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SV Subwoofers

 

 

appropriate speakers, and use the subwoofer correctly too. Also, make sure your subwoofer is turned “ON”. We don’t mean “is your subwoofer amplifier on” (that’ll be important later too!) but rather, is your receiver sending a bass signal to your sub amp? This can only happen if you say “Yes” (or “ON”) to the “subwoofer” setting of any typical Dolby Digital/DTS capable receiver.

•Is your receiver connected to the sub amp? As discussed above, use a well-shielded RCA cable (sometimes called a “patch cord”) to hook to the subwoofer output of your DD/DTS receiver to either input jack of your subwoofer amplifier. As mentioned, you’ll need to “split” the subwoofer signal with a “Y Cable” if you bought a pair of subs.

•Is your Radio Shack ® sound pressure level (SPL) meter ready?

This tool is simply vital to proper home theater audio setup. It’s akin to a tire pressure gauge for your car. The manual which

comes with the SPL meter is excellent; we recommend you read it entirely. Haven’t got the meter yet? Head down to your neighborhood Radio Shack ® and snag one. We prefer the analog instead of the digital display model but both work well. Ask for part number #33-4050. At about $40, it’s a bargain. Proper configuration without this meter is practically impossible.

Getting ready to start now: Make sure your receiver/processor master volume is set at “00 dB” or some other easy to remember reference level. Finally, ensure your SVS’s volume control is set no more than 1/4 to 1/3rd up at first. It’s also critical to check the subwoofer level control of your surround receiver before you begin the test tones. Set it to no higher than “-5 dB” initially (that’s one quarter way up, given a typical receiver’s subwoofer channel level limits of –10 dB to +10 dB) . Your LFE “trim”, if you have one, should be set to 0dB to start (that’s full up) but this can be dialed down later to tame peaks if needed. IM- PORTANT: Turn off ANY sound-field processing modes, “peak limiters”, “mid- night mode” etc. Set the SPL meter to “Slow” and “C-weighting” (turn the range dial to 70dB).

Now play your receiver's internal test tones so you have something to measure with your SPL meter. Or better yet, buy a calibration disk like the Video Essentials, or Avia DVDs. A test disk’s tones ensure your entire signal path, from the DVD player to your speakers, is set correctly. Whatever you use, when the tones start alternating from speaker to speaker (watch your sound meter now), set each full range speaker’s volume to about 75 dB (or 85dB if using Avia), by using the receiver’s dedicated channel level controls (leaving master volume the same). We recommend you turn down the receiver’s subwoofer output level, before you significantly lower your sub’s volume control. This helps keep input distortion to a minimum, however you should not be set much lower