MKCi FAQ's
1. Do I need an SVS speaker or subwoofer?
2. What are some important things to look for when buying a subwoofer?
3. What if I already have speakers or a subwoofer?
4. What's best for me? Cylinder or Box SVS subwoofer?
5. Should I consider dual SVS subwoofers?
6. Where do I put my SVS subwoofer?
7. How do I use a sound level meter to calibrate?
AS-EQ1 FAQ
That is a good question. Let's be clear. Not everyone needs speakers or subwoofers as good as SVS makes. But heck, not everyone "needs" a home theater or music room either. If you and your "significant other" are content watching movies at low level, or you primarily watch VHS tape or cable TV via built in speakers, one of our subwoofers or speaker packages might be “more” than you need or want. Despite affordable prices, this is serious sound in terms of both quantity and quality. Nearly anyone hearing products we build will quickly appreciate why they cost more than less expensive models, even those from bigger more widely known brands. Still, if you have laserdisc, HDTV, or DVD you probably do want speakers and subwoofers that are true to to the music and movies, like ours. We build everything specifically to make your favorite audio materials sound just as the director or musical artist intended. If you call the place you watch movies a "home theater", or "media room" you almost certainly can appreciate the truly deep bass and clean balanced natural highs SVS subwoofers and speakers can bring you.
But why would you want real, deep and ultra powerful bass no matter what brand speakers you might have? Simply stated --- to capture the theater experience at home. With the advent of DVD movies and Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound-tracks, such sound is finally possible in your home. Again, that's theatrical sound in both quantity and quality, or concert-like music. Surprisingly, while there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of great choices in full range audio speakers (for your main, center, and surround channels. And we make some of the best ourselves). But, the number of subwoofers which can affordably supply both deep and accurate theatrical sounding bass are fairly slim. In fact, such bass is downright rare at prices most people can afford.
Most importantly, true, deep powerful bass is critical to realistic home theater sound, no matter how good your main speakers might be. If all the surround sound was icing, bass is the cake. Some feel it's the foundation upon which the theatrical experience rests. The ".1" of Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound is usually dedicated to subwoofers for a good reason. When an explosion rips, the tanks roll, or the pipe organs rumble, it's your subwoofer that makes the difference between "good sound", and sound you can feel too. And it should feel real. Today's even higher resoluiton soundtracks accompanying HD-DVD and BlueRay disks push this high-fidelity bar even higher than it was with the introduction of DVD over 10 years ago.
To be blunt, a relatively small number of audio enthusiasts have heard what an honest sub-woofer can do for their often pricey sound system. Those that have? They can't live without the sort of performance we deliver at uniquely affordable "price points". All SVS subwoofers will blend perfectly with your brand speakers. And of course if you start out with an SVS surround sound speaker package, you know every aspect of design, even the finish will be a perfect match!
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2. What are some important things to look for when buying a subwoofer?
For many years SVS specialized in subwoofers, so many customers pair them with other brands of speakers they might have owned for some time. Thousands of demanding customers replace other brands of subswoofers with an SVS, many others trust us with their first audio equipment purchase.
So what’s key in a sub? First and foremost, you, the customer must enjoy the subwoofer. It doesn't matter if the "numbers" or "specs" say it's perfect... if you don't like the way it sounds...what good is it? However, at SVS we do feel a subwoofer should meet some basic verifiable performance goals if it's going to perform well subjectively and objectively, for the majority of HT enthusiasts. Some aspects are a bit technical, others quite easy to understand. In no particular order...performnace goals we hold dear include:
- Low distortion (THD)
- Low GD (group delay) to subsonic levels
Something to consider in terms
of performance...if a subwoofer can produce 110dBs (very loud) with low
distortion at 40hz, we feel it should produce as close to that output as
possible, right down to its low frequency extension limits. This is
called "flat" or "linear" response, where no one frequency "band" is
overemphasized at the expense of other bands deeper or higher in its
operating range. Unfortunately, the vast majority of commercial
subwoofers are very NON-linear in this regard. It's not uncommon for a
subwoofer that produces 110dB at 40hz, to only have the ability to
produce 90dB at a much deeper 20hz. (or less, often much less). Keep in
mind this means such a subwoofer produces roughly 6 times more
acoustical energy at a relatively high bass frequency, than it is
capable of doing down low. Like too much salt in a otherwise tasty dish,
balanced in home audio is key.
