What settings for my subwoofer?

[admin_exported]

Firstly let me apologise for being a bit of a dunce about this.....

I recently purchased a set of Q Acoustics 1010i 5.1 speakers. On the back of my subwoofer there are two dials, one for volume (or is it bass? i cant remember sorry!) and one for crossover. I have no idea what levels to set these at for optimum performance, and also I have no idea what the crossover setting actually does! lol

Should i be setting the volume (bass?) level up high and then less the Audessey on my Onkyo 607 adjust the volume level for the sub? Where do you guys recommend i set the crossover level?

Thanks for any help and advice!

 

[roger06]

Can't help I'm afraid but can at least make you feel like less of a dunce as I've had my SW over ten years and still have no idea!!

 

[Anonymous]

The volume is set to your taste (or your neighbours). The other dial should be set to match your speakers as it is the point at which they run out of lower end and the sub takes over. Your package should tell you this (there is a mark on the dial on my Audica sub that sets if for the matching speakers I have).

If not - ask Q Acoustics for the correct frequency (or you can get it from the speakers spec.).

 

[Anonymous]

I just looked on Q acoustics website. The 1010i speakers go down to 68Hz, so the sub should be set to match this (it has a range of 45 - 175Hz crossover frequency). Hope that helps.

 

[Anonymous]

thats a great help, thanks very much!

 

[Anonymous]

Try adjusting it sligtly up and down around the frequency to get the best sound - the sound you like the most. You don't want a gap or too much of an overlap - play with it using something you know very well.

 

[professorhat]

I would start at 80Hz and adjust from there if you feel you need to.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Set the subwoofer crossover to full range - ie to the highest crossover frequency on the dial -, and the volume level to about three-quarters.

Then adjust the crossover and subwoofer level on the receiver, either using Audyssey or manually.

 

[roger06]

Could you not just turn the volume up full and let the amp adjust with its auto-set up?

 

[Anonymous]

If you have the 1010i 5.1 setup you should have received a user manual in every box.

From memory (and as a starting point) I think they recommend setting the crossover to 80Hz and the volume to half.

The crossover point is the point at which the bass signal crosses over from the front speakers to the subwoofer. This needs to be set at a point within the frequency response of your front speakers hence the suggestion of 80Hz.

Dont crank up the subwoofer volume too high - it will overpower the sound from the front and rear speakers and also upset your neighbours.

 

[Andrew Everard]

roger06:Could you not just turn the volume up full and let the amp adjust with its auto-set up?

You could do, but then you'd be outputting a very low-level signal from the receiver's sub out, which might be prone to noise and interference.

 

[roger06]

Badamz:I just looked on Q acoustics website. The 1010i speakers go down to 68Hz, so the sub should be set to match this (it has a range of 45 - 175Hz crossover frequency). Hope that helps.

I've just looked up the spec for my Dynaudios?

it reads:

Frequency range 45-26000Hz

So should my sub be set to 68Hz too ?

 

[d4v3pum4]

As Andrew already stated above, you can ignore the crossover setting at the sub, turn it to max. You set the crossover at the receiver. The general consensus is to set the speaker size to small and the crossover at 80hz as a starting point. The 80hz was a figure that THX arrived at and people have followed this advice ever since, regardless of whether they have THX rated speakers or not. To get accurate measurements you'll need test tones and a SPL meter. There is free software around on the web e.g. Room EQ that can help you attain optimum settings.

 

[roger06]

Thanks I'd posted prior to reading Andrew's post! Wife has just called to say the new Sony 2400 has been delivered so will be setting it up tonight...

 

[Anonymous]

whilst we are talking calibration, can anyone recommend a mic stand that i could use with the mic from my onkyo tx-sr607 please?

 

[Andrew Everard]

You don't need one - just place it on the back of your chair/sofa/wherever in the position usually occupied by your head!

 

[professorhat]

I just upended the box the amp came in on the chair where I sit and put the mic on it - it was then about ear level. It's not worth buying a dedicated mic stand for this if you ask me.

 

[pete321]

It might be worth investing £20-£30 in a sound pressure meter though (and a tape measure). My OLD AVR600 (yippee, no more lock-ups) could not get the speaker levels right, not the distances. I ended up using the AIX audio test blu-ray with the sound pressure meter and got more enjoyable settings from all my speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

paul738:whilst we are talking calibration, can anyone recommend a mic stand that i could use with the mic from my onkyo tx-sr607 please?

When plumbing in my 876 with audyssey, i used a backscratcher / shoehorn thingy from spain ( once a chav always a chav ) as a prop for the set up mic and when that kept slipping about, i went to see me ma and borrowed her walking stick ( one of those adjustable metal ones ) and blu tacked the mic to the rubber end and used that, the adjustable height facility on the stick helped too !

Who'd have thought a loose paving slab and a broken hip would help set up a onkyo !