Subwoofer Level Setting Worksheet

[Pete_Hsu]

Greeting to all Hsu owners!

Attached is a spreadsheet to help assist you with subwoofer level setting.

I hope you enjoy it!

Best regards,

[gotahavit]

Play 50 Hz warble tone and adjust the subwoofer level on controller....



What does this mean by controller? Is this on the reciever or on the sub?

[Pete_Hsu]

Controller would be the receiver (or integrated amplifier, preamplifier, etc)...

[thsmith]

Pete where can I find a CD or DVD that has the tones required for the Subwoofer Level Setting Worksheet?

Thanks,

Tracy

[shh1234]

I am also interested.

I purchased my VTF-3 MK2 from the Canadian distributor a while back (my understanding is that the Canadian units didn't include the disk). I just purchased an MBM-12 factory direct a few weeks ago, and to my surprise it didn't include the disk.

[Matt L]

Wondering about the disk mentioned too. I bought a TN series sub here 6 or 7 years ago, I'm in the process of redoing my setup with the addition of my BD player. Would love to tweak my setting better.

[roma94]

Pete HSU

I'm in the same situation, I also bought from a canadian distributor and didn't recieve a cd. How do I get one?

[Pete_Hsu]

Hi guys,

Feel free to send an email to sales@hsuresearch.com with your full shipping address.

Thanks

[kmitchell]

Hi Pete,

The last step of the setup instructions says "Play 50 Hz warble tone and adjust subwoofer level on controller to obtain the following:".

Why would you want to adjust the line-level output on the receiver instead of adjusting the volume on the sub amp?

Thanks for the insight,
Ken

[Brett]

Just a thought... Maybe you could start including this spreadsheet on the CD you send out?

Anway, just got my VTF2.3 late last week, and started setting it up this weekend. This is a 2 channel system, 99% music. So far the sub sounds great with my B&W 683s, but it I need to dial it in more. I have a Cambridge Audio 540 v2 running in direct stereo mode. I also have a RS analog spl meter.

One thing I'm not clear on is where to set the volume on the sub after I have set up the mains, but before I play the test tones and put the readings in the spreadsheet. For example, would it be correct to use the warble tones on the CD and set the mains the SPL to 75 Db, and then turn up the volume on the sub until I match the SPL of the mains, and then start playing the tones on the CD? I don't quite follow the instruction "adjust the subwoofer level on the subwoofer amplifier to a preferred setting." Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Second, my room has a very strange drop off in the 60 Hz range. The SPL falls off a good 5 Db from the 50 Hz and 83Hz tones. It happens with or without the sub. The room is 11 x 13 x 8. One door that can be closed. Ceilings contains some angles due to a hipped roof. Is this kind of drop off normal?

Thanks

Originally Posted by Brett

One thing I'm not clear on is where to set the volume on the sub after I have set up the mains, but before I play the test tones and put the readings in the spreadsheet.

Same question here. Thanks for your help.

[Havok]

Pete HSU,

Any chance of HSU publishing an ISO of the test tones that we can burn to a CD?

[Pete_Hsu]

Hi Ken,

Originally Posted by kmitchell

Hi Pete,

The last step of the setup instructions says "Play 50 Hz warble tone and adjust subwoofer level on controller to obtain the following:".

Why would you want to adjust the line-level output on the receiver instead of adjusting the volume on the sub amp?

Thanks for the insight,
Ken

Generally we recommend setting the volume on the VTF subs at about 9 or 10 o'clock, and then adjusting the subwoofer channel level on the receiver after that. The gain is very sensitive on the subwoofer amplifiers, so it tends to work best this way.

Sincerely,

[Pete_Hsu]

Originally Posted by Brett

Just a thought... Maybe you could start including this spreadsheet on the CD you send out?

Anway, just got my VTF2.3 late last week, and started setting it up this weekend. This is a 2 channel system, 99% music. So far the sub sounds great with my B&W 683s, but it I need to dial it in more. I have a Cambridge Audio 540 v2 running in direct stereo mode. I also have a RS analog spl meter.

One thing I'm not clear on is where to set the volume on the sub after I have set up the mains, but before I play the test tones and put the readings in the spreadsheet. For example, would it be correct to use the warble tones on the CD and set the mains the SPL to 75 Db, and then turn up the volume on the sub until I match the SPL of the mains, and then start playing the tones on the CD? I don't quite follow the instruction "adjust the subwoofer level on the subwoofer amplifier to a preferred setting." Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Second, my room has a very strange drop off in the 60 Hz range. The SPL falls off a good 5 Db from the 50 Hz and 83Hz tones. It happens with or without the sub. The room is 11 x 13 x 8. One door that can be closed. Ceilings contains some angles due to a hipped roof. Is this kind of drop off normal?

Thanks

Great suggestion Brett, maybe we can consider doing that at some point down the road.

Thanks for the positive remarks so far! I would suggest setting the volume level on the current VTF amplifiers to about 9 or 10 o'clock, and then adjusting the subwoofer channel level through the receiver so that the sub matches the mains. Note that some people do prefer to run the sub a bit "hot" relative to the mains for more deep bass impact.

Yes, that type of drop-off is certainly normal. Note that the best place to reproduce deep bass (say, below 50Hz) is almost always different than the best place to reproduce mid-bass (say, 50-80Hz). So when the sub is positioned for optimal deep bass response, often there will be anamolies in the mid-bass response. In a relatively small room in particular, there is no easy way to get around room modal issues short of using room treatments and such. Also, in some cases adding a second subwoofer can help smooth out response.

Sincerely,

[Pete_Hsu]

Originally Posted by Havok

Pete HSU,

Any chance of HSU publishing an ISO of the test tones that we can burn to a CD?