Wonder why some subwoofers are said to sound "boomy and unnatural" when
you perhaps heard them them turned up too loud? Well, that lack of
"linearity" is a large part of the answer to the question of why some
subwoofers simply sound bloated and detract from the natural accoustical
experience you crave. While it is true that there are far more instances
of 40 Hz bass in most modern movie soundtracks (and music) than there
are increasing numbers of CD's and movie DVD's with truly exciting stuff
at 30hz, 20hz and even lower. At SVS we feel strongly that both regions
of bass (ultra deep and "mid-bass") should be handled with equal ease,
and portray the levels and emphasis in these regions which the muscian
or movie’s makers intended. Needless to say, the preponderance, or
overemphasis, of mid-bass is not something most manufacturers are
interested in talking about, yet it's a cost-driven reality that's more
common than many consumers realize.
And “flat” frequency response is only part of the picture. Flatness at
the sound pressure levels (SPL) commercial theaters are capable of
(adjusted for smaller HT rooms of course) is what you most music and
movie fans are after (even if not everyone appeciates the technical
challenges of achieving this).. We adhere to the point of view that the
two most important aspects of HT bass are "headroom" (clean power
without audible distortion or "compression" of dynmic program
material... , and ensuring subwoofer placement and calibration so each
seat is optimized to have as smooth a response curve as possible for
that listener/viewer.
Often times, folks don't realize that the bass requirements for true
Dolby Digital (DD) standardized reference level movie sound is actually
quite difficult to achieve (or could previously only be done at a very
high cost). If you listen to reference levels, Dolby Labs ® requires
minimum of 115dB peak ability with limited distortion at each
seat...down to the lowest frequencies on the DVD (usually about
15-25hz). Most reasonably priced subwoofers don’t provide more than a
small fraction of this sort bass requirement.
Furthermore, if you use bass management built into any modern surround
sound A/V receiver to reroute some deep audio from the main speakers to
the subwoofer (say you are using relatively small main speakers)...your
audio “headroom” needs are increased to the 121dB range! That's 121dB at
the seats, down to 20hz or lower. A very difficult challenge simply due
to the physics of sound, bass in particular. In a typical room...you'd
need a pair of corner located high-end subwoofers (typical examples
costing well over $3,000 each) going full throttle to approach this. To
be fair, even one of our largest affordable subs (the 20-39PCi) can’t
provide such powerful bass in a large room by itself. But a pair of
them, a more powerful PC-Plus, PC-Ultra, or one of our dual driver
Powered Box (PB) subs can meet in most rooms. As stated earlier, not
everyone wants or needs true movie theater level realism, but for those
that do want it, or for those few that already have it, you’ll be drawn
into movies like never before. That’s what to look for in a subwoofer
system... realistic sound reproduction, no matter what volume you
prefer.
3. What if I already have speakers or a subwoofer?
If you have a subwoofer or speakers already, and find them perfectly adequate, there might not be much argument for upgrading. But, consider this…most "subwoofers" are really nothing more than mid-bass "woofers" that support relatively small satellite main or surround speakers. And many speakers? Mass produced at the lowest possible cost with little regard to achieving concert or theater realism. Now, there is nothing wrong with the concept of inexpensive speakers, but few customers truly desiring realistic sound will spend less than $1,000 for a full 5.1 surround sound system. We consider this to be about the lowest cost most OEMs can produce a genuinely quality set of speakers with deep sound as part of the package.
For music only, inexpensive systems can perform quite well since they
will rarely be required to touch the first octaves (deepest bass) of
audio. The usual "Sub-Sat" arrangements generally do a fine job of
providing relatively low levels of mid-bass (which we'll put in the
120Hz to 45hz range). This however is not true bass, and it's
far from what's required for reproducing today's movie soundtracks the
way they were intended. A system challenged by diving deeper, below 40hz
at least, is literally and figuratively leaving wholescale sections of
CD or movie soundtracks on the "cutting room floor".
True, deep bass, from roughly 20-45hz is what you hear, and
feel, when you go to a first rate commercial theater. Depth and power
unheard of some years back is not vital to balance the mid and high
frequency audio you hear, and which is generally easier to produce from
the standpoint of cost and accoustical design. For convincing theater
sound with today's DVD movies you need effortless bass that extends to
20-25hz or even a bit lower. Hollywood sound now regularly dives to near
subsonic 15hz levels on a regular basis. Many commonly available
commercial subwoofers manage to squeak out a few dBs in this range, but
very few can provide adequate levels of low-distortion, high-power bass
at the levels you'll hear, and feel, in a state of the art theater or
music hall. This limitation applies to the vast majority of subwoofers,
even those sold to augment home theater systems. Yet, those that can
reach true bass levels are frequently well over $3,000, and
that’s for ONLY the subwoofer.
