naturally, your settings and your room and how it reacts with it plays a huge part. Your other model might have reacted differently than what the new one does.

As always, be patient and experiment! experiment! experiment!

 

[cheyworth]

have you re-run the setup on your Pioneer?

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes I have reset the MCACC calibration. I have repositioned the sub and all sounds a lot better now. We watched Bourne Supremacy in Blu-ray last night and the sound is awesome already. It's not just about the loudness but the atmosphere it seems to inject! The sub only needs to be on the movie setting at about -24db. Impact setting was too boomy for the correct volume, unless I need to reposition again.