- All That Bottom End -

[OneForWoody]

I am a new and very proud owner of the VTF-1. Actually, I am quite new into the world of great sounding home theatre as well. My 6-year old old (and very low end) Sony HT receiver finally fried out last December. So with limited funds (and a 14x15x8 livingroom) I started the search for a new HT receiver, center and surround speakers, and subwoofer.

On the suggestive advice of a friend who owns the TN-1225HO sub (and very well thought out HT system) I bought the Onkyo TX-SR507 receiver. His HT system, along with the TN-1225HO, is surrounded by some very nice Klipsch main, center and surround speakers. After watching movies and listening to music on his system I fell in love with the power, warmth and clarity of the sound, so I went with the Klipsch brand as well.

I was going to get the STF-2 but after talking to Pete here at Hsu I decided (with his advice and the Superbowl discount -lol-) to go with the VTF-1. Glad I did. It's an awesome piece of equipment. I don't know what the STF-2 sounds like but I'm sure it's also a fine sub.

So this is my new HT set up. Everything is new except the Klipsch mains (2 years old) and the DVD and CD players (3+ yrs old).

Onkyo TX-SR507 receiver
Klipsch RB-35 mains
Klipsch RC-10 center
Klipsch S-1 surrounds
Hsu VTF-1 sub
Toshiba SD-K750 DVD player
Sony DVP-NS575P CD player

This is my first foray into the world of True Sound in subwoofers. I must say that after owning and using all KLH bookshelf, KLH satellite speakers and a 100 watt KLH sub (more like a woofer-in-a-box) for about a decade I have finally seen the light! It's so nice to actually hear every pluck of the bass guitar, finger roaming along the fretboards and so much more bottom end sounds. And movies... all's I can say is Wow!

I set up the sytem using the Audyssey EQ. Also, my friend is going to come over with his RS SPL meter and show me how to use it. If it's possible I'd like to get this system running its best.

For an entry-level system, I am quite pleased.

[Pete_Hsu]

Fantastic setup you have there, OneForWoody, I am thrilled that you are enjoying the VTF-1 subwoofer! Have you had a chance to play around with the variable tuning modes yet?

Thanks again

SIncerely,

[OneForWoody]

Thanks Pete! It was nice talking to you and helping me out with the sub choice. I'm glad I chose the VTF-1. That box rocks.

I set the sub to the specs in the manual and haven't toyed with the variable tuning yet.

I've been listening to a good amount of acoustic music lately. It's quite incredible to hear and feel the super deep sounds of an acoustic upright bass.

Since I haven't played around with the variable tuning yet this would be a good chance to ask about the 2 open ports. Is opening both ports and flipping to the bass extension better for loud rock music, like the Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, etc type of bands?

[Pete_Hsu]

Thanks, very nice talking to you too, I'm glad that the VTF-1 is working well!

For loud rock music, I suggest running the sub in the max output mode (ie. both ports open, and bass extension switch set to '2 port open' mode) to get the most punch and widest dynamic range over the most common bass ranges. I'm pretty sure you will like it that way. Let us know how it goes!

Sincerely,

[OneForWoody]

I will try the open ports this weekend. Loud music on a Saturday afternoon with all the lawnmowers and leaf blowers buzzing in the neighborhood and construction next door should keep the neighbors at bay. :D

Another question...

Does the type of material placed under a downfiring sub on a tiled concrete floor affect the performance?

Reason I'm asking is I wanted to find a piece of carpet for the VTF-1 that matched the mild greens, tans and reds in the livingroom, but could not find anything suitable. While shopping at a hardware store I saw (and purchased) a thick black rubber front door welcome mat (17"x28") for $9. I thought the black rubber under the black sub would disappear into the mini monolith and become one solid black object in the corner.

I cut the mat in half, adhered the faces of the mat together (to hide the swirly design) and used the flat bottoms of the mat to face the floor and the subwoofer. The mat's footprint is now 14"x17" and the spiked feet fit perfectly on the mat. The thickness of the two layers is about 7/8"-1". And yes, the mat has conveniently melded with the blackness of the VTF-1.

