settings on sub?

[patnshan]

I recently got a Marantz SR8400 receiver. I am trying to figure out the best way to set my sub. I believe that the receiver can control the crossovers, level of the sub, and that is the best way to go. I have a BIC America 1220 powered sub. I have the sub cable hooked up to the digital in on the sub.

My question is this: What do you do with the volume and crossover settings on the sub? Are they bipassed or not? It sounds fine, but I want to optomize it. What do you guys do with the settings on your sub when you want the amp to control it?

Thanks again for all the help you all have given me. I am getting addicted to this stuff

By the way, I figured out the answers to my previous questions in another post.

Pat

 

[MacManNM]

I recently got a Marantz SR8400 receiver. I am trying to figure out the best way to set my sub. I believe that the receiver can control the crossovers, level of the sub, and that is the best way to go. I have a BIC America 1220 powered sub. I have the sub cable hooked up to the digital in on the sub.

My question is this: What do you do with the volume and crossover settings on the sub? Are they bipassed or not? It sounds fine, but I want to optomize it. What do you guys do with the settings on your sub when you want the amp to control it?

Thanks again for all the help you all have given me. I am getting addicted to this stuff

By the way, I figured out the answers to my previous questions in another post.

Pat

The electronic crossover on the 8400 will send it the freq you tell it to. I suggest setting the phase and level by doing careful listening tests. What front speakers are you using?

 

[MDS]

My question is this: What do you do with the volume and crossover settings on the sub? Are they bipassed or not? It sounds fine, but I want to optomize it. What do you guys do with the settings on your sub when you want the amp to control it?
Pat

If the receiver is controlling the xover, you want to set the xover on the sub as high as it will go (or at least to a value greater than the xover you set in the receiver). If you set it at the same value or lower than the receiver, then you will have two xovers in the signal path and that is not good.

Note that some subs have a switch to disable its internal xover or provide a special input (sometimes labelled 'LFE') that automatically disables the sub's internal xover without requiring you to flip another switch. If yours does, hook it up that way.

You will still need to use the volume control on the sub. Set it between 1/4 and 1/2 the way up and set the sub level in the receiver at 0. When you calibrate the sub level you can adjust the sub's volume level and the receiver's sub level control until you get the SPL reading you are looking for. It's best to try to keep the receiver's sub level at 0 or slightly positive because many subs with auto turn-on won't wake up if the receiver's sub level is too low.

 

[patnshan]

The electronic crossover on the 8400 will send it the freq you tell it to. I suggest setting the phase and level by doing careful listening tests. What front speakers are you using?

I was pretty certain that the receiver will send the frequencies I tell it to but how does the x-over on the sub come into play? Should I turn it as high as it will go and let the receiver just send below 80 or 100, what I set? That is my sense from what you tell me. I will do the phase and level when my buddy comes over with the spectrum analyzer he has (he is a car and home audio distributor. Says it's better than the SPL meter setup, I don't know).

I am actually using my "old school" MTX AAL 12 4-way speakers in the front. To be honest, this receiver makes them sound great to my ears. I have them set to small because I really like the sub. The mains "can" do bass quite well if needed I think.
I plan to get a def tech HT setup from above mentioned distributor friend at cost as soon as my wife gets over the receiver purchase I have a yamaha center channel speaker (I know, not timber matched, I got it before I know about that ) In the back are some b(l)ose bookshelf speakers. I think they do an OK job for me, for now. I got the thing to 0 dB's yest with no distortion. My kids were yelling at me to turn it down!

Thanks,

Pat

edit* My fronts are an older version of these AAL 12's

 

[MacManNM]

I was pretty certain that the receiver will send the frequencies I tell it to but how does the x-over on the sub come into play? Should I turn it as high as it will go and let the receiver just send below 80 or 100, what I set? That is my sense from what you tell me. I will do the phase and level when my buddy comes over with the spectrum analyzer he has (he is a car and home audio distributor. Says it's better than the SPL meter setup, I don't know).

I am actually using my "old school" MTX AAL 12 4-way speakers in the front. To be honest, this receiver makes them sound great to my ears. I have them set to small because I really like the sub. The mains "can" do bass quite well if needed I think.
I plan to get a def tech HT setup from above mentioned distributor friend at cost as soon as my wife gets over the receiver purchase I have a yamaha center channel speaker (I know, not timber matched, I got it before I know about that ) In the back are some b(l)ose bookshelf speakers. I think they do an OK job for me, for now. I got the thing to 0 dB's yest with no distortion. My kids were yelling at me to turn it down!

Thanks,

Pat

see the previous post. I'll check, but i think you can still change the xover freq with the setting to small on the marantz, if that is true you'll prob want to lower it down to about 50Hz or so, try it, it will prob add a lot.

 

[patnshan]

If the receiver is controlling the xover, you want to set the xover on the sub as high as it will go (or at least to a value greater than the xover you set in the receiver). If you set it at the same value or lower than the receiver, then you will have two xovers in the signal path and that is not good.

Thanks. I made my last post before I saw this one. So, I was right for a change, great

Note that some subs have a switch to disable its internal xover or provide a special input (sometimes labelled 'LFE') that automatically disables the sub's internal xover without requiring you to flip another switch. If yours does, hook it up that way.

I don't see that. The receiver does have LFE, but to be honest, I have not read about that in the manual yet. I have it set to 0.

You will still need to use the volume control on the sub. Set it between 1/4 and 1/2 the way up and set the sub level in the receiver at 0. When you calibrate the sub level you can adjust the sub's volume level and the receiver's sub level control until you get the SPL reading you are looking for. It's best to try to keep the receiver's sub level at 0 or slightly positive because many subs with auto turn-on won't wake up if the receiver's sub level is too low.

Thanks. I actually noticed that the sub would not turn on when I first set it up. I had actually thought that what you explain might be the cause, except I thought the subs level was too low, not the receivers. I will set it to like 1 1 or 2 and do the calibration based on that. Does that sound good?

Thanks again, you guys are fast!

Pat

 

[patnshan]

see the previous post. I'll check, but i think you can still change the xover freq with the setting to small on the marantz, if that is true you'll prob want to lower it down to about 50Hz or so, try it, it will prob add a lot.

I saw that after I made my post. I can certainly set it, but not lower than 80 I believe from what I read in the manual. That's where I have it set for now. It seems if I set the fronts to large, little or nothing goes to the sub Is that normal? It seems that the manual says just that if I read correctly. I don't understand why you would want that if you have a sub?

Pat

 

[Takeereasy]

I have the same receiver as you. If you want more bass to go to your fronts set your front speakers to large and then select both for the sub/speaker mix. That will send all bass to your sub and your speakers, but the LFE's will still go only to the sub.

 

[patnshan]

I have the same receiver as you. If you want more bass to go to your fronts set your front speakers to large and then select both for the sub/speaker mix. That will send all bass to your sub and your speakers, but the LFE's will still go only to the sub.

Thanks a lot, I will try it both ways to see which I like. Do you increase the LFE setting any on your receiver or leave it at 0?

Pat

 

[Takeereasy]

I leave it at 0, but I'm in a small room.

 

[patnshan]

I leave it at 0, but I'm in a small room.

Mine is about 18 x 15, maybe a little more. The sub is in the front left corner, against both walls. I will try a few different setting and see what I like.

Pat