İs my subwoofer faulty?

lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
This dual ports open sub from front is it acceptable as technology? Ported sub with 2 holes.
The question goes sealed vs ported sub maybe now. To my ears ported sound like hummer bass and it has a tale in sound(like an echo)and its great in movies. Sealed is more clean bass, more for music?
Some subs are designed so you can seal one or both ports and flip an eq switch for the best response. Your room still plays a critical role, tho. Sealed subs can work well too but have more challenges.
 
tyhjaarpa

tyhjaarpa

Audioholic Field Marshall
I have no experience with the XTZ subs but what I have read about them is that they should be around the same quality as BK Elec subs and they also share similar price point. I would say that you can't go wrong with either of these. I personally went with BK Elec as it has higher WAF. Got the smaller sealed subs as at the time I did not have space for the larger ported ones. If I was to buy them now I would go all the way for the Monolith+ as I have the space. SVS is a bit expensive here compared to these "local" brands due to importing costs. In my experience these subs should be about the same for performance with SVS if you compare them with similar units.

Amazon in Europe works really well in my experience. If the item is sold by Amazon I think you have some warranty but if buying from users I don't know how it works then, depends on seller I suppose? Either case if you receive faulty item it has worked well with returning it with new or used products.
 
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killbill13

killbill13

Full Audioholic
Some subs are designed so you can seal one or both ports and flip an eq switch for the best response. Your room still plays a critical role, tho. Sealed subs can work well too but have more challenges.
Do you need pictures of my room or not?
My sub is at35% now of master volume. If i take this powerfull subs when it will go at 20, 15% is it ok?
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Do you need pictures of my room or not?
My sub is at35% now of master volume. If i take this powerfull subs when it will go at 20, 15% is it ok?
It's not really a volume control, it's a gain control to match the pre-out voltage of your avr and will need to be set where it needs to be set. Once set correctly, and/or boosted a bit to taste with the subwoofer trim level in the avr, the master volume on your avr will control output. Pics of your room may be helpful to suggest speaker placement, but to choose sub placement probably best you do something like the subwoofer crawl if not measure.
 
Pogre

Pogre

Audioholic Slumlord
It's not really a volume control, it's a gain control to match the pre-out voltage of your avr and will need to be set where it needs to be set. Once set correctly, and/or boosted a bit to taste with the subwoofer trim level in the avr, the master volume on your avr will control output. Pics of your room may be helpful to suggest speaker placement, but to choose sub placement probably best you do something like the subwoofer crawl if not measure.
I suggested sub crawl at the start of this thread and he doesn't think it works... lol.

@killbill13, you really should try it. You don't have anything to lose and your sub is small enough to handle easily. The right spot can make all the difference in the world.

Ported vs sealed, I was a sealed sub guy until I heard some really good ported subs. As long as they're tuned right one is as good as the other for music or anything else. Sealed subs will struggle in a large room, tho multiples will help with that.
 
killbill13

killbill13

Full Audioholic
Ok i will try it. 1) what sound you recomment for crawl? Any link? i have spotify apple music too.
Also the sofa seat for the sub, depends on the way i turn it. İn what angle i will place it, its not just the X Y position, its the rotation too. İt was changing behavior dramatically every time i give new rotation. İt has 2 subwoofers.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Ok i will try it. 1) what sound you recomment for crawl? Any link? i have spotify apple music too.
Also the sofa seat for the sub, depends on the way i turn it. İn what angle i will place it, its not just the X Y position, its the rotation too. İt was changing behavior dramatically every time i give new rotation. İt has 2 subwoofers.
It has a driver and a passive radiator, considered as a vented design. You can review suggestions for the crawl here (if Pogre didn't already link it) https://www.audioholics.com/home-theater-connection/crawling-for-bass-subwoofer-placement
 
killbill13

killbill13

Full Audioholic
It has a driver and a passive radiator, considered as a vented design. You can review suggestions for the crawl here (if Pogre didn't already link it) https://www.audioholics.com/home-theater-connection/crawling-for-bass-subwoofer-placement
Subwoofer Placement Procedure
  • Connect the "Sub Out" of your Receiver / Preamp Processor using an RCA cable into a Y-cable into the "L" and "R" inputs of your subwoofer. Note: Unless otherwise stated by the manufacturer, be sure to utilize both inputs of the sub as many subs sum the "L" + "R" inputs to yield a 6 dB gain from the input voltage of the processor.