Please bare with me folks. I'm really new with the language of the audio world. I am learning as I go. I sincerely appreciate the feedback.

Bill f.

[cacihome]

Yep. Put a carpet under it. It will sound cleaner...
You can use a simple carpet under it too...

[WhskyTangoFxtrt]

Congratulations on your new Hsu purchase. Thanks for taking the time to share your impressions.

You might already be aware of this, but I believe that the Audyssey software on the Onkyo 507 does not apply correction to the sub. You will have to calibrate it using other methods such as with the RS SPL meter at your disposal.

Enjoy!

[OneForWoody]

Yep. Put a carpet under it. It will sound cleaner... You can use a simple carpet under it too...


Thanks, cacihome.

This gives me the idea that a rubber mat under the sub will "deaden" the sound waves compared to caret material, whihc is thinner and more porous?


Bill f.

[cacihome]

It is just that I have always used regular carpet, as you said it is thinner, and has given me excellent results.
Anyway I havent tried a rubber mat...Just for the record...HEHE

[OneForWoody]

It is just that I have always used regular carpet, as you said it is thinner, and has given me excellent results.
Anyway I havent tried a rubber mat...Just for the record...HEHE

When my buddy with the SPL meter comes over we'll try measuring with the rubber mat and a square of carpet I'll "borrow" from my son's room. ;)

I have no idea if this will even work.

[OneForWoody]

Congratulations on your new Hsu purchase. Thanks for taking the time to share your impressions.

You might already be aware of this, but I believe that the Audyssey software on the Onkyo 507 does not apply correction to the sub. You will have to calibrate it using other methods such as with the RS SPL meter at your disposal.

Enjoy!

Thanks WhskyTangoFxtrt... Hopefully I'll be sharing more about the VTF-1 and its counterparts as I learn more.

I've read about the 507 on A/V forums where folks were having a difficult time getting their powered subs calibrated. It would give them a speaker error on the display. I just realized that when I ran the Audyssey EQ I didn't have the Hsu sub yet. The KLH was hooked up to the high level outputs. I will try that this weekend as well.

When my buddy gets over here (hopefully soon!) we'll get everythig calibrated to the oddball shaped way we have the furniture and entertainment center set up.

Bill f.

[OneForWoody]

For loud rock music, I suggest running the sub in the max output mode (ie. both ports open, and bass extension switch set to '2 port open' mode) to get the most punch and widest dynamic range over the most common bass ranges. I'm pretty sure you will like it that way. Let us know how it goes!

Sincerely,


The last two plus weeks I had the volume set to about 9:30, crossover Out, crossover freq at 80Hz.

This past weekend I tried various volume levels (10-11:30), switching the crossover to In, crossover freq to 90Hz, and the phase to 180°.

Today I switched the phase back to 0°, turned the volume down to 10:30, put the crossover freq back to 80Hz, and the crossover switch back to Out.

Everything I'm doing right now is without the use of an SPL meter. I'm playing it all by ear for now. It will be interesting to see what the analog numbers are compared to what I hear.

So far, the biggest and most positive difference was pulling the cork and switching to max output mode. That made a huge difference with not only rock music but with world music as well. Particularly organic drum music. There's a lot of bottom end in Mickey Hart CD's and the deep end encompassed the whole room, almost like they were playing in front of me.

Max output also made a huge difference with movies too. There is less of a boomy feel and more of a thump without the sustained woowoowoo. ;)

I also noticed that with the changes made I actually had to turn the volume down a few db's on the receiver.

If the VTF-1 sounds and feels this good, I can only imagine what the VTF-2, -3 and ULS subs sound like!

[OneForWoody]

You might already be aware of this, but I believe that the Audyssey software on the Onkyo 507 does not apply correction to the sub. You will have to calibrate it using other methods such as with the RS SPL meter at your disposal.

