SVS PB12-NSD on its way!!!!

[Affejunge]

Just got my e-mail confirmation the I will have the sub next Monday!!!!
With a shipping weight of 95 lbs...I am impressed.

Just want to thank all the Audioholics for all their help over the last year while I have been mulling over which sub to buy. It was kinda between Outlaw and SVS for me. (HSU was out because did not want to get nailed with shipping AND sales tax) Ultimately it was SVS's customer support that won me over.

Now, what happens when I unbox it and it sounds the same as my JBL E250P ?!

Thanks again everyone....

 

[Adam]

Congratulations!!!

Now, what happens when I unbox it and it sounds the same as my JBL E250P ?!

Enjoy the pleasure of having two subs.

 

[blued888]

Now, what happens when I unbox it and it sounds the same as my JBL E250P ?!

The SVS gods will smite you! Haha just kiddin'.

Enjoy your subwoofer.

Post here when you get the subwoofer and how it obliterates your JBL.

 

[GlocksRock]

I don't think you will have to worry about it sounding the same as your JBL. Congrats on your new sub... I just got a PB-10NSD for my bedroom, and it pounds.

 

[SPLluver]

good choice
i just ordered my sbs-01 with pb12 cant wait I'm just wondering if it wiLL come with the new aluminum driver.

 

[Affejunge]

Of course!

HSU is having a sub sale starting today.. uggh... they have the LFM-1 EX for $120 less than I paid for the PB-12 NSD...

Well, guess I will just have to suck it up... since shipping back SVS would eat up most of the savings. Nice thing about the SVS, it has low level out for analog bass management when I upgrade to separate pre pro and amp.. so I guess I should be happy....

 

[SPLluver]

can you let me know if yours comes with the updated driver.

thanks

 

[blued888]

Of course!

HSU is having a sub sale starting today.. uggh... they have the LFM-1 EX for $120 less than I paid for the PB-12 NSD...

Well, guess I will just have to suck it up... since shipping back SVS would eat up most of the savings. Nice thing about the SVS, it has low level out for analog bass management when I upgrade to separate pre pro and amp.. so I guess I should be happy....

I think you mean Outlaw?

 

[Affejunge]

I think you mean Outlaw?

You are correct, sir! Designed by Hsu...

 

[SPLluver]

did your pb12 come with the new aluminum driver???? black with the logo in the middle.

 

[Affejunge]

did your pb12 come with the new aluminum driver???? black with the logo in the middle.

It will be here on Monday.. so I will post an update monday night. It takes awhile to get all the way out here to California!

 

[blued888]

You are correct, sir! Designed by Hsu...

Don't worry, I'm sure your PB12-NSD would hold its ground against a LFM1-EX.

 

[Affejunge]

did your pb12 come with the new aluminum driver???? black with the logo in the middle.

So it's here! Man this thing is big. Takes up a lot more space than I expected, I am beginning to wonder if the should have gone with the SB-12.

Anyhoo -- Yes, the woofer is black with the white SVS logo on it.. though it feels more like a some type of polyfiber than AL, but I am not a materials guy.

As for sound.. by the time I got it set up, my wife and kids had gone to bed, so I did not really get a chance to let it really run. Also, I am missing my DVE DVD for calibration (lent it to a friend months ago, think I need to give him a call) The THX freq sweep just doesn't do it since I have no idea which frequency is playing! I did set SPL with the THX test tones.

At first I was a little under whelmed. I was listening the Black Hawk Down on blu-ray and nothing seemed to have a real *punch*, though bass-chords in music were noticeably better. So I started to crank up the gain on the AVR for the sub.. and to honest.. it still did not sound better!? Once nice thing is the "boominess" from my JBL E250P is gone now.

So next I decided to play with the phase. The JBL only had a 0/180 switch on back. This is my first time being able to set variable phase. Now, with my jbl, my AVR always said my sub was "in phase" if the switch was 0 or 180. To be honest, I also heard little difference when I switched between the two. So I on the SVS I decided to set it at 90 and popped in Lion, Witch, Wardrobe on blu-ray
Whoa... bass came in really strong. I had turn turn the gain down on the AVR back to the original level from when I originally set SPL. So obviously phase is something I am going to have to play with.

I know nothing above was scientific. I am missing proper test tones to test actual freq response at crossover. Bass difference could just have been source material (maybe Narnia has a better bass track than Black Hawk). I need about 4-5 hours to integrate this correctly.. with a house of 3 kids and a pregnant wife.. not sure when I get that time! Unfortunately, do to it's size, I am extremely limited where I can place this.