Definitely something to consider, Havok. At one point in the past, we had test tones that could be downloaded from the web, but for whatever reason that link doesn't work anymore.

[Brett]

Thanks Pete! I can tell that the wife is close to the breaking point regarding all of my recent electronics buys, so a second sub is going to have to wait until the dust settles a bit.

Originally Posted by Pete_Hsu

Great suggestion Brett, maybe we can consider doing that at some point down the road.

Thanks for the positive remarks so far! I would suggest setting the volume level on the current VTF amplifiers to about 9 or 10 o'clock, and then adjusting the subwoofer channel level through the receiver so that the sub matches the mains. Note that some people do prefer to run the sub a bit "hot" relative to the mains for more deep bass impact.

Yes, that type of drop-off is certainly normal. Note that the best place to reproduce deep bass (say, below 50Hz) is almost always different than the best place to reproduce mid-bass (say, 50-80Hz). So when the sub is positioned for optimal deep bass response, often there will be anamolies in the mid-bass response. In a relatively small room in particular, there is no easy way to get around room modal issues short of using room treatments and such. Also, in some cases adding a second subwoofer can help smooth out response.

Sincerely,

[jboger]

Does the spreadsheet already have compensation factors for the Radio Shack 33-4050 analog SPL meter (e.g 12dB down at 16Hz) or do you need to add the compensation factors before entering into the spreadsheet?

I have ordered a VTF-2 Mk3 and am looking for the proper method to setup and calibrate it. I have a Denon AVR-3808CI with Audyssey MultiEQ XT Setup. The mains are Polk RTi6 and CSi A4. The room is 15x15x8 with four open doorways to hallways and other rooms. Use is about 75% HT and 25% music. Due to limitations of the small room, the location will have to be near a corner on the right side of the HDTV.

I've read Daisuke Koya's AudioXpress article on Radio Shack Sound Level Meter Characteristics and wonder if the 4050 is accurate enough to improve on the MultiEQ setup? Any opinions or experience with this setup?

[Pete_Hsu]

Hi jboger,

No, you don't need to enter the correction factors in the spreadsheet, just the numbers straight from the SPL meter. The correction factors are factored in within the spreadsheet.

Sincerely,

[audiodelic]

So i have an SPL meter but no HSU CD. Can this be used with AVIA or DVE ?

[Aethm]

Originally Posted by audiodelic

So i have an SPL meter but no HSU CD. Can this be used with AVIA or DVE ?

I used AVIA and it seems to work fine. The AVIA test signals are very accurate. I even did analysis with ETF 5.x to confirm.

[RichardL]

Hi all. Eagerly awaiting my new VTF2-M3. I also bought a new Yamaha receiver that has built in level setting with parametric eq and mic. Reading the manual, it looks pretty comprehensive, measuring speaker distance from mic, crossover freqs, delays, etc. Has anybody ever used these and do they give as good results as test discs and spl meters?

[nottaway]

I used a RS analog spl and experimented with different settings.

Looks like the spreadsheet is saying play 50Hz warble and adjust to 83db. Looks like its level matching below the crossover point with the lowest value. This looks like a problem to me since I am down ~15db at the 50Hz range. Therefore the transition will be unbalanced at the crossover point, right? Without a EQ it looks like the sub will be about 15db hotter than the mains at crossover

Here are the numbers with the HSU cd and tracks 9-21

MO
58
80
78
71
80
68
83
82
81
78
81
79
78

ME

77
84
78
72
76
66
81
81
81
78
81
79
78

MO/One port plugged

61
74
74
71
77
66
82
81
81
78
81
79
78


Suggestions? I just treated the room with 4 bass traps 4" OC703 2x4ft 4 inch air gap in back and 4 acoustic panels at primary reflection points 2" OC703 2x4ft 4inch air gap in back.

I was hoping to get the response flatter, but I know my room is a nightmare.

Room= 15x15x9

[roryking]

I have an older Yamaha receiver (HTR-5560) with a Sub Out that has the crossover fixed at 90 Hz. (Actually, the manual calls it a "cut-off frequency." Hope that doesn't change things.)

What is the recommended crossover setting for the spreadsheet, 80 or 100 Hz?

Edit: I tried both and they are very close (within 1 dB), if it comes up for anyone else.

[jaejw1]

oh man,,, did this bring back fond memories...
coming from car audio background (sound quality) I almost forgot how bass is supposed to sound......

almost unnoticed until called upon... I got so used to that distorted booming sound that now I have calibrated my sub im in love with my system again....

the only problem,,,, I calibrated an end table,,,, thats all my sub is worth.... 10" RCA PRO-SW120P sub from radio shack with a freq response down to 44hz...

I cant imagine what a real sub will sound like,, if im loving this I wonder what will happen when I get my replacement sub

[godsmack129]

Ok.I am doing something really wrong here .I did what you said in the first part by playing the 50hz test tone and matched it with the reciever to get 75db on the meter.And then i did what you said to do on the worksheet.This is what i got,

31.5 HZ= +3DB ON METER
40HZ = +1DB ON METER
50HZ = +75DB ON METER
63HZ = -4DB ON METER


100 HZ = -10DB ON METER
125HZ = -6DB ON METER
160HZ = 0DB ON METER
200HZ = -8 ON METER

Please can anybody please help me !!

[ralfale]

Is there a file uploaded online somewhere on the test tone that comes with the sub? HSU does not ship the test cd for sub outside USA

[eltabor]

Originally Posted by Pete_Hsu

Greeting to all Hsu owners!

Attached is a spreadsheet to help assist you with subwoofer level setting.

I hope you enjoy it!

Best regards,

I was unable to just copy this spreadsheet on my computer so I had to download quickview and copy it that way. Will the cells of the spreadsheet change as numbers are entered and if so will it function the way I had to copy it to save it?