Your link says connect L and Right(white and red) output from RCA, so 2 cables. I only connect one...am i connecting my sub wrong?
On the manual it says connect 2 also. I just use the write RCA like an LFE connection.
I called the shop they said me do this, one cable to the write rca. But on manual, they connect 2 cables.
https://images.app.goo.gl/mmgtdwDoRN6ywseK9
https://images.app.goo.gl/weMaXczByN6GchAN8
 
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lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Subwoofer Placement Procedure
  • Connect the "Sub Out" of your Receiver / Preamp Processor using an RCA cable into a Y-cable into the "L" and "R" inputs of your subwoofer. Note: Unless otherwise stated by the manufacturer, be sure to utilize both inputs of the sub as many subs sum the "L" + "R" inputs to yield a 6 dB gain from the input voltage of the processor.

Your link says connect L and Right(white and red) output from RCA, so 2 cables. I only connect one...am i connecting my sub wrong?
On the manual it says connect 2 also. I just use the write RCA like an LFE connection.
I called the shop they said me do this, one cable to the write rca. But on manual, they connect 2 cables.
https://images.app.goo.gl/mmgtdwDoRN6ywseK9
https://images.app.goo.gl/weMaXczByN6GchAN8
Not necessary in most cases, unless you have low pre-out level and need the 6dB gain advantage (which may not even be the case with your sub amp). Generally one is fine; one marked LFE often bypasses the low pass filter (or you can just turn the low pass filter to its max setting).
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
None is marked here. L R just.
Then I'd just use one and turn the low pass filter to max setting and not worry about it....

The usual use of a L/R input is for older 2ch gear with no sub pre-out....the sub can then sum the signal to mono....
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
On the sealed vs ported debate...
If you look at basic subwoofers of either style, the ported is usually tuned to provide a flat FR to the lowest frequency possible. While the sealed will often start to roll off in the 40's or even 50Hz range.
Given that info, you would expect the ported to sound better. However, the problem is that you have room gain and these FR measurements were taken using an anechoic chamber (or using a method that approximates an anechoic chamber).
Without knowing better, we tend to tuck the subwoofer against a wall or even in a corner. When we do this, we are adding lots of room gain at those lowest frequences. Here is a graph courtesy of SVS which shows the measured (anechoic) frequency response of the sub (in purple) and the response after typical room gain (blue). Looking at this, I would guess they did a little EQ via a DSP to push the rolloff down to around 34Hz (instead of in the 40's). However, the important concept here is that if the anechoic measurement was flat, then the in room response (after room gain) would be about 1dB too hot at 30Hz and 5 dB too hot at 20Hz.
For music, 5dB too hot at 20Hz will not be a good experience (and I have seen as much at 10dB room gain if you were to put the sub in a corner) for music! Any content that low will sound bloated and muddy up the rest of your sound!


However, a well designed ported sub like the XTZ has options to plug the ports (one or both) and also a toggle to switch between a couple or three EQ curves. This allows you to replicate the curve of a sealed subwoofer, allowing you to avoid the bloated bass of the anechoic flat sub after room gain is added.
Like I (and SVS) said the above reflects a "typical" amount of room gain. They use the term "typical" loosely, because, in actuality, the amount of room gain can vary wildly! So the various combinations of plugs and EQ settings give you a decent array of tuning options to better accommodate whatever room gain you have! That is why I can only recommend a ported sub that has the port plugs and EQ settings to allow you to tune it to your room.*

*somebody is going to call me out on this, because for a budget sub, I often recommend the Dayton Audio SUB-1200. However the SUB-1200 is not tuned to get the deepest flattest (anechoic) FR possible. The port on the SUB-1200 seems to simply lower the rolloff point providing a FR more like the SVS SB2000 curve above, so it is not a typical ported sub.

