VTF-2 just arrived

[tobz]

Greetings all, I'm new to HSU. Couldn't resist the price on the B stock VTF-2.

I have a couple questions and need some help. The sub arrived last week and I've been messing around with receiver configurations and placement over the weekend.

After getting things configured with my receiver H/K 525 I started doing some tests, music and dvds. I wasn't as impressed as I've heard others to be. I've got the sub placed in the rear corner where HSU suggested I locate it and where it seemed to sound best to me as well. It's a pretty small room, 12 x 17 with one opening. I seem to prefer the sub with one port plugged in 25Hz mode.

Will opening the port toward the wall vs to one open to the listening area offer any benefits? Also shortly into my testing, I turned the gain up a bit, between 10 & 11 o'clock and I swore I heard the driver bottom out. I was stunned. Is my sub working properly? I have no intention of cranking the volume all the way up, but does it make sense the sub would reach it's limit only 1/4 of the way up in this configuration?

Help. I know may are thrilled with this sub and I just don't know if it's me or the sub. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Sasha_G]

1) Many people who have had a sub before take some time before they notice the difference. Other subs tend to have a more pronounced sound compared with the neutral VTF subs. Because of that, it doesn't sound as loud at first. However, when listening to some acoustic bass or other music with detailed bass, the difference usually becomes apparent. Then after a while the whole balance of the subwoofer usually wins people over.

2) The VTF-2 takes a little while to break in. I would give it a few more days.

3) Have you tried maximum output mode? It will increase the output capacity. Just remove the port plug and flip the switch on the back to "max output" mode.

4) If you haven't already, turn the subwoofer's crossover to "OUT" if you are using the H/K receiver's "subwoofer" or "lfe" output. Also, in the Speaker Setup or Bass Management menus, turn all the speakers to "SMALL" if possible to route the bass to the sub. This might prevent some wierd bass effects.

5) As long as the port has 3 inches of breathing room, it shouldn't matter if it faces the wall our outward. You can't really "aim" a subwoofer because of the length of the sound waves.

6) The amount of deep bass in a dvd or piece of music often makes a big difference. Deeper bass will often show a more palpable difference.

[tobz]

Thanks for the info Sasha. Much appreciated.

This is my first sub, though the Axiom M60s I have up front put out some respectable bass. I guess I was just expecting a WOW when I first fired it up.

Break-in never crossed my mind. I've heard plenty of arguments for and against speaker break in and I guess my opinion was leaning against it. I'll definately give it some more time. Should I run a little more bass heavy music at lower levels for a while just to work it in a bit?

I have tried the maximum output mode, I didn't really notice much improvement, but it was the first day so I should give it another try.

I do have the crossover switch set to off. I have the front Axiom speakers set to small but have some bass routed to them, someone on the Axiom boards had mentioned to run some bass to the fronts to prevent localization which I was experiencing. I do prefer that setup - for now :-)

Oh, forgot to mention, this weekend I was playing some satellite music and noticed the sub didn't seem to be playing. When I reached behind to confirm the volume was on I lightly grazed the output mode switch and suddenly the sub came to life. This has happened twice now since I've had it set up. It is possible I have a bad switch or connection?

Sorry for the epic, us newbies are just full of questions!

[Sasha_G]

Turning up the volume on your receiver, while turning down the volume on the sub usually fixes the issue. It is not a question of the quality of the amp's components. Unfortunately, it is because the auto-on circuitry was positioned on the board so the volume knob impacts the auto-on circuitry, and since the VTF subs are so sensitive the volume knob is usually down around 9 oclock or so. A low volume knob setting means low auto-on sensitivity in the current crop of amps.