Enjoy!


I set up the Audyssey EQ last night. While measuring and calibrating, each speaker made the standard "bweep bweep" sound. The subwoofer made its own "bwoop bwoop" sound and did not suffer an error of any type while the EQ was doing its work. This was the subs first time with Audyssey EQ.

I'm still without an SPL meter, so I'm relying on the Audyssey EQ and my ears alone. I did notice a change in the way the 5.1 surround sound. The subs volume level went up some, so I had to turn the volume knob back down to 9 o'clock from 10:30.

Do you think that the receiver did its job in balancing the 5.1 correctly? I'm debating on whether I should get an SPL meter.

[Bill Mitchell]

From my reading of the Audyssey thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=795421), it tries to set the level of the sub looking particularly at the 30Hz-80Hz range. This matches what I have seen on my Denon receiver, but your Onkyo TX-SR507 (http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=TX-SR507&class=Receiver&p=i) has only the Audyssey 2EQ (http://www.audyssey.com/technology/multeq/multeq-solutions.html) system, which equalizes the mains but does not equalize the sub. So things could be a little different on yours. With no equalization, it would not be surprising that setting the level on 30Hz-80Hz might leave you with peaks at lower frequencies that seem too high.

Your receiver does have the DynEQ feature. The Audyssey advice is pretty insistent not to change the volume control on the sub itself after running Audyssey setup but rather use the trim controls in the receiver itself. Apparently, it is aware of any manual changes you make in the trim controls after setup and can take these into account when it is performing Dynamic Equalization. Of course, it may be DynEQ itself that is causing you to hear too much bass. This frequently happens with music, as music does not follow the movie standards for signal levels and dynamic range.

Bill

[titogap]

Congratulations on your new purchase OneForWoody and for select this excellent company.
I recently purchase an VTF-1 too in Satin Black finish and I love it.
Like you said, this is a wonderfull sub I can't imagine what can do his big brothers. I'm playing and traying different settings like you.
It is important that you can play and make it friend with your new baby to know his powerfull and it's limits.
It is advisable that you use an SPL to make a better blend with your speakers. You will (see) hear the difference, but you can adjust it once you take the measure at your own taste .
Another thing OFW, this people from HSU are AAA+++!
Good luck!

[OneForWoody]

Bill Mitchell and titogap,

Thanks so very much for the information and suggestions! I most certainly will get the RS SPL meter. I just called the local RS and they have one in stock.

Oh yes, I have lots to learn. Like turning the volume knob on the sub after performing the Audyssey EQ was not too bright. Lesson learned.

With the Dynamic EQ and Volume controls, whichever one (sorry I'm at work and haven't memorized this yet) has the "Light-Medium-Heavy-Off" is set to off. And the other one that has only the "On-Off" is set to On. <-- that's where the heavier sound comes from.

Once I get the SPL meter I will perform the Audyseey EQ again then measure the subs waves. I will let you know if it worked or.....

Thanks again guys. The folks here at Hsu and the members of this forum have been very helpful!

30+ years of owning basic stereo equipment and I know so very little about what-goes-on-inside. All those years my $$'s went to motorcycling, golf and surf trips. :)

[titogap]

"Once I get the SPL meter I will perform the Audyseey EQ again then measure the subs waves. I will let you know if it worked or....."

Remember:
1.Run Audyssey(sub gain at 9 to 10 o'clock at your taste)
2.Check your Audyssey settings
3.Begin to using your RS SPL(but take care to use a camera tripod to at ears height, C weight, Slow speed)
4.USe the receiver's test tone to adjust your speakers to 75db(70+5db or 80-5db in the meter)
5.Once your speakers are, set your sub to 80 db aprox.
6.Check your steak if need more salt you can adjusted in the receiver's level settings(receiver's control).I suggest to leave your VTF-1 volume knob like in the first step.
7.Good luck and let us to know(just recommendations to help you man)

[OneForWoody]

titogap,

You answered all the questions I was going to ask! Especially #4 below. I woke in the middle of the night wondering what I was going to use for sound. LOL

> 4.USe the receiver's test tone to adjust your speakers to 75db(70+5db or 80-5db in the meter)

I picked up the SPL meter yesterday. The instructions seem simple enough. I'll perform the task early Saturday morning then let y'all know the results.


