bass management

[miggs29]

My speakers have this setting: 75Hz – 20kHz(rear), 55Hz – 20kHz (main), 80Hz – 20kHz (center). How should I set my crossover on my receiver? 60, 80, or 90Hz!

Thanks!

 

[rnatalli]

60 is too low if your speakers only go down to 75. 80 is the golden position for a crossover. Try both 80 and 90 and see what sounds better. What kind of speakers do you have?

 

[ParadigmDawg]

90 or higher would be best with your speakers..

 

[miggs29]

60 is too low if your speakers only go down to 75. 80 is the golden position for a crossover. Try both 80 and 90 and see what sounds better. What kind of speakers do you have?

Thanks for yor reply. They are JBL's northrigde series. Since I am not sure how this works. What gives more bass, 80 or 90?

 

[ParadigmDawg]

It's not really about "giving" more bass, it is sending the low fx where it can be handled best (sub)

Thanks for yor reply. They are JBL's northrigde series. Since I am not sure how this works. What gives more bass, 80 or 90?

 

[Davemcc]

What gives more bass, 80 or 90?

Neither. The object is to have even frequency response across the spectrum. The challenge is to properly match your speakers with your sub to achieve this as well as possible. Without measuring equipment, your only option is to try both settings and see which you prefer.

To answer what I think was the intent of your question, an 80Hz setting is generally the standard but is at the limit of your center speaker. A 90Hz setting will send more bass to the sub, make the speakers' job easier and perhaps blend better with your mains.

 

[Halon451]

Good reading material

When you have time, read over the articles presented here:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2203

In your case, the articles on bass management and subwoofer/crossover settings should give you some valuable insight to how this stuff works, and what it means to 'blend' your mains with your sub.

I totally agree with Dave - the objective isn't to "push more bass out", but to create an even response throughout the entire frequency range, down to the lowest frequency your sub can produce. By this, I mean a near constant output (most spec within +/- 3dB as standard uniform output levels from high frequency to low). This leads to more natural sounding audio (for either HT or music), and a more accurate representation of the source material used.

Remember, your speakers lower frequency limit is usually expressed as it's - 3dB or -6 dB point, respectively, so the frequency response slopes off gradually, rather than hits a brick wall - it will still put out frequencies lower than this, but at reduced output until it is heard no more. Adjusting your system crossover to the point that is just above the highest -3dB point of any speaker in your system will ensure that you are not leaving any frequency gaps in any of the speakers and put you closer to uniformity. Dave suggested 90, but you can toggle between 80 and 90 and see what sounds better to you - either one of the two should work pretty well. I'd leave the 60 Hz crossover setting alone though.

 

[miggs29]

Thank you

Thank you for all your help. There is a lot to learn, however this forum is excellent.......

 

[DD66000]

Try the N26s at both 60 and 80 htz, pick which ever sounds the best. At 55 htz the N26 is down -3db
For the N-center, set to 80.

 

[chadnliz]

I too would try 60 and see how it sounds, it depends on power and room but no higher then 80HZ, 90 is not called for.

 

[newaudiofile]

After reading this I wanted to ask. If the crossover freq is raised to maybe 90 or 100Hz won the room sound too bassy, since this will mean that more signals are sent to the sub and therefore active most of the time, therefore its presence felt all the time.

I would assume that if the crossover is lower like maybe 80 or 60Hz then less signals sent to the sub and therefore the occasional "boom" makes you jump out of your skin. If you know what I mean.

 

[Davemcc]

A properly calibrated system should have such a smooth transition between speakers and sub that it is difficult to tell where the transition is. If your sub is too bassy or it's presence felt all the time, for God's sake turn it down! That's not a result of the crossover setting. It is a result of cranking too much power from the sub where it is unwarranted. The whole idea is to blend the sub with the mains so that you get all the frequencies, but smoothly and seamlessly from the highest notes to the lowest.

 

[DD66000]

Depending on the receiver used, the LFE channel going to the sub can be set as high as 120 htz, which is what my HK receiver's manual recommends. That 120 in independent of the subwoofer 80 htz setting.
So as the last post stated, if the bass is too boomy, turn it down a bit.
On the other hand, it could be that the sub, itself, is too boomy. I have 5 subs total, in different systems, and one of them IS boomy, compared to the others, and that one I'm not using.