Which driver to replace an SVS PB12-Plus driver?

[Adam]

Dave, that's really too bad that you had to pay for shipping on warranty items. Man, that sucks. It's too bad that you have to go through a third party. I wonder if SVS could just have an amp sent directly to you, seeing as how they are from a Canadian supplier after all.

 

[mike c]

The only hitch is that everything has to be run through Sonic Boom. Darn it! Now you're making me remember details about this that caused me to put it on the back-burner in the first place. The first time the driver pooped out, I was out a fair bit of cash shipping the damaged driver and a spare amp back to Sonic Boom. It looks like I'm in for a repeat of that experience.

I guess I could get an email going today. BTW, when the PB12 works, it really is an awesome sub and I have continued to recommend SVS even while my own wasn't working.

Edit - Letter sent. I've been prodded into action. Thanks.

make sure to CC Ed M or SVS US in your emails.

i'm not sure if you should catch shipping if the damage wasn't your fault.

 

[Davemcc]

make sure to CC Ed M or SVS US in your emails.

i'm not sure if you should catch shipping if the damage wasn't your fault.

I emailed SVS directly. A fix is in the works. Just have to coordinate with Sonic Boom.

Return shipping of components at user expense is listed as part of the Sonic Boom warranty right on their web page. Nothing I can do about that.

 

[Headfoot]

I use a 500w Bash subwoofer plate amp and can say that I have had no problems, but of course that is just my case and yours is obviously different.

 

[Davemcc]

Epilog:

I finally installed the replacement amp and driver into my PB12-Plus last night. I am back in the bass business. It sounds so much better than it has for a long time.

It has taken me a long time to take care of this but that's entirely my fault. I've been slow to handle stuff like this lately. Time and energy have not been my friends these days. I still have to recalibrate everything but the difference right now between new and old is simply stunning even in it's raw form. I'm very pleased with the results.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Epilog:

I finally installed the replacement amp and driver into my PB12-Plus last night. I am back in the bass business. It sounds so much better than it has for a long time.

It has taken me a long time to take care of this but that's entirely my fault. I've been slow to handle stuff like this lately. Time and energy have not been my friends these days. I still have to recalibrate everything but the difference right now between new and old is simply stunning even in it's raw form. I'm very pleased with the results.

Glad to hear you got your sub fixed, finally. I think whats important is you're happy with the outcome. Now I'm thinking it's time for you (re)watch Iron Man or Transformers to make sure that bad boy is fully recovered.

Jack

 

[Davemcc]

Thanks, Jack. Actually, I don't have Transformers or Iron Man. I'm happiest that the musicality has been restored. I had the sub pretty cranked towards the end and it would provide the boom and rumble in movies in a strained, forced kind of way and I could feel the floor vibrate. It wasn't great but I could hear it working, just not very well. It couldn't function at all well with music. It's all good now, though.

 

[MatthewB.]

Dave, just found this thread and read it all and have a few comments. On page one you said you have the gain at the 9 o'clock position. Are you insane, 9 o'clock would crumble my foundation. I have the PB12 NSD/2 and have my gain at 2.5 and it is loud enough to shake pictures and cause my GF asthma to go into effect during bass heavy movies (Kung Fu Panda for example). I sure hope you have turned down the gain with the new amp.

Also when I listen to music, my sub hardly ever kicks on, only on rare occasions when a kick drum is used, because most stereo settings will set the mains to large and shut off the sub during music playback, unless you are using a surround sound format like ProLogic IIx or are playing a SACD or DVD-A, at least with my three setups it does this. Movies are another matter all together.

It sounds like you have things working though to your liking, but I would still look at the gain setting, because if I had mine set at 9:00 I would surely be replacing windows and a few fuses at the very least.

 

[Cpt.America]

It sounds like you have things working though to your liking, but I would still look at the gain setting, because if I had mine set at 9:00 I would surely be replacing windows and a few fuses at the very least.

I think you are thinking of the 3:00 position. Considering 7:00 is basically "off", 9 is bairly on. Its the same with my eD subwoofer.