:)

[titogap]

OFW I'm very proud of your words. :D
You own Klipsch speakers too, so you choose a good speakers too. This system will blend very well to your ears.
Let us to know...

[OneForWoody]

titogap,

I love my Klipsch speakers! The RB-35's took 30-40 hours to break in. I've had them about 2 years now. The center, surrounds and sub are all new. The RC-10 center is a major step up from the KLH center. The warmth and realism coming out of it is amazing. And the S-1 surrounds are just plain nice. Very crisp and clear sound coming from them.

If I didn't have a subwoofer and set the RB-35's to large the sound would be good. But with the addition of the VTF-1 the system is now nothing short of phenomenol. I have what many call an entry-level HT system, but I can't complain one bit.

One of the best parts about all this new equipment is how much my wife likes this new system. She thought she was satisfied with the old system, but after hours of listening and with me constantly bettering the sound she is exceptionally happy about it now.

[OneForWoody]

Before I list the calibration results (which I think I got right) I have one question that I should have asked before I started.

When turning up the volume (so the SPL meter can register the sound waves) should I turn it up to the listener's comfort level or ???


Remember:
1.Run Audyssey(sub gain at 9 to 10 o'clock at your taste)
2.Check your Audyssey settings
3.Begin to using your RS SPL(but take care to use a camera tripod to at ears height, C weight, Slow speed)
4.Use the receiver's test tone to adjust your speakers to 75db(70+5db or 80-5db in the meter)
5.Once your speakers are, set your sub to 80 db aprox.
6.Check your steak if need more salt you can adjusted in the receiver's level settings(receiver's control).I suggest to leave your VTF-1 volume knob like in the first step.
7.Good luck and let us to know(just recommendations to help you man)

[OneForWoody]

When turning up the volume (so the SPL meter can register the sound waves) should I turn it up to the listener's comfort level or ???


Skip the note above. Just got word from a friend that I did the right thing. I played one of my favorite CD's, adjusted the volume to my taste, then calibrated using the technique titogap gave me.

Before I started the calibration I changed the VTF-1's settings back to 1-Port open, and set the volume to about 9:30.

I did the Audyssey 2EQ calibration first, then calibrated with the SPL meter for comparison. The Audyssey 2EQ's numbers were well below the SPL meter's range. The registration numbers shown ranged from -8 to -12. The range with the SPL meter was +8 to +11.

I shut off the Audyssey and went with the meter's readings. The results worked out just fine. Everything is in balance.

The VTF-1 is now a very happy sub. Power to the bottom end. :cool:

[monkuboy]

"Once I get the SPL meter I will perform the Audyseey EQ again then measure the subs waves. I will let you know if it worked or....."

Remember:
1.Run Audyssey(sub gain at 9 to 10 o'clock at your taste)
2.Check your Audyssey settings
3.Begin to using your RS SPL(but take care to use a camera tripod to at ears height, C weight, Slow speed)
4.USe the receiver's test tone to adjust your speakers to 75db(70+5db or 80-5db in the meter)
5.Once your speakers are, set your sub to 80 db aprox.
6.Check your steak if need more salt you can adjusted in the receiver's level settings(receiver's control).I suggest to leave your VTF-1 volume knob like in the first step.
7.Good luck and let us to know(just recommendations to help you man)

Question about this procedure - why would you need to run Audyssey first if you are just setting the sub level to 5 db above the main speaker levels? Wouldn't you just begin by level adjusting your speakers to a 75 db level and then adjusting the sub?
________
BUY MFLB (http://www.vaporshop.com/mflb-vaporizer.html)

