bk xls200 & spl meter

fizzgog

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hi guys, i received a radioshack analogue spl meter free when i purchased my bk xls200 mkII but i have never used it, instead i have always relied upon my Denon 3805's auto setup.

i think now, however, that the time has come for me to have a go at a manual set up.

i have found the sinewave/test tones and will have to make a cd as i cannot hook my computer up to the sub or receiver. what i would like to know is do i have to unplug all my regular speakers in order to have the sound only come from the sub or is there a way round this, and do i have to increase the crossover from 80hz - im pretty sure i do?

once i have my readings and make a graph what do i do then?? and am i missing some important process?? do i input my distances to the speakers first??

also, how do i then go about taking readings for my regular 5. speakers?
thanx for any help:lease:
pete
 
im now not sure whether i can manually EQ my sub. i know that i cannot do it through the bk so i presumed that i would be able to do it through my denon 3805. after looking through the settings it appears that i can only manually EQ the regular speakers and not the sub. its strange, their is a picture of all the speakers on the left which includes a sub but when i scroll through the speakers the sub does NOT come up. :thumbsdow :( :thumbsdow
thanx
pete
 
i thinking of buying one of those subs what are they like and how did you get the spl meter free

please let me no thanks
 
DVDANDY said:
i thinking of buying one of those subs what are they like and how did you get the spl meter free

please let me no thanks

hi there, the sub is great, im still messing around with it to find the best position though. i definitely do not regret buying it although i have had no other sub to compare it with.
as for the spl meter, BK were running a special offer around easter where you got one free with every sub bought. you could always contact them asking if they plan to repeat the offer?
hope this helps
pete
 
when you turn the sub on and off at the back do you hear any clipping noices eg relays or is i:lease: t silent

please let me no thanks
 
DVDANDY said:
when you turn the sub on and off at the back do you hear any clipping noices eg relays or is i:lease: t silent

please let me no thanks

i leave mine permanently on but as far as i can remember it is silent.
thanx
pete
 
maybe there something wrong with the spl meter is the base realy meaty on this sub

please let me no thanks:thumbsup:
 
DVDANDY said:
maybe there something wrong with the spl meter is the base realy meaty on this sub

please let me no thanks:thumbsup:

hi again Dandy, i really think that it would be best if someone else answered this who has had experience of several subs as i have nothing to reference it to.
sorry for not being able to help
pete
 
fizzgog said:
i have found the sinewave/test tones and will have to make a cd as i cannot hook my computer up to the sub or receiver. what i would like to know is do i have to unplug all my regular speakers in order to have the sound only come from the sub or is there a way round this, and do i have to increase the crossover from 80hz - im pretty sure i do?

once i have my readings and make a graph what do i do then?? and am i missing some important process?? do i input my distances to the speakers first??
pete

does anyone know the answer to this? also, if i find peaks or troughs in my graph is there any way i can neutralize them without manual EQ on my amp? is it just a case of moving the sub about??
thanx in advance
pete
 
As things currently stand you can only do two things with an SPL meter and both involve it being where your head would normally be in the listening position.

1. Use it to balance all the channel levels accurately.

2. Play a CD of individual test tones (set your amp to stereo and turn any EQ off) and plot a graph. You will now have a profile of your room & subs frequency response at your seating position.

Now given the coarse nature of the manual EQ adjustment in the 3805, your only real option is to try to flatten the graph by moving the sub around the room. Once you've found the best position move it a couple of inches either way and see what the difference is. Remember, you'll have to run the test tones (all of them) every time you move it to see what the changes are. I'd suggest that a corner of the room will be a good place to start, as it gives the best room gain for the lower frequencies. But there's no hard and fast rules and you may not have an empty corner. I also think that the middle of a wall is best avoided

Once you've nailed your spot, experiment by turning the Phase knob in 10 to 15 degree steps and see what gives the smoothest blend through the crossover region particularly although the effects will be apparent over a range potentially as large as 60-100Hz, possibly more. A dip is what you're trying to avoid.

It's long, it's slow, it laborious. That's sub tuning that is. Once you're happy with the sub, then run the 3805s Auto EQ again. If you've done it right, the Denon will have a much easier time of it.

That's all you can do until you're ready for a BFD.

Russell
 
hi Russ, thank you very much for the reply.

what you say makes sense and i will give it a try sometime this week - i have already made a cd with the test tones on it, i just need to get off my behind and do something with them.

one more point. as the 3805 only has 8 frequencies that can be changed i only put those 8 test tones on my speaker cal. CD, namely 63hz, 125hz, 250hz, 500hz, 1khz, 2khz, 4khz & 8khz. should i make a disc with more on to get a better graph?
the sub cd i created has 44 tones on ranging from 160hz to 10hz so i think that one is fine.

thanx again
pete
 
Should be fine, but given the size of the XLS, I wouldn't bother starting below 25Hz. You'll just be torturing it for the fun of it.

Russell
 

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