MartinLogan Perfect Bass Kit (PBK) Subwoofer Calibration System Review

[admin]

There are three general methods used, in this order, to achieve improved bass response in a room: proper subwoofer placement, passive room treatments, and active room correction. MartinLogan's Perfect Bass Kit, or PBK, tackles the last option, active room correction. While nearly every new AV receiver and processor comes with some sort of automatic room correction system, the quality of said systems is usually severely lacking. For only $100, MartinLogan's PBK offers an extremely affordable method of achieving high quality active room correction. That's the idea anyway. Keep reading to see how, and how well, the system works.



Read our MartinLogan Perfect Bass Kit (PBK) Subwoofer Calibration System Review

 

[sleepysurf]

Great review, and PERFECT timing, as I have a ML BalancedForce 210 sub (with PBK) on order! Glad to hear it works reasonably well, but I hope they'll address the "quirks." I also have the XTZ Room Analyzer Pro kit, which I'll use for additional "dialing in", particularly for two channel playback. In Home Theater mode, I'll let Audyssey MultEQ do it's thing.

FYI, your measurement images are not currently visible (tried IE and Chrome).

 

[Cliff_is]

Great review, and PERFECT timing, as I have a ML BalancedForce 210 sub (with PBK) on order! Glad to hear it works reasonably well, but I hope they'll address the "quirks." I also have the XTZ Room Analyzer Pro kit, which I'll use for additional "dialing in", particularly for two channel playback. In Home Theater mode, I'll let Audyssey MultEQ do it's thing.

FYI, your measurement images are not currently visible (tried IE and Chrome).

Yeah, we are having issues with this review. For some reason the public site isn't updating properly, it's showing the very first draft that we upload (working title, no images, text not formatted properly).

Funny that you mention XTZ, we've got a review of that coming out in a week or so. I'm just finishing up some edits today.

 

[Cliff_is]

Yeah, we are having issues with this review. For some reason the public site isn't updating properly, it's showing the very first draft that we upload (working title, no images, text not formatted properly).

Funny that you mention XTZ, we've got a review of that coming out in a week or so. I'm just finishing up some edits today.

Formatting is fixed!

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

If the mic in the kit is good enough one could just add a miniDSP (about $135 with plugins and s&h), free REW software and calibrate any sub.
If the included mic is so-so, getting this Calibrated mic will not break your wallet - Dayton Audio UMM-6 USB Measurement Microphone  | 390-808

 

[j_garcia]

Wait, isn't that what Paradigm called theirs? Same thing?

 

[Hocky]

Wait, isn't that what Paradigm called theirs? Same thing?

Paradigm owns ML now... so probably. Ever notice that the new Paradigm subs are new iterations of the old ML subs?

 

[j_garcia]

Paradigm owns ML now... so probably. Ever notice that the new Paradigm subs are new iterations of the old ML subs?

How long ago did that happen? Had to have been a while because Paradigm released that product around 2 years ago.

 

[Hocky]

How long ago did that happen? Had to have been a while because Paradigm released that product around 2 years ago.

2-3 years.

 

[sleepysurf]

Paradigm, ML, and Anthem are all owned by Shoreview Industries, and now share a common factory in Mississauga, Ontario (though some products are now manufactured in China). ML design engineers and Tech Support are still located in Lawrence, KS.

 

[Cliff_is]

Paradigm, ML, and Anthem are all owned by Shoreview Industries, and now share a common factory in Mississauga, Ontario (though some products are now manufactured in China). ML design engineers and Tech Support are still located in Lawrence, KS.

I live in Lawrence and actually stopped over and toured the ML facilities last year.

[url]http://www.audioholics.com/editorials/martinlogan-interview-hq-tour [/URL]

 

[gene]

Paradigm & MartinLogan Clarification

<!--[if gte mso 9]><![endif]--> I saw a few people in this thread mistakenly claiming Paradigm owns MartinLogan. This is NOT true. MartinLogan and Paradigm are sister companies owned by a third party. I hope this clarify things a bit.

 

[Hocky]

I saw a few people in this thread mistakenly claiming Paradigm owns MartinLogan. This is NOT true. MartinLogan and Paradigm are sister companies owned by a third party. I hope this clarify things a bit.

Semantics. lol

 

[haraldo]

I live in Lawrence and actually stopped over and toured the ML facilities last year.

MartinLogan Interview on Electrostatic Speaker Design | Audioholics

You should do more of the factory tours

 

[Cliff_is]

You should do more of the factory tours

I agree! The only other company around here that I am aware of is Induction Dynamics. They are about 30 minutes from my house, ML is about 5. I'll be moving to North Dakota in a few months, which will put me far away from basically everything A/V. I think the closest would be Magnepan, which is about 450 miles away in a suburb of St. Paul, MN.

 

[haraldo]

I agree! The only other company around here that I am aware of is Induction Dynamics. They are about 30 minutes from my house, ML is about 5. I'll be moving to North Dakota in a few months, which will put me far away from basically everything A/V. I think the closest would be Magnepan, which is about 450 miles away in a suburb of St. Paul, MN.

If you have people in L.A. / CA, I would love to see Von Schweikert and Vandersteen tours