Boston Acoustics SoundWare Sub Operation, Control Adjustments, Initial Control Settings

Operation

After you have made all the system connections, turn on the power switch of the SoundWare Sub. Note the Status LED to the left of the Crossover control. When the Sub is connected to a power outlet it will light red to indicate Standby status, or green to indicate the amplifier is on.

The SoundWare Sub amplifier has a “signal sensing” circuit. When the Line In(put) receives an audio signal the amplifier turns itself on. If there is no audio signal input the amplifier goes into Standby mode after a few minutes. So all you need to do is provide power and an audio signal. The Sub takes care of the rest.

Control Adjustments

The subwoofer crossover frequency and volume level, need to be set to achieve a smooth and balanced main speaker-to- subwoofer transition. The crossover frequency and subwoofer volume adjustments may be done by the system electronics (in systems that have home theatre receivers or sound processors) or by using the SoundWare Sub controls. The SoundWare Sub Polarity control also affects the acoustical transition, but often in a more subtle way. After the basic controls settings are done, the final adjustments should be made while listening carefully to the system. The controls are somewhat interactive. After making the first set of adjustments, use the system for while with a variety of audio sources. Then go through the adjustment sequence again to see if further improvements can be made.

Initial Control Settings

Using either the system electronics or the SoundWare Sub Crossover control, set the subwoofer crossover frequency about 10 Hz higher than the low frequency limit of the main speakers in the system. If the crossover frequency is set by the system electronics, turn the Sub’s Crossover control all the way up to the 180 Hz position.

Turn the SoundWare Sub Volume control up about half way, around the 12 o’clock position. If the system electronics also has a subwoofer volume control, set it at about the middle of its control range.

Final Adjustments

The best final settings of the subwoofer crossover frequency and volume level controls depends on many factors. The system electronics, speakers locations, your listening location, and the room acoustics all affect which control settings produce the best results. Careful listening and control adjustments are needed.

Choose several sound sources that have a balanced, broad range of sounds – a steady but not predominant bass line, some vocal content, a variety of instruments, some percussion. Listen to the selections and adjust the SoundWare Sub volume control until the bass sound is in balance with the rest of the sound range. Do not set the bass volume too high to achieve “impressive” sound. That will make instruments and voices sound “muddy” or “thick” and over time will become tiresome.

Once you have good main speaker-to-subwoofer balance, listen to the transition range to fine tune the crossover frequency. Low male voices are often good for this evaluation. Listen for certain parts of the lower sound that may seem to stand out. This indicates there is too much overlap between the main speakers and the Sub. Try adjusting the crossover frequency about 10 Hz lower and reevaluate the sound. Conversely, if a part of the lower sound range seems “weak” or “hollow”, try setting the crossover frequency about 10 Hz higher.

While adjusting the crossover frequency also try changing the Polarity switch position. That can make the transition better, or worse, or make relatively little difference. Listen carefully and set this switch to provide the fullest, most dynamic bass. The effect of the Polarity switch will be most audible on low-frequency percussion instruments or music with a continuously repeating bass line.

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