 

[Sheep]

I think you are thinking of the 3:00 position. Considering 7:00 is basically "off", 9 is bairly on. Its the same with my eD subwoofer.

Digital watches are ruining humanity.

SheepStar

 

[Davemcc]

Dave, just found this thread and read it all and have a few comments. On page one you said you have the gain at the 9 o'clock position. Are you insane, 9 o'clock would crumble my foundation.

Matthew,

As mentioned by other posters, the 9:00 position is barely on. With calibration and room treatments, I have become accustomed to as close to perfect bass as I can achieve. As an example, here is a screenshot of my frequency response when the subwoofer is working properly and calibrated.

That's a pretty good frequency plot to me and it sounds awesome when it performs that way. In fact, I suggest that your Plus/2 would really shine with some real time EQ, calibration and room treatments if you have not already experimented with that aspect of bass control.

 

[Sheep]

Matthew,

As mentioned by other posters, the 9:00 position is barely on. With calibration and room treatments, I have become accustomed to as close to perfect bass as I can achieve. As an example, here is a screenshot of my frequency response when the subwoofer is working properly and calibrated.

That's a pretty good frequency plot to me and it sounds awesome when it performs that way. In fact, I suggest that your Plus/2 would really shine with some real time EQ, calibration and room treatments if you have not already experimented with that aspect of bass control.

Damn that looks good. I want one of those SMS-1 things. Where the hell is an AH give away when you need it?

SheepStar

 

[mike c]

dave's FR is creepy. it's like his room is anechoic

i cant get that even when nearfield

 

[WmAx]

Damn that looks good. I want one of those SMS-1 things. Where the hell is an AH give away when you need it?

SheepStar

If you will measure the room response yourself, a DCX2496 is substantially more powerful than a SMS for signal control. Much cheaper, too. In addition, the DCX is a superb crossover for all of the speaker channels, not just for subwoofer use.

-Chris

 

[Sheep]

dave's FR is creepy. it's like his room is anechoic

i cant get that even when nearfield

One of your other thousand subwoofers is canceling it out.

SheepStar

 

[Sheep]

If you will measure the room response yourself, a DCX2496 is substantially more powerful than a SMS for signal control. Much cheaper, too. In addition, the DCX is a superb crossover for all of the speaker channels, not just for subwoofer use.

-Chris

Really? Does it do everything itself? BTW, will the different between the 2 be audible if they both get it relatively flat?

BTW, go on AIM. Need to talk about 4/3 camera's.

SheepStar

 

[WmAx]

Really? Does it do everything itself?

As I said, you have to do your own measurements. It's a manual device.

BTW, will the different between the 2 be audible if they both get it relatively flat?

If you get the same frequency response using both, it will sound the same. The DCX is a transparent device(aside from the filters you set of course) and I will presume the SMS is also a transparent device, at least with current up to date firmware(I know there were some big problems with old firmware versions).

-Chris

 

[Davemcc]

dave's FR is creepy. it's like his room is anechoic

i cant get that even when nearfield

LOL, this is more typical of my room in it's unequalized form. This shot was also taken after the SMS-1's auto calibration sweeps. Depending on which corner I use, I can have up to a 37dB spike at 40Hz, IIRC. I measured that manually before I got the SMS-1. Where the sub is located now, it's probably good for a 28dB spike at 40Hz with no traps. At least there are no nulls, so I have at least one good thing going on in this room.

 

[MatthewB.]

Crap, your right Dave, sorry for calling you insane. For some reason I was thinking of my other sub which uses the typical clock gain setting and so 9:00 is very very loud. You have the gain about where I'm at.

I wish I could could use good acoustics but the one who shall not be named, put the kabosh on that one real quick. I was in Texas last month for a Sound and Vision GTG and was at a house that was just perfect with room acoustics, and realize how important that was, but since I'm whupped more than a rented mule, considerations had to be made.

 

[Davemcc]

Matthew, the DCX mentioned by WmAx is the next best thing to proper room acoustics. Active frequency response management can still work wonders with the room in "as is" condition.