If you've drilled down from our
Products Page,
you already know how affordable SVS subwoofers and speaker packages are,
but integrating a subwoofer or even the speakers alone (say you have a
perfectly adequate subwoofer already) into your existing system is very
easy to do as well (augmenting what you have in other words). This is
especially true if you watch DVDs and your sound system is equipped with
a Dolby Digital receiver or surround processor. Our user friendly
owners' manuals and on-line technical support will walk you through the
process from unpacking to calibration. We are so certain that adding one
of our subwoofer, speaker or full system packages will make a radical
improvement in your home theater and music enjoyment that we offer a 45
day money back trial period.
4. What's best for me? Cylinder or Box SVS subwoofer?
Like so many things in life... it depends. Some folks like the cutting-edge, unique and understated elegance of our space-saving cylinder subwoofers, others value the more traditional but likewise slick simplicity of our box designs. In fact, aesthetics ... how you want your sub to look ... is probably the most significant consideration in your decision here. Still, there are some other "pro's and con's" to consider, and even the question of "looks" isn't as straightforward as it might seem at first. How you weigh these issues is clearly a personal call:
In short, cylinders tend to cost less, are noticeably taller, but at the same time lighter and easier to move. They take up far less precious floor space too. Boxes tend to have considerably more "heft" (requiring more "grunt" to place them; most require two people to move very far), have nice flat tops you can put things on, yet cost a bit more than the closest performing cylinder equivalent. Want further discussion on this eternal question??? Read on.
Cylinder Subwoofers:
The
original SVS subwoofer designs were all cylinder-based for some very
good reasons. First and foremost it's a very efficient audio enclosure
from a number of perspectives. The internal pressures of a subwoofer of
this class can be intense! Ever wonder why cylinders are used to
contain compressed gasses? They can't stretch easily, and tend to
resist forms of wall distortion that boxes must combat. In short, a box
wall must be many times thicker and heavier to equal the strength of a
simple cylinder. This affects several things in turn...
Weight: For a equal level of performance and enclosure space (the key to getting deep and powerfully clean bass) a cylinder will be lighter, and that means easier to move around your room, or from house to house as you go through life. One example. Our PB12-NSD weighs in around 75 pounds. The smallest powered cylinder, the PC12NSD is virtually a sonic clone in performance, but weighs nearly 20 pounds less. Now, 20 pounds might not sound like much, until you haul one up to the top floor of a dorm room, or nudge one into a tight spot in a basement. Most our cylinders you can sling on your shoulder, most our box subs are decidedly "two-person lift" entities. Of course we know that for some customers weight is good, it connotes quality and value. If you fall into this camp, then the relative light weight of a PC12NSD isn't an advantage. In practical terms most folks will find 55 pounds quite enough!
Floor space: Because our cylinders go "up, not out" they can contain prodigious amounts of internal volume that would make for a huge box "foot-print". While a round cylinder base-plate can't snug into the very corner of a room like a box can, our cylinder subs still tend to take up less floor space than a box equivalent.
Finish/looks: All our cylinder subs are finished in a tough knit velvet-like black fabric we sourced from a high-end architectural supply company. Its light scattering properties means even our tallest cylinder subs practically disappear in a dark room corner. We've had reports of spouses that didn't even notice a surreptitious SVS upgrade until it was pointed out to them. As a result of the understate design we’ve sold countless thousands of them and most folks love their look. Some don't. They prefer the harder, more conventional edges of a box and fine textured finish or wood veneers. While our entry level box finishes are a similar shade of black, the fact they are not fabric covered enclosures is a plus, and we're not one's to argue. We developed high-performance SVS box subs precisely because folks asked for a more traditional design as an option.
Cost: Because the cylinder design is so efficient and relatively simple to manufacture, an equivalent box subwoofer will tend to cost more. Not much, but for some folks every audio budget dollar counts. A PB12-Plus and similarly performing 20-39PC+ favor the PC+ by $50. Now, you might light Cuban cigars with $50 bills, but if per chance you don't, at least you understand that a box design can cost a bit more up front. Shipping naturally adds costs too, and depending on where you live you can expect a Powered Box to cost roughly $25-50 or so more to ship given their greater weight. Our shipping rates are still amazingly low no matter how price sensitive you are, but if you are especially cost sensitive, the Powered Cylinders have a slight edge that might matter.