[titogap]

Hi monkuboy,

Audyssey does several things:


It measures the frequency response of the speakers and reports this to the receiver. The receiver then sets them to LARGE and SMALL.
Based on the results of Audyssey, the crossover points are determined.
The level of the speakers are set.
Audyssey performs equalization on the speakers, particularly the subwoofer. The filters on the subwoofer have more resolution than the filters on the speakers. This is because bass waves create more problems in a small home theater room.
Unfortunately, the level of the speakers are not set very effectively by Audyssey.That is where an SPL meter can help the most.
I hope you can understand why I recommend to use Audyssey first.:)

Question about this procedure - why would you need to run Audyssey first if you are just setting the sub level to 5 db above the main speaker levels? Wouldn't you just begin by level adjusting your speakers to a 75 db level and then adjusting the sub?[/quote]

[titogap]

Hi OneForWoody, you are telling me that you have to increase your speaker levels in the receiver to +8 to11 to meet to 75db?:eek: :eek: :eek:

Those numbers are too high in my opinion and all my experience.
Tell me if I misunderstand your explanation, please.

"I did the Audyssey 2EQ calibration first, then calibrated with the SPL meter for comparison. The Audyssey 2EQ's numbers were well below the SPL meter's range. The registration numbers shown ranged from -8 to -12. The range with the SPL meter was +8 to +11."

"I shut off the Audyssey and went with the meter's readings. The results worked out just fine. Everything is in balance."

The VTF-1 is now a very happy sub. Power to the bottom end. :cool:[/quote]

[OneForWoody]

Hi OneForWoody, you are telling me that you have to increase your speaker levels in the receiver to +8 to11 to meet to 75db?:eek: :eek: :eek:

Those numbers are too high in my opinion and all my experience.
Tell me if I misunderstand your explanation, please.


I've been thinking about that for two days now. Told you I'm a novice at this stuff! :D :o

I was going recalibrate the system all over again last night but we had hours of hard rain and hail on and off thru the evening. I am going to recalibrate the system again after work today.

Hopefully I can explain this better now. Tomorrow I may know more as well. :)

I have more to learn and more to understand with the SPL meter. Right now the receiver's "+dB" numbers are creating an otherwordly amount of big sound. I'm sure too big.

I did put the meter dial on 70. The needle was measuring low with each speaker, to the -8 to -10 range, so I turned up the pink noise levels to where the SPL meter read approx. -1 to 0.

What's weird is the Audyssey 2EQ calibrated all the speakers the opposite way. It calibrated them to the receiver's minus 8 to 12dB range. That is very low. I had to turn up the volume well over 50% and closer to 65% of max. volume to get to the 70-75dB range.

The main and center speakers are 10 ft from the main listening position. The surrounds are on the back wall where our sofa is, directly above us. And the sub is behind the HT system in the right corner about 12 ft away.

However, out of all of this constant trial and error, I have gotten much closer to dialing in the VTF-1. It is sounding (AND feeling!) much nicer each day.


Lastly, I think this time I will put on a favorite CD, find the most comfortable listening level, then do the calibration. I will let you know what happens.

[titogap]

Thank you a lot OFW to give me that kind of information about speaker distance. It's a valuable information in order to help better.
ok here we go,
1. In order to misunderstand us, in first place don't use the CD just run Audyssey and when Audyssey set the crossover frequency of each speaker etc.,(remember to use a tripod to set the proper height),
2. Check again the numbers. Set to "0" the level of each speaker in the receiver menu.
3. Begin to adjust with the SPL (again, with the tripod) until you reach the desire level,(75db) for speakers.
4.Then adjust the subwoofer level until read 80db. And don't forget to let the back controls of the VTF-1 like you do.(gain to 9 1/2 and one port open and switch to one port ).
5.Good luck and please let me know.:)

In my case, the Audyssey Calibration set all distances perfectly to 7 1/2 ft., but I adjust the db levels with the spl. (sorry with my english)

[OneForWoody]

I calibrated the speakers again last night, first trying it the Audyssey 2EQ way, then trying it again with the SPL meter. The SPL meter works better for the room.

