Just bought 2 of the Monoprice SW-15 on sale for $209

[Danzilla31]

Man with that glowing review, I'm dying to see @shadyJ 's review!! Gonna be super interesting to see how 2x SW-15s stack up against 2x Dayton SUB-1500s.

I have a single SW-15 right now and I'm not sure if it's a bad unit or bad resonance, but there's just a massive null happening around 60hz where there didn't use to be on the Polk that used to be in the same spot. 40-50hz is great but anything over 60hz just poops out completely. Switching phase didn't seem to do anything, and since 40-50hz rips I don't think it's a power issue? Gonna try some different placements before thinking it's the lemon route.

Have you ran REW and seen what's going on? Hopefully in a different position you can get a better response

 

[everettT]

Man with that glowing review, I'm dying to see @shadyJ 's review!! Gonna be super interesting to see how 2x SW-15s stack up against 2x Dayton SUB-1500s.

I have a single SW-15 right now and I'm not sure if it's a bad unit or bad resonance, but there's just a massive null happening around 60hz where there didn't use to be on the Polk that used to be in the same spot. 40-50hz is great but anything over 60hz just poops out completely. Switching phase didn't seem to do anything, and since 40-50hz rips I don't think it's a power issue? Gonna try some different placements before thinking it's the lemon route.

Did rerun your room correction or bass management software after getting the Monoprice?

 

[Danzilla31]

Sorry guys for the delay in measurements had a big storm blow through here last night needed to unplug everything Lol I will be doing that this afternoon I'll try to have that posted this evening

 

[CR!T]

Did rerun your room correction or bass management software after getting the Monoprice?

I did, yes!

Took some measurements in REW and sure enough, there's a big deep null right around 70hz.

I then turned off the sub and re-measured and that null trough is still hovering around 70.

Before fudging with other settings, I decided to move the sub another couple feet from the wall.

Sure enough, the null got lessened a bit. So I'm thinking that I have some very bad nulls in my room and that somehow my old sub was covering them up perfectly? I don't have old REW measures from back then, but it was definitely more balanced and less notchy. It was a much smaller 10" Polk too.

Am I right in thinking that only way to know if I don't have a lemon sub is to take it out in a field and sine sweep it there? Or is it more likely it's the room and not the sub.

 

[lovinthehd]

I did, yes!

Took some measurements in REW and sure enough, there's a big deep null right around 70hz.

View attachment 63319

I then turned off the sub and re-measured and that null trough is still hovering around 70.

View attachment 63320

Before fudging with other settings, I decided to move the sub another couple feet from the wall.View attachment 63321

Sure enough, the null got lessened a bit. So I'm thinking that I have some very bad nulls in my room and that somehow my old sub was covering them up perfectly? I don't have old REW measures from back then, but it was definitely more balanced and less notchy. It was a much smaller 10" Polk too.

Am I right in thinking that only way to know if I don't have a lemon sub is to take it out in a field and sine sweep it there? Or is it more likely it's the room and not the sub.

Much more likely to do with your room. Be more interesting if you had same mic position measurements to compare perhaps....are you using single mic location or multiple?

 

[Danzilla31]

Much more likely to do with your room. Be more interesting if you had same mic position measurements to compare perhaps....are you using single mic location or multiple?

I agree usually it's the room

 

[Danzilla31]

Ok so I ran REW and took measuremente but I'm not sure they are accurate.

For some reason REW recognizes my output device as the Epson projector and not the Yamaha. I can get output through the subs but still I need to be sure. I suspect it has to do with the EARC connection. I plan on hooking everything up to port 2 and see what happens tomorrow

So far it's looking just as I suspected if these measurements are correct. With room gain you can get extension to 30hz but after that nothing else. Which is fine for the bedroom and for such a good buy

 

[Danzilla31]

Man HDMI I can understand why people get so frustrated these days with them

This is the second time I've had to deal with EARC in 2 different setups over the last week.

 

[Danzilla31]

I did, yes!

Took some measurements in REW and sure enough, there's a big deep null right around 70hz.

View attachment 63319

I then turned off the sub and re-measured and that null trough is still hovering around 70.

View attachment 63320

Before fudging with other settings, I decided to move the sub another couple feet from the wall.View attachment 63321

Sure enough, the null got lessened a bit. So I'm thinking that I have some very bad nulls in my room and that somehow my old sub was covering them up perfectly? I don't have old REW measures from back then, but it was definitely more balanced and less notchy. It was a much smaller 10" Polk too.

Am I right in thinking that only way to know if I don't have a lemon sub is to take it out in a field and sine sweep it there? Or is it more likely it's the room and not the sub.

I put my FV18's up front where my SVS and RBH subs had been in the movie room and they for some reason didn't measure well. I had to lay them on their sides and move them slightly at both positions to get the response I was looking for

I don't think you have a lemon. I think you have a weird room response and we all get those.
As you noticed moving it even a touch can make a difference as well as buying a second sub to smooth out the response

For $209 that's not a bad idea to get a second one

FYI I also don't think you have a lemon because my responses measured look a lot like yours. Especially with that dropoff at 40 to 30 Hz

 

[Danzilla31]

Man I must be screwing something up with my REW measurements this can't be right @CR!T when you measure the subs only where you getting a lot of dropoff in the frequency response after 60hz?

