Time to Replace the Rythmik FV12

[soapboxpreacher]

My FV12 has treated me fairly well however it seems to be a boomy sub. I am using it primarily for HT. I have an Atmos setup based around a Sony DN1080. I just recently upgraded my fronts and center to elac debut 2.0 and I have the itch to upgrade the sub as well. The FV12 (I cannot find specs on) has a forward firing port, 12" and it is a 20"x18"x22". My Room is 22'x18' and opens up to the kitchen on one of the 18" sides. I might not need a new sub but I do see the tendency to have stuff in the 40-60hz range (I could be wrong) overwhelmed. I am also stuck where I can put it so it is next to the floor speakers on the left side of the TV. I am considering a Monolith 12 as well as a VTF-2 Mk5. Are these upgrades to what I have? Finally have to stay under 750! Let me know. Thanks

 

[shadyJ]

The FV12 shouldn't be boomy. I would guess the problem is placement and configuration. The VTF-2 and Monolith 12 will have more output but will probably have a similarly flat response, which will leave you with the same problem. What you need is a way to measure the sub's response, if you don't have one already, and then place it in a location that allows it the best response and also use equalization to take any aggressive peaks in the response.

 

[Danzilla31]

My FV12 has treated me fairly well however it seems to be a boomy sub. I am using it primarily for HT. I have an Atmos setup based around a Sony DN1080. I just recently upgraded my fronts and center to elac debut 2.0 and I have the itch to upgrade the sub as well. The FV12 (I cannot find specs on) has a forward firing port, 12" and it is a 20"x18"x22". My Room is 22'x18' and opens up to the kitchen on one of the 18" sides. I might not need a new sub but I do see the tendency to have stuff in the 40-60hz range (I could be wrong) overwhelmed. I am also stuck where I can put it so it is next to the floor speakers on the left side of the TV. I am considering a Monolith 12 as well as a VTF-2 Mk5. Are these upgrades to what I have? Finally have to stay under 750! Let me know. Thanks

The thing that sucks is your limited on where you can put it. Since you can't move it around you can't find the sweet spot in the room for your subs. The boomyness your describing may be an issue with the room and placement and not the sub. Buying a new sub if it's the room will not fix the problem. The newer even better sub will still have the same issue

I had the same issue with my My SVS PB 4000's I bought. They looked great up front and it was very convenient to put them there but especially on the right side I was getting huge room gain that no amount of eq could fix. It made the sub sound hooky and I could localize it to the right side. When I found a spot behind my couches that fit them both they measured better there and the issue was gone

 

[Danzilla31]

My FV12 has treated me fairly well however it seems to be a boomy sub. I am using it primarily for HT. I have an Atmos setup based around a Sony DN1080. I just recently upgraded my fronts and center to elac debut 2.0 and I have the itch to upgrade the sub as well. The FV12 (I cannot find specs on) has a forward firing port, 12" and it is a 20"x18"x22". My Room is 22'x18' and opens up to the kitchen on one of the 18" sides. I might not need a new sub but I do see the tendency to have stuff in the 40-60hz range (I could be wrong) overwhelmed. I am also stuck where I can put it so it is next to the floor speakers on the left side of the TV. I am considering a Monolith 12 as well as a VTF-2 Mk5. Are these upgrades to what I have? Finally have to stay under 750! Let me know. Thanks

Shady hit the nail on the head Rhythmik subs are top of the line and boomy is not something theyre known for. I'm feeling as well it's probably the room a placement issue that's affecting the sub

 

[soapboxpreacher]

FV12 is not a flat sub. Take a look at an old graph I found. The spike is around the 50-70.

I can adjust the Bass Extension settings to High to flatten this out. It is set to low and 14 hz. Setting switch for bass extension are composed of 2 switches. One switch has: Low, Mid, High the other has 14hz, 20hz and 28hz. This might help. I have had other subs in thi same position...it is honestly not a bad one. This one just tends to be boomy and with it forward firing port it can exaggerate frequencies easier. Ports tend to do this. Not to mention most movie effects soundtracks lean heavy in the 40-70hz range because of the impact side of things.

 

[shadyJ]

FV12 is not a flat sub. Take a look at an old graph I found. The spike is around the 50-70. View attachment 26880

I can adjust the Bass Extension settings to High to flatten this out. It is set to low and 14 hz. Setting switch for bass extension are composed of 2 switches. One switch has: Low, Mid, High the other has 14hz, 20hz and 28hz. This might help. I have had other subs in thi same position...it is honestly not a bad one. This one just tends to be boomy and with it forward firing port it can exaggerate frequencies easier. Ports tend to do this. Not to mention most movie effects soundtracks lean heavy in the 40-70hz range because of the impact side of things.

You are misreading that graph if you don't think that is very flat. I see maybe a 2 dB rise from 40 to 70 Hz. That is pretty flat. You won't be able to discern a difference that slight. That is like a +/-1.5 dB window from 25 to 90 Hz. Your room is inevitably going to muck up the response much MUCH worse than that.

 

[soapboxpreacher]

Heres a room shot

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I am also stuck where I can put it

The thing that sucks is your limited on where you can put it.

That’s the real world for many people.

 

[3db]

FV12 is not a flat sub. Take a look at an old graph I found. The spike is around the 50-70. View attachment 26880

I can adjust the Bass Extension settings to High to flatten this out. It is set to low and 14 hz. Setting switch for bass extension are composed of 2 switches. One switch has: Low, Mid, High the other has 14hz, 20hz and 28hz. This might help. I have had other subs in thi same position...it is honestly not a bad one. This one just tends to be boomy and with it forward firing port it can exaggerate frequencies easier. Ports tend to do this. Not to mention most movie effects soundtracks lean heavy in the 40-70hz range because of the impact side of things.

Like Shady and others have said, its the placement within the room and not the sub that is the issue. This boom you are hearing is from a standing wave pattern that is at your listening room.

 

[lovinthehd]

Is this an issue in each and every seat on those couches? Elsewhere in the room?

 

[soapboxpreacher]

Is this an issue in each and every seat on those couches? Elsewhere in the room?

Yes almost all seating...that is why I am a little baffled.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yes almost all seating...that is why I am a little baffled.

Try moving the seating to see how it changes? How about trading places with the stacked basket thing? Or with the lamp in the corner/baby things?

 

[TLS Guy]

May be your sub is set to too high a volume. Try turning it down a lot. Most subs are set way too high.

 

[soapboxpreacher]

Made some tweaks to the sub and it is much better, damping to high and set the freq to 20...smoothed out a lot. Low and 14 hz gets boomy. I am gonna swap the location as well to the other side of the TV.

 

[soapboxpreacher]

Still wondering if there isnt something else out there...had this for a while now and the itch is killing me.

 

[shadyJ]

It sounds like you have the upgrade itch and want a sealed sub. You should just buy a sealed sub. But without measurements- a way to see what the problem is- you may still end up with the same boominess since it really looks like a room effect.