From the main listening position the speaker distances are Left Main 10', Center 10', Right Main 10', Surr Rt 4', Surr Lt 5', Sub 11'

Audyssey 2EQ dB levels: Left Main -11, Center -11, Right Main -11, Surr Rt -8, Surr Lt -7, Sub -10 ... unacceptably low. I had to crank the volume knob way up.

SPL meter dB levels: Left Main -6, Center -4, Right Main -6, Surr Rt -2, Surr Rt -1, Sub +4 ... this is acceptable.

I also turned off the Dynamic EQ. It works okay for some things but mostly fills the room with too much, almost overbearing richness.

Yes titogap, I do use a tripod and place the mic at ear level. :)


.

[titogap]

Hi OFW, better measures!,
One question, At what number of volume do you hear music CD or movies?
Volume Relative(from - to +) or Volume Absolute(from 0 to +)?
Be aware because, Sub +4 maybe to high, but if your SPL brings that measures go without problem.:)

So let's go to party and welcome to our hobby! :D

I suggest to visit blu-ray.com forum in order to learn a little more from some folks there.

[OneForWoody]

I'm not sure I comprende Volume Relative(from - to +) or Volume Absolute(from 0 to +) so I will give it to you in approximate decibels. I listen to music anywhere from 65 to 85 dB.

The sub is handling +4 just fine. I like a little heavy bottom end anyway. As long as it's clean and tight.

I will take a look at blu-ray.com

Thanks titogap.


:D

[titogap]

I'm not sure I comprende Volume Relative(from - to +) or Volume Absolute(from 0 to +) so I will give it to you in approximate decibels. I listen to music anywhere from 65 to 85 dB.

The sub is handling +4 just fine. I like a little heavy bottom end anyway. As long as it's clean and tight.

I will take a look at blu-ray.com

Thanks titogap.


:D
Don't worry it sound like Absolute volume parameters. Good to know that your happy with your results!

I'm titogap too in blu-ray.com forum, good luck and welcome to our place...

[OneForWoody]

Don't worry it sound like Absolute volume parameters. Good to know that your happy with your results!

I'm titogap too in blu-ray.com forum, good luck and welcome to our place...
`

As long as the sound is balanced I'm happy. For now. There are bigger better speakers, subs and receivers out there! (of course my wife will give me the "look") hehehe

The blu-ray forum is huge! Guess I'll have to look into getting one sometime.

Gracias para todo su titogap de ayuda. Tanto apreciado. :)

[titogap]

`

As long as the sound is balanced I'm happy. For now. There are bigger better speakers, subs and receivers out there! (of course my wife will give me the "look") hehehe

The blu-ray forum is huge! Guess I'll have to look into getting one sometime.

Gracias para todo su titogap de ayuda. Tanto apreciado. :)

Wow your spanish is good man, good to know! Sorry about my english too.
There in the blu-ray.com forum you can go to the subwoofers forum and see all kind of threads and hsu subwoofers have a place...

Bienvenido a la isla del encanto, Puerto Rico! :)

[OneForWoody]

No probleme with your english, titogap. I have friends from various parts of the world that speak with heavy accents. If I do not understand, I ask.

I had help from a Mexican friend translating the español to you. My spanish sucks.

Thanks for pointing out the subwoofer section in the blu-ray forum. It looks like I have much to learn.


:)

[OneForWoody]

I was going thru the Audyssey 2EQ calibration menu last night and noticed that Audyssey changed the crossover to 120 Hz. I had manually set the crossover freq. to 80 Hz with the crossover switch set to "out".

Should I manually reset the crossover freq. to 80 Hz?