But, I am excited.. I am looking forward to playing Jurassic Park and LOTR-FOTR when I get home today and really give this sub a work out. Hopefully after the weekend, I will have proper integration.

System Notes:
Axiom M22 v2 - mains
Axiom VP150 - center
JBL E20 - rears
SVS PB12-NSD
Yamaha RX-V663 (cross over set to 80Hz)
Sony BDP-550 - bitstream out
Oppo DV-980H - bitstream out

 

[Adam]

Congrats! I'm glad that you got your new sub and have it hooked up.

The first thing that I did with my Ultra was run test tones and get it dialed in. Yes, yes - it took a lot of restraint to not just start playing with it. Anyway, after I got it dialed in, I was really happy with how it performed.

I used a test tone CD from AV123 (linked here, costs $5 including shipping) because I was leary of downloading test tones, but you can get tones in multiple places. That and my Radio Shack SPL meter worked quite well.

 

[TheFactor]

Congrats!!! Mine should be here tuesday Keep the updates coming too

 

[mycroft]

Just got the PB12-NSD as well.

I just picked up a PB12-NSD myself (from the "Classified" forum), and am enjoying it. It's bigger than I expected too. I still need to find the time to fine-tune it all.

It did catch me by surprise when I was watching the Korean War flashback in Mad Men, and the explosion went off. The room shook, and since I hadn't been expecting it, I just about hit the ceiling!

Anyway, thanks for the thread - it helped me learn more about my sub too.

Enjoy!

 

[TheFactor]

I just picked up a PB12-NSD myself (from the "Classified" forum), and am enjoying it. It's bigger than I expected too. I still need to find the time to fine-tune it all.

It did catch me by surprise when I was watching the Korean War flashback in Mad Men, and the explosion went off. The room shook, and since I hadn't been expecting it, I just about hit the ceiling!

Anyway, thanks for the thread - it helped me learn more about my sub too.

Enjoy!

Nice I cant wait to feel the thunder too

 

[Affejunge]

Spent last night with my Audiophile Test CD 2 and my Radio Shack SPL.

First off.. let me say, I am REALLY limited by placement. Due to the size of the sub and the size of my room, I really only have 2 places to put it. All tests were conducted in its primary location (may mess with the other this weekend)

First off... with the exception of a 5db spike at 50hz this thing is super flat. I did end up setting my phase knob a bit above 0.. most likely since the sub sticks out about 1.5ft in front of the speakers.. so just slightly out of phase.
An annoying thing with the EQ on the Yamaha 663 is there is an adjustment at 63hz.. but it will only effect the speakers, not the sub.. a serious oversight in opinion (I may be ignorant so some physical reason this is so)

So after calibration - my SPL readings breakdown as so @70db (crossover @ 90hz):

200 hz  -  66 db
160     -  71
125     -  75
100     -  72
 80     -  70
 63     -  70
 50     -  75
 40     -  71
31.5    -  70
 25     -  69
 20     -  62

This is a HUGE improvement over my JBL E250P which was all over the place *and* had SPL drop to 60db at 31.hz and disappear below. I was a little disappointed to see the 20hz be such a drop..making SVS claim of down to 18hz +/- 3db unlikely in real word performance. That said.. it is really cool to hear almost nothing and see the needle read 62db..

Now keep in mind.. since there is NO EQ for the sub on my AVR.. there was almost nothing I had to do other than play with the phase knob a little bit.. and I was done. Remarkable.

So now.. to run this thing through its paces. I popped in LOTR-FOTR and jump to the scene in the Prologue where Sauron "implodes". Awesome.. I never knew that the the low bass sweep should be heard until the scene cuts to the helmet crashing onto the ground. Next I jumped to the fireworks scene. After watching.. it still did not seem to have the "punch" it should.
After more testing.. I settled on dialing up the volume of the sub 6db from the AVR. This seems to be perfect for movie watching. Unfortunately it seems a little high for music (maybe 3db or so). It is a shame there is not a switch or something to go back and forth between the 2 settings.

Okay.. that is all for now. After a few weeks of listening or so I will post back.. but so far things look good!

 

[GlocksRock]

glad to see you are a happy camper. Let us know how the other room position works out for you.

 

[TheFactor]

Thanks for the update, now would you mind measuring the shipping box your sub came in so I'll know if it will fit in my little gti since I wont be home to sign for it im going to have to pick it up after work BTW sounds like you have your sub just about dialed already