Messin with the subwoofer calibrations

[3db]

I've calibrated my HT system using Sound & Visions test DVD and a Rat Shack SPL.. (Just an aside, Radio Shack in Canada is now known as "The Source" ) So my system is all calibrated up and I put in XXX and everything is rattling down thats not bolted down. Pretty cool I think to myslef. Last night, I brought home Harry Potter "Chamber of Secrets " speciall DVD set for $12.00 Cdn and found myself truning up the bass on the sub. I know not all DVDs are recorded the same, espcially with bass. Just wondering how many of you adjust their subs even after calibration to suit your tastes?

 

[jaxvon]

I find some DVDs are bass heavy, and others are normal. For instance:

I've found a love for multi-channel music. I have a DTS-CD of Gaucho and the Procupine Tree DVD-A/DTS Disc In Absentia. The bass from my subwoofer blends perfectly with Porcupine tree, but it's way too heavy for Gaucho. My guess would be that the engineer screwed up on Gaucho or something.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

All the time...Different mixes & such...


SBF1

 

[fergusonv]

I leave mine alone, but thats just me, nothing wrong with giving it a couple DB's if it sounds better to you.

 

[edwelly]

I do not adjust anything except the volume. Once I find a settting I like, I leave it. When I do listen to music, I may switch between 2 CH, Dolby PL and NEO:Music (like that one a lot) but thats about it...

 

[RJB]

Yup, I'm frequently adjusting my sub volume. Music & movies, no 2 disks are ever the same sound wise, especially when it comes to movies...

 

[Tomorrow]

I've calibrated my HT system using Sound & Visions test DVD and a Rat Shack SPL.. (Just an aside, Radio Shack in Canada is now known as "The Source" ) So my system is all calibrated up and I put in XXX and everything is rattling down thats not bolted down. Pretty cool I think to myslef. Last night, I brought home Harry Potter "Chamber of Secrets " speciall DVD set for $12.00 Cdn and found myself truning up the bass on the sub. I know not all DVDs are recorded the same, espcially with bass. Just wondering how many of you adjust their subs even after calibration to suit your tastes?

Is this a new acquisition? Did the bass increase when you turned it up? Remember that your DVD player has speaker/sub settings too. The sub setting must be turned to "on". If all is set up okay...I'll chime in with the others. Some movies are just bass-challenged. Also, most folks like to run their subs 'hot'...meaning that they set the sub to run 3db (or more) above speaker reference matched spls.

EDIT: I just reread and saw that you had no problem with XXX. I agree with the other posts. Blame it on my age. :-(

 

[j_garcia]

I never touch mine really. It is a little hot for most music, so I drop it by 1-2dB for loud/heavy listening, but for average listening I leave it where it is all the time.

 

[Sheep]

Mine differes with certain content. Just finished War Of The Worlds. Weird movie, loads of bass. My subwoofer is easy to adjust as the controls are right on the front.


SheepStar

 

[Hi Ho]

I have the "Sub +/-" buttons on all activites on my Harmony remote. I adjust it all the time. Some TV stations have almost no bass and I have to set the sub to MAX just to keep it from shutting off. Some movies have way too much bass while others are very tame. The same goes for music. Sometimes it depends on my mood or whether someone in the house will be bothered.

 

[GregBe]

Much to my dismay, I am constantly tweaking my sub levels. I like John Garcia's advice, but have not been able to achieve that compromise between music and movies. I think once I do, I will be able to set it and forget it and enjoy the material much more without second guessing my sub level.

Greg