[Bill Mitchell]

There's no obvious answer to that one. With Audyssey MultEQ the advice is always to never reduce the crossover, because it provides more filter resolution to the sub than to the mains. But Audyssey 2EQ does not do equalization on the sub. As the TX-SR507 does not allow for setting an individual crossover for different speakers, it provides just one crossover value for all, I would probably leave it at 120Hz as that would put the least demand on your surround speakers.

[OneForWoody]

Thanks, Bill Mitchell. I will leave it at 120Hz.

[titogap]

I was going thru the Audyssey 2EQ calibration menu last night and noticed that Audyssey changed the crossover to 120 Hz. I had manually set the crossover freq. to 80 Hz with the crossover switch set to "out".

Should I manually reset the crossover freq. to 80 Hz?

Hi OFW, I research information about your speakers into the Klipsh website. Your Klipsch's RB-35 has an 8" woofer that represents a crossover set of 60Hz.
In order to understand me I suggest that you read this very interesting article:
1.blu-ray.com
2.Forum section
3.Subwoofers
4.Sticky Threads
5."A guide to bass management" by Big Daddy

My best wishes. Hope you can understand.:)
Please let me know...

http://s713.photobucket.com/albums/ww133/Fmarvast/LargeorSmall.jpg

[OneForWoody]

Found it titogap! I will start reading it tonite.

Thanks man!

:D

.

[OneForWoody]

I need to have easier access to the rear of the VTF-1. Would it make much of a difference in sound and feel if I turned the sub 180° and faced the ports toward the front? The sub is located in the far right corner of the room behind the right main speaker.

Thanks,
Bill f.

[titogap]

I need to have easier access to the rear of the VTF-1. Would it make much of a difference in sound and feel if I turned the sub 180° and faced the ports toward the front? The sub is located in the far right corner of the room behind the right main speaker.

Thanks,
Bill f.

You have to try different settings like 0 to 180 in order to blend the best with your mains.
Experts recommends, that you don't place the sub near to the wall due to boomiest sound. Leave at least if you can 3" from back wall and another inches from side wall.Good luck my friend...:)

[OneForWoody]

You have to try different settings like 0 to 180 in order to blend the best with your mains.
Experts recommends, that you don't place the sub near to the wall due to boomiest sound. Leave at least if you can 3" from back wall and another inches from side wall.Good luck my friend...:)

The sub is already 6 or so inches away from the wall. It will stay in the same place as it is now (no other choice in this room), just turned around 180° facing the opposite way it's facing now.

What I am wondering is if facing the ports more towards the listener will have an adverse effects over the standard port-facing-wall.

Anyway, I'm going to try it out because I want easier access to the controls.

[kmitchell]

The VTF 1 is down-firing so it should have no effect on performance or SQ. I had my VTF2.3 setup that way for several weeks while I was dialing it in but finally turned it around when my wife asked "Does that HAVE to stay that way?".

Ken

[OneForWoody]

The VTF 1 is down-firing so it should have no effect on performance or SQ. I had my VTF2.3 setup that way for several weeks while I was dialing it in but finally turned it around when my wife asked "Does that HAVE to stay that way?".

Ken

That's a familiar sound! :eek: LOL...

The sub sits in a direct (eye) line to my wife's favorite part of the sofa. Figures, right? :rolleyes: ...

Thankfully she understands what I'm doing and will give me breathing room for awhile. That is until I hear those famous words... hehehe

Thanks much Ken.

Bill

[OneForWoody]

I spent Saturday at my brother's house helping him reconfigure all the cables and wires on his old(ish) HT system. The whole unit has been sitting in storage a few years and when he set it up there was a lot of loose and frayed cables. So I tore it all apart and redid the whole thing. He's got an older Yamaha receiver, new blu-ray, new hd monitor and an old Bose 5.1 sub connected to five of those tiny dual-speakers. The sub is a long and narrow thing. There's a port opening but I didn't see a speaker. Hmmm.. must be internal and sound released thru the port hole(?)

After we finished re-assembling the system we used one of his Star Wars dvd's to test the system and make sure everything was connected properly. Success. No hums, buzzes or static. The movie sounded pretty good. Not great. The sub had a decent low rumble but was a bit boomy.