There is much more that can be said on this topic, but hopefully this bit of explanation makes sense and gives you a better understanding of why, despite your previous experience with ported, a modern well designed ported sub will deliver very good performance!
 
killbill13

killbill13

Full Audioholic
Its the third time is happening. I called the shop they said me we will order new covers if you want and sent you. Or you can put blue tak.
They also said me, nobody complains for this things they repair them alone.
I asked if this subwoofer has this problem often , they said yes it happens.

I emailed the manufacter in France and nobody answered. Abandoned company. They have a facebook page i am gonna put it there and see what happens :rolleyes:
What i am gonna do :mad:
 

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William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
On the sealed vs ported debate...
If you look at basic subwoofers of either style, the ported is usually tuned to provide a flat FR to the lowest frequency possible. While the sealed will often start to roll off in the 40's or even 50Hz range.
Given that info, you would expect the ported to sound better. However, the problem is that you have room gain and these FR measurements were taken using an anechoic chamber (or using a method that approximates an anechoic chamber).
Without knowing better, we tend to tuck the subwoofer against a wall or even in a corner. When we do this, we are adding lots of room gain at those lowest frequences. Here is a graph courtesy of SVS which shows the measured (anechoic) frequency response of the sub (in purple) and the response after typical room gain (blue). Looking at this, I would guess they did a little EQ via a DSP to push the rolloff down to around 34Hz (instead of in the 40's). However, the important concept here is that if the anechoic measurement was flat, then the in room response (after room gain) would be about 1dB too hot at 30Hz and 5 dB too hot at 20Hz.
For music, 5dB too hot at 20Hz will not be a good experience (and I have seen as much at 10dB room gain if you were to put the sub in a corner) for music! Any content that low will sound bloated and muddy up the rest of your sound!


However, a well designed ported sub like the XTZ has options to plug the ports (one or both) and also a toggle to switch between a couple or three EQ curves. This allows you to replicate the curve of a sealed subwoofer, allowing you to avoid the bloated bass of the anechoic flat sub after room gain is added.
Like I (and SVS) said the above reflects a "typical" amount of room gain. They use the term "typical" loosely, because, in actuality, the amount of room gain can vary wildly! So the various combinations of plugs and EQ settings give you a decent array of tuning options to better accommodate whatever room gain you have! That is why I can only recommend a ported sub that has the port plugs and EQ settings to allow you to tune it to your room.*

*somebody is going to call me out on this, because for a budget sub, I often recommend the Dayton Audio SUB-1200. However the SUB-1200 is not tuned to get the deepest flattest (anechoic) FR possible. The port on the SUB-1200 seems to simply lower the rolloff point providing a FR more like the SVS SB2000 curve above, so it is not a typical ported sub.

There is much more that can be said on this topic, but hopefully this bit of explanation makes sense and gives you a better understanding of why, despite your previous experience with ported, a modern well designed ported sub will deliver very good performance!
All that SVS is saying is that in room response of the sealed sub will look like a ported one. Once in place, we run audyssey(or rew/minidsp etc) to make sure “whatever” response we get is “flat”. That means the 10db room gain you mentioned will be gone. And also 20hz at 5db hot wouldn’t likely ruin any music since there’s not much there. I would like to readdress this later but thought I’d touch on it since I had a few seconds.
 
killbill13

killbill13

Full Audioholic
I am still trying to sell that one so i can take something better. Except if i will really kill the price.:( So it means i loose most of my money.

Anyway. Anyone suggests any way to measure the subwoofer? To find out the quality of it.
 
killbill13

killbill13

Full Audioholic
Audyssey calibration mic not good enouph? It does work with REW?
Its 110€ this mic
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
Audyssey’s microphone is calibrated for their system alone.

If you go to the REW homepage, you can learn a little about the program, and they list several microphones that are compatible. Considering it is freeware, it is surprisingly powerful, and John continues to actively update and fine tune it. I emailed a question and he wrote back personally! :)

If you enjoy the hobby enough to care about the sound quality you experience, this is really a great way to take what you have to the next level. You will learn a lot about your room, your gear, and how to use acoustics to your advantage.

And when you do decide to upgrade, you’ll be able to make the best decision... you’ll be smarter than the marketing departments trying to sell you cr@p!!!;)
 
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