This can't be right I must be losing my mind

 

[CR!T]

Man I must be screwing something up with my REW measurements this can't be right @CR!T when you measure the subs only where you getting a lot of dropoff in the frequency response after 60hz?

This can't be right I must be losing my mind

I was yea. Especially pre-calibration. I first noticed it playing my sub track in Ableton — anything ~60hz it'd go from booming to a weak static hum. Are you getting the same thing? I suspect mine still might not be outputting very much even after all the tweaking I did. The other channels, calibration eq and the walls themselves might be making up for it.

 

[Danzilla31]

I was yea. Especially pre-calibration. I first noticed it playing my sub track in Ableton — anything ~60hz it'd go from booming to a weak static hum. Are you getting the same thing? I suspect mine still might not be outputting very much even after all the tweaking I did. The other channels, calibration eq and the walls themselves might be making up for it.

I'm starting to suspect that these subs were designed that way. I don't think my measurements are off. I think they are made to play hard from like 30hz to about 80. But nothing really outside of that

I don't think your having a null at 70 Hz I think your experiencing their cutoff.

But it's 209 dollars man. So it's liveable. The ultimate thing is I think we need to see @ @shadyJ's review to see if my suspiciouns are confirmed tho.

 

[Danzilla31]

I was yea. Especially pre-calibration. I first noticed it playing my sub track in Ableton — anything ~60hz it'd go from booming to a weak static hum. Are you getting the same thing? I suspect mine still might not be outputting very much even after all the tweaking I did. The other channels, calibration eq and the walls themselves might be making up for it.

And yes I am experiencing that same thing they put out some SLAM from like 30 to 60 but I feel like they are missing some upper mid bass presence past 60 so I don't think it's just you

 

[CR!T]

I'm starting to suspect that these subs were designed that way. I don't think my measurements are off. I think they are made to play hard from like 30hz to about 80. But nothing really outside of that

I don't think your having a null at 70 Hz I think your experiencing their cutoff.

But it's 209 dollars man. So it's liveable. The ultimate thing is I think we need to see @ @shadyJ's review to see if my suspiciouns are confirmed tho.

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle. Maybe I wasn't so crazy after all!

But it's 209 dollars man.

While I do love a good bargain, it really raises the question of whether it's worth it at all for us who can hear those missing frequencies. I think Jay said it succinctly in his review of the Dayton's:

because if it is not competent at producing bass frequencies at all then it wouldn’t be worth buying at any price

Combined with the VERY irritating auto power off, I'm beginning to question whether the SW-15 is worth it at all any price.

 

[TLS Guy]

Yeah I don't think these will compete with even the PB 1000. They have no extension past 30 Hz but I suspect at 30 and above these will be very good. I'm flipping the JBL studio 698 and the GoldenEar Triton 3+. Those are both awesome speakers but I'm tired of trying to make big towers work in that small of a room. I would like my room to become a bedroom again Lol.

I did buy a used set of M&K S-150thx and the center channel the ac S-150 thx for a steal. They were still in great shape. I've always enjoyed the M&K sound and those speakers have a good neutral sound with great dynamics and good measurements if your directly on axis with them which I will be. Most importantly they can be wall mounted and will be further back then the towers from my listening position

It was hard to get a great soundstage out of big towers at the distance I was back from them in that bedroom.

These subs should do great to supplement the M&K speakers and for $418 for a pair? I could not turn this down

I thought bedrooms were for sleeping in!

 

[adk highlander]

I thought bedrooms were for sleeping in!

Or something else.

 

[TLS Guy]

Or something else.

Well of course that! Say no more!

 

[Danzilla31]

I thought bedrooms were for sleeping in!

Not if your an Audioholic

 

[Danzilla31]

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle. Maybe I wasn't so crazy after all!



While I do love a good bargain, it really raises the question of whether it's worth it at all for us who can hear those missing frequencies. I think Jay said it succinctly in his review of the Dayton's:



Combined with the VERY irritating auto power off, I'm beginning to question whether the SW-15 is worth it at all any price.

Yeah I agree especially with the speakers I've chosen. They have like zero bass below 80hz so that hole at the crossover region is noticeable

To be fair if I had a pair of tower speakers that can't really go down past 40 or 50 Hz with any real authority but extend good past 80 these subs still make sense if your looking for a bargain

But for smaller bookshelves or satellite speakers these won't cut it in my opinion

 

[Danzilla31]

I thought bedrooms were for sleeping in!

All kidding aside I wanted something to where I'm not playing the theater room late and disturb my parents who live with me half of the year now.

I LOVE tower speakers always have so it took me awhile to figure out what to do different. Obviously this sub isn't it. So back to the drawing board