Box Subwoofers:
So cylinders have it "all over" boxes, right? Not exactly. Even though we engineer audio solutions for demanding buyers, there is nothing quite perfect (to our way of thinking). Cylinders have their advantages, and so too do their box brethren.
Size:
While their designs are similar in nature (using common woofers, amps,
ports etc) SVS box subs tend to strike some folks as less visually
obtrusive. All while taking up more floor space. Why?? Box
subs tend to be able to tuck tightly into a corner and are naturally
much shorter to boot. A PB12-NSD is a robust 21" tall (shedding
its first generation basepate), while even our shortest cylinder sub is
a little over 35" tall. This mid-sized Powered Box is a whopping
25" deep however, while the "Powered Cylinders" a mere 16" in diameter,
and thus can fit into the tightest floor-space any theater or media room
might present. But our great finishes make a box work like an end table,
perfect drink height near a couch. Use a coaster so your Martini is
shaken, not stirred.
Performance: If enclosure volume is about the same, there are no significant disadvantages, in terms of raw performance, due to a box shape versus a cylinder. But (there has to be a "but" right??)... boxes do lend themselves to multi-driver configurations that are simply not practical in a cylinder design. The PB12-NSD has single woofer so as you might expect, it's virtually identical to a 20Hz tuned version of our PC12NSD subwoofer (especially since it shares all the same parts as the PC-NSD subs). If you are with us so far then, you already know that when we released a PB12-Plus/2 a few years back (Powered Box, with two 12" "Plus" woofers and three way porting) you could expect it to perform nearly like two of our top-selling and industry-unique PC12 Plus subs. Boxes can be made bigger and more powerful than a cylinder for those wanting the pinnacle of performance in a single sub.
Cost: Any single woofer box sub from SVS we'll offer will tend to cost a little more than its closest performing cylinder equivalent due to more costly enclosure construction, including the offering of premium wood or gloss finishes. Yet, considering even the lowest cost SVS box subs, like the PB10-NSD already outperforms most subs costing from $200 to $1,500 more than ours, we don't think boxes levey much of a premium. In the case of that entry level Powered Box sub, we are actually under the least expensive Powered Cylinder, the amazing PC12NSD.
Finish: Again, some folks like boxes, others hate them due to their relative commonality in the speaker world. Regardless of how you feel about that, the tough cured-poly finish of the textured black, the beautiful woods or the elegant piano gloss box subs are all stunningly attractive and still durable enough to live in the real world. Textured black is probably the most forgiving of tough rooms, where kids and pets might rule the day. Even the sexy gloss black has been specifically developed to avoid the fragility of lesser versions of this finish. Customers who actually own top brand pianos have commented that their SVS is actually better in the level of depth and quality we offer. The woods are unmatched on our powered boxes. You would have to look long and hard to find any premium quality furniture with workmanship so meticulous or materials this fine.
Practicality: There is not much more practical than a simple box (as long as you have plenty of floor space). You can put it in a corner, put a plant on it, put a lamp on it, put Granny's picture on it (as long as you understand Granny might be moving around a bit during the pod-race scene in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace). A sub like our PB12-NSD will be impervious to your kids' peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, it'll be immune to the most vicious house cat (though to be fair, we've not had one owner report any defeating our tough cylinder subwoofer fabric either). Plants, your best friend's bottle of beer, and that 50 lb. bust of Beethoven are all very bad things to put on top of our cylinder subs by comparison. Their tops must be un-obstructed as their top-firing ports are protected by a relatively light-weight mesh grill. If this matters to you, the box SVS's gain another point in their favor.
back to top5. Should I consider dual SVS subwoofers?
Given the above
discussion, absolutely! Getting real theater levels of accurate, deep
and powerful bass if far more difficult than most people realize. Though
whether you really need dual subwoofers depends on a few fundamental
issues… primarily listening habits and room size.
First things first. How loud do you listen to your
movies and music? Do you find that relatively modest levels are more
than adequate when watching a movie? Maybe you live in an apartment and
can’t really turn up the volume to anything approaching theater or
concert levels? If you are in a constant battle of keeping the volume
low enough, then one SVS sub is almost certainly enough. In moderately
sized rooms even one SVS subwoofer (including our killer dual woofer
subs like the PB12-Plus/2) will greatly extend the bass performance of
nearly any audio system, and will provide even better bass than most
audio fans have ever experienced. But despite the fact SVS subs perform
as well (and usually better) than subs costing far more, there is a
limit to what they can do. A matter of physics really.
This is particularly true in very large rooms, or
areas which open up into other areas of your living space. Creating
effective bass requires a sort of pressure (from sound waves, propagated
by moving air). Essentially, the larger the room, the more difficult it
is to reach the levels of smooth, deep bass you will find it a top-rate
commercial concert hall or movie theater, which if indeed is
world-class, can require peaks of clean bass or 115-121dB from your
subwoofer(s) . That’s a LOT of bass, but explosions, kettle drums and
other sound effects are supposed to be startling both for their depth
and their power in real life. So if you are the sort that simply MUST be
able to "take it to 11" with bass so deep and powerful you’ll think the
theaters and dance clubs are lacking (especially if you have a large
room), then we strongly urge you to plan on getting a pair of SVS subs.
What can you expect with dual subs then? If you
are able to co-locate two SVS subs in a common corner of your theater or
music room, you can expect (regardless of which size sub you have)
roughly 6dBs increased "headroom" throughout the sub’s response. 6dBs
might not sound like much on paper, but it translates to about double
the acoustic energy (as you would expect). So where one SVS sub might be
straining to produce the deepest bass of your DVDs at high levels, dual
subs can often just coast along, with accordingly less distortion too.
When dual SVS subs go to the limit you’ll begin to fear for the
structural integrity of your room's walls!
If you are continually giving demos of all your
favorite DVDs, to all your favorite friends and family, dual subs or one
of our dual driver subwoofers are probably the best way to ensure your
bass system is up to the task. Given the exceptionally difficult task
subwoofers have to attain true reference levels of bass, and the
relative affordable nature of SVS subs, we make it easy.
We often tell customers: "One of our subs will
drop your jaw with deep, accurate bass. Two will keep it on the floor
permanently." With twin subs, every movie will remind you this is what
theaters aspire to sound like, we do know this is more than many folks
need or want though. What sort of movie/music fan are you? If you are
wondering if your room will require dual subs to hit the mark Dolby Labs
has established contact us with the dimensions of your HT (and just how
low and loud you want to go)…
sales@mkcinternational.com
6. Where do I put my SVS subwoofer?
You might have noticed. SVS subwoofers are sometimes big. There are a lot of very good reasons for this discussed above, but suffice it to say it's one of those instances when "size matters"). Still, most our customers find these subs very elegant, understated, and stylish. The svelte cylindrical design takes up little floor space, while our box subs require a bit more "real estate". Either shape can usually fit well in a corner or along your front "sound-stage".. And corners are where you want them.
Many many theories abound
regarding subwoofer placement. Deep bass is essentially omni
directional, and with most setups, they are difficult to locate by ear.
Yet for the lowest extension, and the greatest natural reinforcement of
the bass sound pressure level (SPL) corner placement is usually best in
most every shape room (and regardless of the brand of subwoofer).
Wherever possible, avoid placement where the sub is adjacent to openings
into other rooms such as hallways, and open doors. A closed corner,
reasonably close to the prime listening position in your music room or
home theater is nearly always ideal. Just be certain to
recalibrate channel levels (set the playback volume) as you move your
sub to different locations. Moving even a foot or two (say from a
wall to a corner) can have a radical impact on how the bass sounds in
your listening position. Just think of your room as another part
of your speaker system.
If you have particular concerns regarding integrating an SV Subwoofer
into your room contact our tech support department. Fax or e-mail
us a sketch of your current HT arrangement, and well be happy to make
recommendations on sub placement for best performance.
7.
How do I use a sound level meter to calibrate?
The
essential Radio Shack (TM) Sound Pressure Level Meter.
Proper calibration of your surround sound system, including your SVS
subwoofer, is not only easy, it's downright critical! On the left is a
Sound Pressure Level (SPL) meter; using one is akin to checking your car
tires with an air pressure gauge. If you don't have one (the SPL meter
that is), by all means stop reading this now and get one! Heck, click
here
and you can buy one direct from MKCi at a low price of PHP3,000
without shipping costs (if ordered with your subwoofer). We prefer
this model to the digital display SPL meter due to the analog version's
ease in getting spot-on adjustments (though either can work well).
Why is calibration of the levels of your surround system so important?
Well, think of it this way...in the old days you could just adjust
the "Balance" knob on your stereo and get that center image (of the
singer, or various instruments) "just right". Try to imagine doing that
with 6 channels of a digital surround sound system for a minute! Get any
of those channels out of balance by a few decibels (dBs... something all
but certain without a meter) and the complex realism of the soundstage
DVDs and the new high resolution music formats are capable of goes
right out the window.
Start by playing your receiver's internal test tones so you have
something to measure with your SPL meter. Or better yet, a calibration
disk, like
Ovation Software's "Avia"
available from SVS. A test disk’s calibration tones ensure your
entire signal path, from the DVD player to your speakers, is set
correctly.
Make sure your receiver/processor master volume is set at "00 dB" or
other easy to remember level, it will become your "reference level", one
very close to that intended for home theaters by Dolby Labs. And
finally, set your subwoofer amp’s volume control. Note here, if
you have a "PC-type" subwoofer put the volume/gain knob to no more than
1/4th to 1/3rd of the way up. If it's a separate pro-type amp
(like the Samson amps we sell) for a CS-type subwoofer, run the gain
FULL UP (it's a different sort of amp design after all and expects to be
set up this way). It’s a good idea to check the subwoofer level
control of your receiver before you begin the test tones. Keep the
receiver's subwoofer output control to about 25% up or lower than "0 dB"
(or say -6dB given a typical receiver channel limits of –12 dB to +12
dB) . This will allow your amp to work with the cleanest signal possible
from your receiver, while still leaving plenty of downward adjustment
you can use from your viewing position (using the remote). As the tones
start, alternating, speaker to speaker (watching your sound meter now)
set each speaker’s volume to 75 dB or 85dB (depending on your tone
source), using the receiver’s channel controls. Not all test disks or
receivers are the same when it comes to calibration tones however, if
using a test DVD like Video Essentials should allow you to calibrate
reference level at 75dB.
Ovation's "Avia" DVD is
recorded at a higher level to improve signal to noise ratios during
calibration, so you need to measure instead to 85dB for all channels if
you use it and not Video Essentials (discussion below, regarding a
"boost" to your LFE still applies but you simply add the bump you want
above and beyond 85dB, vice 75dB).
What to set the sub to? You might find that a higher level, relative to
your main speakers is preferable. In other words, set to a bit higher
than 75dB, or 85dB, depending on your calibration tone source. Tastes
vary and so do movie soundtracks, but your SV Subwoofer is capable of
tremendous levels of low distortion, low frequency bass. Take advantage
of this, especially if you like action movies with lots of ".1" channel
low frequency effects (LFE). Keep in mind too that the human ear is
relatively insensitive to low frequencies. This, coupled with the fact
most folks don’t watch movies at Dolby Digital reference level (loud!),
means tweaking the bass up a few dBs usually yields a better movie sound
experience.
Many of us with SV Subwoofers run a +2 to +6dB setting on the LFE or
".1" channel, but much depends on your room's acoustics whether you have
one or more subs, and your typical listening level. With a setting like
this, the VE test tone will peak about 81-83dB for the subwoofer portion
of the calibration run. Because the Radio Shack sound meter is
relatively insensitive at very low frequencies you'll actually be set
several dBs higher than what's read. Important Note: Use a "boost" like
this only if you are watching at relatively modest levels. If you ever
hear your sub bottom out (where the driver reaches its physical limits)
you are set too high, at least for that movie and at that volume
setting. Naturally customers with dual subs will enjoy far more
"headroom" with regards to what is "too high".
As you continue to calibrate you’ll briefly need to rotate the sound
meter level dial to the 80dB setting to get a good reading on the
subwoofer if you go beyond the level of your main speakers as we
recommend. Don’t forget that most modern surround sound receivers allow
completely different subwoofer level settings, depending on the
listening mode you are in. With "DVD" as your "source" use the above
calibration routine. You may well find that "CD" (music) calls for a
lower bass setting for the best balance in your home theater (try
setting this by ear with music you are familiar with). The above is a
guide, experiment!
Now if you got this far, and consider yourself an advanced user, you
might want to delve a little deeper into the use of the SPL meter to
flatten out response peaks in your room (using an external equalizer
like we offer) or maybe just using one of the popular test disks out
there to check and see just how well your subwoofer is performing. If
so, you'll want to use a handy
"compensation
chart" to adjust the readings of your SPL meter. Its sensitivity
down low is NOT uniform, but it's easy to make up for this slight flaw
in this great too. This chart is ONLY good for the Radio Shack SPL meter
pictured above. If your subwoofer seems to be measuring poorly with low
frequencies, this chart is CRITICAL to making sure you know what's what.