I took the Star Wars movie home and played it on my new system. Wow!, what a huge difference one modern (and true) subwoofer can make.

See next post.

[OneForWoody]

I flipped the VTF-1 180°. It is so-o-o much easier to reach the controls. And my wife does not mind one bit! The red/green light is just out of her sight. Cool *whew!* :D

I finally got all the speakers and sub in synch. Anything in 5.1 surround is working out great. The separation is astounding.

Back to the Star Wars movie part... the movie was a good test

When the heavy hitting started I had to rush to the remote and turn the volume down! There was so much rumbling and shaking that we had never heard or felt. It was intense! After we looked at each other with mouth-gaped/bug-eyed stares I turned the volume back up after I was assured the house wouldn't come crashing down. LOL

I AM SO GLAD I GOT A HSU SUBWOOFER!

After the movie my wife gave me a pat-on-the-back and told me she is very happy with the sound system. All the research I did was well worth the effort.

Bill f.
Redwood City, Ca

[titogap]

I AM SO GLAD I GOT A HSU SUBWOOFER!




:D Congratulations!:D
I'm very happy with your results...:) :) :)

[OneForWoody]

If a receiver (like mine) has only one subwoofer output how would one hook up another subwoofer without having to hook it up with the high level outputs?


.

[Bill Mitchell]

The easy way, of course, is to use a Y splitter to divide the receiver's line out RCA connector into two, and then run cables to each splitter. Typically you need to level the two speakers manually with an SPL meter, then use whatever equalization is in the receiver to deal with the combined speakers as a pair. For the receiver's distance to the subs to be accurate, it would be best if they are the same distance from your listening position.

[OneForWoody]

Thanks Bill.

I had thought about a Y splitter (which makes perfect sense to me) but thought there has to be more to it than a simple Y cable.

So, what's the not-so-easy way?


;-)

[Bill Mitchell]

The not-so-easy way? These would be not nearly as affordable; they're certainly not in my budget.

Audyssey offers a Sub Equalizer (http://www.audyssey.com/hometheater/subeq.html) that performs independent equalization of the two subs, allowing for different distances and response curves. SVS offers a similar Audyssey based AS-EQ1 Sub Equalizer (http://www.svsound.com/products-parts-subeq.cfm).

Onkyo offers one receiver, the TX-NR5007 (http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?class=Receiver&m=TX-NR5007), that supports separate connections to two subs, with independent correction.

[OneForWoody]

That's a nice sub equalizer. I'll stick with the Y cable though. It's a little less expensive. :o

[OneForWoody]

That's a nice sub equalizer. I'll stick with the Y cable though. It's a little less expensive. :o

Adding to the post... I would love to have two subs! Of course, I'd like to have a bigger more powerful HT system too.

It took alot of persuasion to get the system I have now. Right now the Spousal Acceptance Factor (SAF) is on High and I don't want to push my luck too much more.

There will be the day when I will get the system I really want... tall floor standing main speakers, dual-subs, larger center and surrounds, etc.

I've noticed with friends that own nice systems (that don't have dedicated HT rooms) that their SO's don't like to "see" any type of speakers in the rooms. They'd rather them disappear altogether.

Like my Harley... I prefer to see the moving parts.

:cool:

[OneForWoody]

Do Hsu subs have a break-in time? Reason I'm asking is in the last week or so I've noticed the VTF-1 sounding much tighter and crisper than the previous 3 weeks I've owned it. I don't know if it's because all the speakers/sub are finally working together or ???

[titogap]

Do Hsu subs have a break-in time? Reason I'm asking is in the last week or so I've noticed the VTF-1 sounding much tighter and crisper than the previous 3 weeks I've owned it. I don't know if it's because all the speakers/sub are finally working together or ???

Hey, I have notice the same in my VTF-1 too OFW!
Good question...:rolleyes: